commendātĭo, ōnis, f. [commendo], a commendation, recommending (in good prose, and very freq.).
I In abstr., as an act: amicorum, Cic. Fam. 1, 3, 1; 12, 26 ter; id. Fin. 5, 15, 41; Sall. C. 35, 1; Quint. 9, 2, 59; cf. id. 5, 10, 41; 4, 3, 17; Suet. Caes. 75; id. Aug. 46 al.—In plur., Cic. Fam. 13, 32, 1.—With gen. obj. : ad ceteros contempti hominis, Cic. Att. 8, 4, 1: sui, id. Or. 36, 124 (opp. offensio adversarii); Dig. 1, 16, 4, § 3: commendationes morientium, Cic. Fin. 3, 20, 65; cf. commendo, I. B. 2.—
B Trop., by the eyes: oculorum, Cic. de Or. 2, 87, 357: naturae, id. Planc. 13, 31.—
II In concr., that which recommends , the excellence of a thing , worth , praise , a recommendation : ingenii, Cic. Brut. 67, 238: liberalitatis, id. Fam. 1, 7, 9: majorum, id. Cat. 1, 11, 28: probitatis, id. de Or. 2, 52, 211: fumosarum imaginum (i. e. nobilitatis), id. Pis. 1, 1: tanta (erat) oris atque orationis, Nep. Alcib. 1, 2: formae atque aetatis, Auct. B. Alex. 41: animi, Quint. 4, 2, 113: morum, id. 11, 3, 154: prima commendatio proficiscitur a modestiā, Cic. Off. 2, 13, 46; cf. id. ib. § 45; id. Deiot. 1, 2: Epicurus, cum in primā commendatione voluptatem dixisset, id. Fin. 2, 12, 35; cf. id. ib. 5, 14, 40.