conscĭentĭa, ae, f. [conscio], a knowing of a thing together with another person, joint knowledge, consciousness (in good prose, and very freq.).
I A joint knowledge of something, a being privy to, a knowing along with others, privity, cognizance , etc.
α With gen. subj. : omnium horum, Cic. Cat. 1, 1, 1; so, hominum, id. Fin. 2, 9, 28: plurium, Liv. 2, 54, 7: liberti unius, Tac. A. 6, 21; cf. Suet. Calig. 56 al.: generis humani, Tac. Agr. 2.—
β With gen. obj. (thus for the most part in Tac.): in conscientiam facinoris pauci asciti, Tac. H. 1, 25: facti, id. A. 2, 22: conjurationis, id. H. 1, 42: stupri, Dig. 48, 5, 29.— Plur. : consilia conscientiaeque ejus modi facinorum, Cic. Clu. 20, 56. —
γ Absol. : non modo eos persequi, ad quos maxime culpa corrupti judicii, sed etiam illos, ad quos conscientiae contagio pertinebit, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183: qui non modo a facti verum etiam a conscientiae suspitione afuit, id. Cael. 10, 23: nocte perfugit Tanagram, suam conscientiam metuens, Liv. 33, 28, 10: simulare, Tac. A. 2, 40; 4, 3; cf. id. H. 1, 28; Curt. 7, 1, 31.—
II Consciousness, knowledge, feeling, sense .
A In gen. (rare).
α With gen.: unde haec illis tanta modestia, nisi a conscientiā virium et nostrarum et suarum? Liv. 8, 4, 10 (cf. γ); so, contracti culpā periculi, id. 3, 2, 11: suae infirmitatis, Quint. 1, 2, 10: rebellionis, Tac. A. 12, 31; cf. defectionis, id. Agr. 16: victoriae, id. ib. 27: unionum in somno quoque, Plin. 33, 3, 12, § 40: amissae fortunae, a recollection , Flor. 2, 12, 10: ipsa pulcherrimi facti, Cic. Phil. 2, 44, 114: officii mei benevolentiaeque, id. Fam. 3, 7, 6 fin. : scelerum tuorum, id. Pis. 17, 39; cf. Sall. C. 5, 7: peccatorum, Cic. Par. 5, 3, 40: culpae, Liv. 28, 19, 1 et saep.—In plur., Cic. Clu. 20, 56: te conscientiae stimulant maleficiorum tuorum, id. Par. 2, 2, 18; cf. under B. 2.—*
β With de : satisfactionem ex nullā conscientiā de culpā proponere decrevi, Cat. ap. Sall. C. 35, 2; cf. conscius, I. δ—
γ With rel.-clause (very rare): illi conscientia, quid abesset virium, detrectavere pugnam, Liv. 3, 60, 6; 28, 19, 5.—
δ Absol. : ut nostram stabilem conscientiam contemnamus, aliorum errantem opinionem aucupemur, self-consciousness , Cic. Fin. 2, 22, 71: illud se tacere suam conscientiam non pati, Liv. 5, 25, 6: in veris quoque sufficit conscientia, consciousness , Quint. 11, 1, 17: sine hac quidem conscientiā ipsa illa ex tempore dicendi facultas inanem modo loquacitatem dabit, without this feeling , equiv. to without this persuasion , id. 10, 3, 2: quamvis capite defectionis ablato manebat plerisque militum conscientia, Tac. H. 1, 5.— So pregn., with ne, a conscientious fear, guilty fear , Tac. Agr. 42.—
B In partic., a consciousness of right or wrong, the moral sense, conscience : magna vis est conscientiae ... in utramque partem, ut neque timeant qui nihil commiserint et poenam semper ante oculos versari putent qui peccarint, Cic. Mil. 23, 61; cf.: et virtutis et vitiorum grave ipsius conscientiae pondus, id. N. D. 3, 35, 85: bona conscientia turbam advocat, mala etiam in solitudine anxia atque sollicita est, Sen. Ep. 43, 5: ad purgandam publicam conscientiam, Just. 31, 4, 3: recta, a good conscience , Cic. Att. 13, 20, 4; cf. egregia, Liv. 29, 33, 9: bona, Cels. ap. Quint. 2, 15, 32; Quint. 6, 1, 33; 9, 2, 93; Tac. Agr. 1: optima, Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 3: salvā bonā conscientiā, Sen. Q. N. 4, praef. § 15: integra, Front. 1, 9, 3; Lact. 5, 19, 32: mala, a bad conscience , Sall. J. 62, 8; Quint. 12, 1, 3: infelix, id. 6, prooem. § 10.—*
b Prov.: conscientia mille testes, Quint. 5, 11, 41.—
2 Sometimes absol. for a good , or for a bad conscience .
a A good conscience : mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omnium sermo, Cic. Att. 12, 28, 2; cf.: illud est hominis magni ... maximi aestimare conscientiam mentis suae, etc., id. Clu. 58, 159: in quibus ego nec dissentire a nostris salvā gratiā nec consentire salvā conscientiā possum, Sen. Ep. 117, 1: ad sacrificium integrā conscientiā venire, Lact. 5, 19, 32; Front. Strat. 1, 9, 3.—
b A bad conscience : hunc tu quas conscientiae labes in animo censes habuisse? Cic. Off. 3, 21, 85; id. Cat. 2, 6, 13; id. Leg. 1, 14, 40; Sall. C. 15, 4; id. J. 35, 4; Quint. 5, 13, 46.—In the same sense: animi, Cic. Fin. 2, 16, 53; 2, 17, 54; id. Att. 13, 49 fin. ; Caes. B. C. 3, 60; Phaedr. 3, prol. 47; and in plur.: suae (quemque) malae cogitationes conscientiaeque animi terrent, Cic. Rosc. Am. 24, 67.