hērēdĭtas, ātis (gen. plur. hereditatium, Cic. Dom. 15, 35; Inscr. Orell. 107 al.; but usu. hereditatum, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 7, § 16; id. Agr. 1, 3, 8), f. [heres], heirship, inheritance.
I Abstr.: hereditas est successio in universum jus, quod defunctus habebat tempore mortis, Dig. 50, 16, 24: si istiusmodi mi fundus hereditate obvenerit, Varr. R. R. 1, 12, 2; Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 4; cf.: quoniam habes istum equum, aut emeris oportet aut hereditate possideas aut, etc. ... sed neque emisti, neque hereditate venit, neque, etc., Cic. Inv. 1, 45, 84: de hereditatibus, Gai. Inst. 2, 99 sqq.; 3, 1 sqq.—
II Concr., an inheritance (cf. patrimonium).
A Lit.: hereditas est pecunia, quae morte alicujus ad quempiam pervenit jure, nec ea aut legata testamento aut possessione retenta, Cic. Top. 6, 29: si qua mihi obtigerit hereditas magna atque luculenta, Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 23; cf.: cum ejus filio hereditas a propinquo permagna venisset, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 10, § 27: de hereditate ea, quae pupillo venit, id. Inv. 2, 21, 62: hereditates mihi negasti venire, id. Phil. 2, 16, 40: communem hereditatem concedere, id. Fl. 36, 89: mentio hereditatum ... hereditatem adire, id. Phil. 2, 16, 42: adire hereditatem, id. Rosc. Com. 18, 55: obire, id. Agr. 1, 3, 8: cernere, id. Att. 11, 2, 1; id. Agr. 2, 15, 40; cf. cerno: capere ab aliquo, id. Caecin. 35, 102: usurpare, Tac. A. 2, 19 fin. : acquirere, repudiare, omittere, Dig. 24, 3, 58: tradere alicui, Cic. Off. 1, 33, 121: transmittere alicui, Plin. Ep. 8, 18, 7: quem nisi in via caducae hereditates retardassent, i. e. that fall to heirs who have children , Cic. Phil. 10, 5, 11; v. caducus.—Prov.: hereditas sine sacris, i. e. a great advantage without trouble , without expense (because the maintaining of the sacred family rites was attended with great expense), Plaut. Capt. 4, 1, 8; id. Trin. 2, 4, 83; cf. Fest. p. 290 Müll.—
B Trop.: a quo quidem rei familiaris ad paucos, cupiditatum ad multos improbos venit hereditas, Cic. Off. 2, 8, 28: hereditas hujus gloriae, id. ib. 1, 22, 78; cf.: optima hereditas a patribus traditur liberis omnique patrimonio praestantior gloria virtutis rerumque gestarum, id. ib. 1, 33, 121 fin. : paternae scientiae, Just. 36, 2.