vĕtustas, ātis, f. [vetus], old age, age, long existence.
I Lit.
A In gen.: municipium vetustate antiquissimum, Cic. Phil. 3, 6, 15: vetustate possessionis se, non jure defendunt, id. Agr. 2, 21, 57: tantum aevi longinqua valet mutare vetustas, Verg. A. 3, 415: tum senior: quamvis obstet mihi tarda vetustas; Multaque me fugiant, etc., = senectus, Ov. M. 12, 182.— Plur. : quae familiarum vetustatibus aut pecuniis ponderantur, Cic. Rep. 1, 31, 47.—
B In partic., ancient times , antiquity : historia nuntia vetustatis, Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36: contra omnia vetustatis exempla, Caes. B. C. 1, 6: in tantā vetustate non rerum modo sed etiam auctorum, Liv. 2, 21, 4: vetustatem in majus componens, exaggerating , Sall. H. 3, 60 Dietsch: judicio vetustatis, Quint. 1, 5, 72: sic credidit alta vetustas, Sil. 1, 26.—
II Transf.
A Long duration , great age : quae mihi videntur habitura etiam vetustatem, i.e. will have a long duration , Cic. Att. 14, 9, 2: scripta vetustatem si modo nostra ferent, Ov. Tr. 5, 9, 8: vinum in vetustatem servare, till it becomes old , acquires age , Cato R. R. 114, 2: terebinthi materies fidelis ad vetustatem, Plin. 13, 6, 12, § 54; Quint. 10, 1, 40; Col. 3, 2, 19; Cels. 3, 14: conjuncti vetustate, officiis, benevolentiā, i. e. long intimacy , ancient friendship , Cic. Fam. 13, 32, 2; 10, 10, 2; 11, 16, 2; Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 5, 16.—
B Hence, posterity , the remote future (conceived as a time when this age will have become ancient): de me semper omnes gentes loquentur, nulla umquam obmutescet vetustas, Cic. Mil. 35, 98: si qua fidem tanto est operi latura vetustas, Verg. A. 10, 792 Ladew. and Forbig. ad loc.; cf.: quis hoc credat, nisi sit pro teste vetustas, Ov. M. 1, 400.—
C In medic. lang.: ulcerum, i. e. inveterate ulcers , Cels. 5, 26, 31; Plin. 21, 19, 74, § 127.