occasion (subs.) Copy link Outline I. OpportunityII. Incidental causeIII. Emergency • occasion (subs.): I. Opportunity: occāsio: v. opportunity. Phr.: to give o. for doing anything, ansam dare ad aliquid faciendum, Cic. Am. 16, fin.: Pl.: to give o. for suspicion, locum suspicioni dare, Cic. Coel. 4, init. (the use of ansa implies that some one else is on the look out for something to lay hold of: locus, simply that there is room for a thing to be done or looked for: v. room): what an o. (lit. window, or as we say, "door") you are opening for wickedness, quantam fenestram ad nequitiam patefacis! Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 72: an o. of great glory, materies ingentis decoris, Liv. 1, 39, med.: to give o. for envy, materiem invidiae dare, Cic. Ph. 11, 9, 21: materies (-a) is also used in wider sense: in order not to give Nero any o. (viz. of displeasure or ill-will) against him, ne quid materiae Neroni daret, Suet. Gal. 9. (N.B.--The expr. occasionem captare, occurs Auct. Harusp. 26, 55 = to watch for a favourable opportunity. It cannot be used for to seek occasion against, which may be expr. by, ansam s. materiam [reprehensionis, etc.] quaerere.) II. Incidental cause: perh. causa adjuvans, antecedens, proxima: Cic. Fat. 18, 41. (Causa proxima is perh. the best expr. for common use.) III. Emergency: tempus: v. emergency.