promise (subs.) Copy link Outline I. Words said1. prōmissum2. prōmissio (the act of promising)3. pollĭcĭtātio (strictly frequentative; hence usu. pl. denoting repeated offers)4. often sufficiently definite, fĭdes, ĕi (word or honour as pledged)II. Prospect, likelihood • promise (subs.): I. Words said: 1. prōmissum: to keep p.s, p. servare, Cic. Off. 3, 24, sqq.: also, promissum facere, ib. 1, 10, init.: to claim the fulfilment of a p., p. exigere, ib. 3, 25, 94: Hor. (Or use verb: to make a p., promittere: should he keep his p. or no? faciat quod promiserit, necne? Cic. Off. 3, 24, 93: to make many p s, multa promittere, etc.) 2. prōmissio (the act of promising): Cic. Fam. 4, 13, fin. (debebat esse aut promissio auxilii alicujus, aut consolatio doloris tui). 3. pollĭcĭtātio (strictly frequentative; hence usu. pl. denoting repeated offers): by large rewards and p.s, multis praemiis p.que, Caes. B. G. 3, 18: Sall. 4. often sufficiently definite, fĭdes, ĕi (word or honour as pledged): to break a p. made to an enemy (parole), fidem hosti datam fallere, Cic. Off. 1, 13, 39: so, f. violare, id. Rab. perd. 10, 28. (N.B.--In such phrr. as, to make this, that, one promise: to make many p.s, a substantive must not be used, but instead a neuter adj. or pron.: hoc, illud, unum, multa promittere, polliceri: v. to promise.) II. Prospect, likelihood: spes, ĕi: a young man of the highest p., adolescens summa spe [et animi et ingenii] praeditus, Cic. Ph. 2, 18, 46: adolescens non tam re et maturitate quam spe et expectatione laudatus. id. Or. 30, 107.