fault Copy link Outline 1. culpa, (the most gen. term)2. dēlictum (a graver word)3. vĭtium (strictly, a flaw, something unsound, a defect)4. peccātum (usu. of immorality5. noxa (gen. term, implying a fault amenable to law)6. măcŭla (a blemish7. menda, ae, f., and mendum, i, n. • fault: 1. culpa, (the most gen. term): that happened more from easiness than from any other f. of mine, magis id facilitate quam ulla alia c. mea contigit, Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 15: he indeed is not in f., is quidem non in c. est, Ter.: it is not my f., non factum est mea culpa, Ter.: the f. is yours, penes te c. est, Ter. 2. dēlictum (a graver word): v. offence. Similarly is used the verb: dēlinquo, līqui, lictum, 3: if I commit any f., si quid deliquero, Cic. Agr. 2, 36, extr.: Ter. 3. vĭtium (strictly, a flaw, something unsound, a defect): if there is no f. in the walls or roof, si nihil est in parietibus aut in tecto vitii, Cic. (v. flaw): it was all the f. of wine and love that I did it, vini vitio atque amoris feci, Pl. Aul. 4, 10, 18: to attribute it to any one as a f., vitio alicui vertere, Cic. Fam. 7, 6: no one is born without f.s, he is the best man who is loaded with the least ones, vitiis nemo sine nascitur; optimus ille est qui minimis urgetur, Hor. S. 1, 3, 68. 4. peccātum (usu. of immorality: v. sin): to claim and grant indulgence from f.s, peccatis veniam poscentem reddere rursus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 75: if there is any f. on my side, nostrum quidem si est p., Cic. Att. 7, 4, 7. Similarly the verb pecco, 1: if in my folly I commit any f., si quid peccâro stultus, Hor.: Cic. 5. noxa (gen. term, implying a fault amenable to law): under the designation of f. every offence is included, noxae appellatione omne delictum continetur, Gai. Dig. 50, 16, 238: to be in f., in noxa (al. noxia) esse, Ter. Ph. 2, 1, 36: Liv.: to catch any one in f., aliquem in n. tenere, Pl. Cas. 2, 8, 71. 6. măcŭla (a blemish: q. v.): we look too much after money in old age; we ought to shun this f., nimium ad rem in senecta sumus; hanc m. nos decet effugere, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 31: it is the taint and f. of this age to be envious of worth, est hujus seculi labes quaedam et m. virtuti invidere, Cic. Bal. 6, 15: a literary f., velut m. (in oratione nitida), Quint. 7. menda, ae, f., and mendum, i, n.: v. blemish. Phr.: all persons find f. with old age, omnes senectutem accusant, Cic. Sen. 2, 4: to find f. with the smallness of their pay, angustias stipendii incusare, Tac. Ann. 1, 35: therein you are not it is true altogether at f., but you are so in your dates, in eo non tu quidem tota re, sed temporibus errasti, Cic. Phil. 9, 23: Caesar (is) estranged from me without any f. of mine, Caesar a me nullo meo merito alienus (est), Cic. Sext. 17, 39: to have keener eyes for others f.s than for our own, magis in aliis cernere quam in nobismet ipsis si quid delinquitur, Cic.: when you are purblind for your own f.s, why have you such a keen eye for those of your friends? quum tua pervideas mala lippus inunctis, cur in amicorum vitiis tam cernis acutum? Hor. S. 1, 3, 25: it seemed to be Trebonius's f. that they were not masters of the town, stetisse per Treb. videbatur quominus oppido potirentur, Caes. B. C. 2, 13: to be at f., as hounds, nullum vestigium invenire (posse) Cic. Clu. 30, 82; vestigiis odorari (non posse), Cic. l. c.