Lewis & Short

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mīlĭtĭa, ae (-āi, Lucr. 1, 29), f. [miles], military service, warfare, war.

  1. I. Lit.: in militiae disciplinam profectus est, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 10, 28: militiam subterfugere, id. Off. 3, 26, 97: ferre, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 55: tolerare, Verg. A. 8, 516: munus militiae sustinere, Caes. B. G. 6, 18: militiae vacatio, exemption from military service, id. ib. 6, 14: militiae magna scientia, Sall. J. 63, 2: militiam discere, id. C. 7, 4: praeclara, Vell. 2, 5, 1: Pompeii, id. 2, 40, 1: adversus Graecos, Just. 20, 1, 3: lentas militias, Tib. 1, 3, 82: Cimbrica Teutonicaque, Vell. 2, 120, 1: militiae honorem, military honors, Juv. 7, 88.
    1. B. Esp.
      1. 1. Abl. militiā, in war, opp. togā, in peace, Juv. 10, 9.
      2. 2. Gen. militiae, in military service, or on a campaign, in the field; freq. in phrase: domi militiaeque, at home and abroad, at home and with the army: quorum virtus fuerat domi militiaeque cognita, Cic. Tusc. 5, 19, 55; cf.: et domi et militiae, id. de Or. 3, 33, 134: militiae domique, Liv. 7, 32: militiae et domi, Ter. Ad. 3, 5, 49.
        Also without domi, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6; Sall. J. 84, 2; Tac. H. 2, 5.
    2. C. Trop., of love: at confidentia militia illa militatur multo magis quam pondere, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 50; so of an inattentive lover: pro infrequente eum mittat militiā domum, id. Truc. 2, 1, 19.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Military spirit, courage, bravery: virilis militiae uxor, Flor. 4, 5.
    2. B. Concr., the soldiery, military (syn.: milites, exercitus, copiae): hic pars militiae, dux erat ille ducum, Ov. H. 8, 46: Romanae militiae decus, Val. Max. 1, 6, 11: cum omni militiā interficitur, Just. 32, 2, 2; Plin. 4, 14, 27, § 97: qua (lex) maxima apud eos vis cogendae militiae erat, Liv. 4, 26, 3: magister militiae, general, id. 22, 23, 2: caelestis, Vulg. Luc. 2, 13.
      So trop.: militia caeli, i. e. the heavenly bodies, Vulg. Act. 7, 42; id. Deut. 17, 3.
    3. C. A civil service, office, profession, employment, esp. a laborious one: hanc urbanam militiam respondendi, scribendi, etc., Cic. Mur. 9, 19: haec mea militia est, Ov. F. 2, 9.
      Of swallows building their nests: eaque militia illis cum anno redit semper, Plin. 10, 33, 49, § 95.
    4. D. Any special work of difficulty, requiring a great effort: completa est militia ejus, Vulg. Isa. 40, 2: arma militiae nostrae non carnalia, id. 2 Cor. 10, 4: bona, id. 1 Tim. 1, 18.
    5. E. Under the emperors (like miles), an office or employment at court, Prud. Cath. 19; Cod. Just. 3, 25.