mollitia (mollicia), ae, f., and mol-lities (mollicies), ēi, f. mollis, movableness, pliability, flexibility, suppleness; softness (class.). Lit.: mollitia cervicum, Cic. Or. 18, 59: lapidis, Plin. 36, 22, 45, § 162: lanae, id. 19, 3, 18, § 48: carnis, id. 9, 17, 28, § 61: teneritas et mollitia quaedam, Cic. Fin. 5, 21, 58.

— Trop., softness, tenderness, susceptibility; weakness, irresolution; effeminacy, voluptuousness, wantonness (cf.: inertia, desidia): quā mollitiā sum animi ac lenitate, numquam mehercule illius lacrimis ac precibus restitissem, Cic. Sull. 6, 18: agilitas mollitiesque naturae, sensitive disposition, id. Att. 1, 17, 4: frontis, bashfulness, Plin. Ep. 6, 29, 6: animi est ista mollities, non virtus, inopiam paulisper ferre non posse, weakness, irresolution, Caes. B. G. 7, 77: Niciae, Cic. Att. 12, 26, 2: inertiā et mollitiā animi, Sall. C. 52, 28: mollitia socordiaque, id. J. 70, 5: in munditiis, mollitiis deliciisque aetatulam agere, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 40: civitatum mores lapsi ad mollitiam, Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 38: mollities luxuriaque, Just. 1, 7, 13: vocis, Claud. ap. Eutr. 1, 441: Maecenas otio ac mollitiis paene ultra feminam fluens, Vell. 2, 88, 2; id. 1, 6, 2.

—Esp., unchastity, Plin. 28, 8, 27, § 106: corporis, Tac. A. 11, 2.