by often stopping to dip the pen in the ink

rĕlātĭo, ōnis, f. [refero], a carrying back, bringing back. *

Lit.: membranae ut juvant aciem, ita crebrā relatione, quoad intinguntur calami, morantur manum, through the frequent carrying of the [p. 1555] hand back to the inkstand, i.e. by often stopping to dip the pen in the ink, Quint. 10, 3, 31.—

Trop.

In law t. t., a throwing back, retorting:

relatio criminis, est cum ideo jure factum dicitur, quod aliquis ante injuriā lacessierit,

Cic. Inv. 1, 11, 15; so Dig. 48, 1, 5:

jurisjurandi,

ib. 12, 2, 34 fin. —

In partic.

A returning, repaying:

gratiae,

Sen. Ben. 5, 11; id. Ep. 74, 13.—

In publicists' lang., a report; a proposition, motion:

ecquis audivit non modo actionem aliquam aut relationem, sed vocem omnino aut querellam tuam?

Cic. Pis. 13, 29:

relatio illa salutaris,

id. ib. 7, 14; Liv. 3, 39:

relationem approbare,

id. 32, 22:

incipere,

Tac. A. 5, 4; 13, 26:

mutare,

id. ib. 14, 49:

egredi,

id. ib. 2, 38:

postulare in aliquid,

id. ib. 13, 49:

relationi intercedere,

id. ib. 1, 13 al.: jus quartae relationis, the right accorded to the emperor, without being consul, of making communications in the Senate (this right was simply jus relationis;

tertiae, quartae, etc., denote the number of subjects he might introduce at each meeting, which varied at different periods),

Capitol. Pert. 5; Vop. Prob. 12 fin. — Hence,

Transf., in gen., a report, narration, relation (only post-Aug.):

dictorum,

Quint. 2, 7, 4; cf. id. 9, 2, 59:

causarum,

id. 6, 3, 77:

meritorum,

id. 4, 1, 13:

rerum ab Scythis gestarum,

Just. 2, 1, 1:

gentium,

Plin. 7, 1, 1, § 6.—

Of military reports to the general-in-chief or emperor: addens quaedam relationibus supervacua, quas subinde dimittebat ad principem,

Amm. 14, 7, 10; 20, 4, 7; 28, 1, 10. —

A rhetorical figure mentioned by Cicero, of the nature of which Quintilian was ignorant, Cic. de Or. 3, 54, 207; Quint. 9, 3, 97: epanaphora est relatio; quotiens per singula membra eadem pars orationis repetitur, hoc modo: Verres calumniatores apponebat, Verres de causā cognoscebat;

Verres pronunciabat?

i. e. the repetition of a word for rhetorical effect, Mart. Cap. 5, § 534 init.; cf. Quint. 9, 1, 33. —

In philos. and gram. lang., reference, regard, respect, relation:

illud quoque est ex relatione ad aliquid,

Quint. 8, 4, 21:

relatione factā non ad id,

Dig. 1, 1, 11.