Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Oxford Latin Dictionary lists fitness, suitability, and worthiness as core definitions of dignitas. Visual impressiveness, distinction, rank, status, position, standing, esteem, importance, and honour also appear within the term's scope. No single modern word holds all these meanings simultaneously.
Cicero used the word dignitas more frequently than any other Roman author. He initially linked it closely with the established term auctoritas. Cicero defined auctoritas as the expression of a man's dignitas.
Men of consular families guarded their dignitas with extreme zeal as a personal asset requiring constant defense. Some noblemen killed themselves to preserve their standing, such as Mark Antony who committed suicide rather than lose his reputation. Others entered exile when their dignitas faced destruction due to the hierarchical nature of Roman society.
Years after Caesar's death, Augustus rejected the contemporary meaning of dignitas because he found the related term auctoritas more suitable for his reign. This shift marked a significant change in how Romans understood personal influence. Political leaders adapted the concept to fit new eras of governance.
Cicero cited the ambiguous nature of dignitas in 46 BC during Ad Familiares 4.14 and stated that if it only meant loyal feeling and winning approval, no trace remained. He altered the definition to mean lifetime impact by including the power to translate feelings into action. When paired with otium, the word took on a different meaning entirely.