I.to make wide, to widen, extend, enlarge, increase (class., but mostly in prose).
I. In gen.: “ingressum domūs et atrii amplificavit,” Vulg. Eccli. 50, 5: dolorem, Pac. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 21, 50: “divitias,” Cic. Rep. 3, 12: “fortunam,” id. Am. 16, 59: “sonum,” to strengthen, increase, id. N. D. 2, 57: “urbem,” id. Cat. 3, 1; Liv. 1, 44: “rem publicam,” Cic. N. D. 2, 3: “civitatem,” Vulg. Eccli. 50, 5.— Trop.: “auctoritas amplificata,” Cic. Imp. Pomp. 16: “Aeduorum auctoritatem apud omnes Belgas,” Caes. B. G. 2, 14: “Amplificet Deus nomen Salomonis,” Vulg. 3 Reg. 1, 47. —Aliquem aliquā re: “(eos) festinatis honoribus amplificat atque auget,” Plin. Pan. 69: “honore et gloriā amplificati,” Cic. Leg. 3, 14: “amplificatus auro et argento,” Vulg. 1 Macc. 2, 18.—
II. Esp., in rhet. t. t., to place a subject in some way in a clearer light, to amplify, dilate upon, enlarge upon: “summa laus eloquentiae est amplificare rem ornando,” Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 104; cf. id. ib. 1, 51, 221; id. Ac. 2, 2 al.; v. amplificatio.
