I.v. infra, P. a.), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. sacro, to dedicate, devote something as sacred to a deity (class., esp. in prose).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
(α).
With dat.: “candelabrum dare, donare, dicare, consecrare Jovi Optimo Maximo,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 29, § 67: “manubias Martis Musis,” id. Arch. 11, 27: “totam Siciliam Cereri et Liberae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 106: “aedem Tonanti Jovi,” Suet. Aug. 29: “tres gladios Marti Ultori,” id. Calig. 24: “locum castrorum Neptuno ac Marti,” id. Aug. 18: “barbam Capitolio,” id. Ner. 12: hunc lucum tibi (with dedico), * Cat. 18, 1 al.—
(β).
Without dat.: “quia consecrabantur aedes, non privatorum domicilia, sed quae sacra nominantur, consecrabantur agri ... ut imperator agros de hostibus captos consecraret,” Cic. Dom. 49, 128: “aram,” id. ib. 55, 140; 53, 137; id. Har. Resp. 5, 9: “video etiam consecrata simulacra,” id. N. D. 3, 24, 61: “locum certis circa terminis,” Liv. 1, 44, 4: “lucos ac nemora,” Tac. G. 9 fin.: “agrum Campanum,” Suet. Caes. 20: “eam partem domūs,” id. Aug. 5: “simulacrum in parte aedium,” id. Galb. 4 al.: “locus consecratus,” a consecrated, holy place, Caes. B. G. 6, 13; 6, 17 al.; “opp. profanus,” Cic. Part. Or. 10, 36: “tuum caput sanguine hoc,” Liv. 3, 48, 6: “Gracchi bona,” id. 43, 16, 10: “veterem Carthaginem nudatam tectis ac moenibus,” Cic. Agr. 1, 2, 5.—
B. In partic.
1. Of persons, to elevate to the rank of deity, to place among the gods, to deify: “Liberum,” Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62; 3, 15, 39; id. Leg. 2, 11, 28; Tac. A. 13, 14; Suet. Tib. 51; id. Ner. 9; id. Calig. 35; * Hor. C. 4, 8, 27 al.: “Olympiadem matrem immortalitati,” Curt. 9, 6, 26; 10, 5, 30.—And of animals: videat ... cujusque generis beluas numero consecratas deorum, Cic. Leg. 3, 9, 14.—
2. To devote or doom to destruction, to execrate, in laws, vows, and oaths, Cic. Balb. 14, 33 (v. consecratio, II.): “caput alicujus,” Liv. 3, 48, 5; Plin. Pan. 64, 3.—And an old formula in declaring war: “Dis pater, Vejovis, manes ... exercitum hostium, urbes agrosque, capita aetatesque eorum devotas consecratasque habeatis,” Macr. S. 3, 9, 10. —
3. To surrender to the vengeance of any one: “esse (se) jam consecratum Miloni,” Cic. Har. Resp. 4, 7.—
II. Trop. (most freq. in Cic.).
A. In gen., to devote, dedicate, consecrate.
(α).
With dat.: “qui certis quibusdam sententiis quasi addicti et consecrati sunt,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 2, 5: “(corporis curandi) ars deorum immortalium inventioni consecrata,” id. ib. 3, 1, 1.—
(β).
Absol.: “cui patriae nos totos dedere et in quā nostra omnia ponere et quasi consecrare debemus,” to lay upon the altar of one's country, Cic. Leg. 2, 2, 5; cf.: “consecrare opinionem in illo sanctissimo Hercule,” id. Sest. 68, 143: “vocabula,” Quint. 1, 6, 41: “Herculem modo et Patrem Liberum Consecratae immortalitatis exempla referebas,” i. e. adduced as instances of deification, Curt. 8, 5, 16.—
B. To hallow, recognize as holy (eccl. Lat.): “sit Deus nobis non in templis sed in corde consecratus, Lact. de Ira Dei, 23, 28: secum habeat Deum semper in corde consecratum, quoniam ipse est Dei templum,” id. 6, 25, 15: “Deum in nostro pectore,” Min. Fel. Oct. 32, 2.—
C. To make immortal, immortalize: “ratio disputandi (sc. Socratis) Platonis memoriā et litteris consecrata,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 4, 11: “amplissimis monumentis consecrare memoriam nominis tui,” id. ad Q. Fr. 1, 1, 15, § 44: “orator cum jam secretus et consecratus, liber invidiā, famam in tuto collocarit,” Quint. 12, 11, 7: “beneficium elegantissimo carmine,” Val. Max. 1, 7, ext. 3. —Hence, consē^crātus (-sā^cr- ), a, um, P. a., consecrated, holy; in sup.: CONSACRATISSIMVS, Inscr. ap. Bellerm. Vig. Rom. Laterc. p. 72, n. 283.
