I.praes. indic. excellet, Aem. Mac. ap. Diom. p. 371 P., and subj. excelleat, Cic. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 838 and 896 P.), v. a. and n. cello.
I. Act., to raise up, elevate; only: “recellere reclinare, et excellere in altum extollere,” Fest. p. 274, 31; and Paul. ib. 275, 11 Müll.; cf. the P. a. excelsus, below.—
II. Neut., to rise, elevate itself (cf.: antecello, praesto, antecedo, emineo, floreo, vigeo).
A. Lit., only in the P. a. excellens, q. v. A.—
B. Trop.
1. In gen., to exult, be elated: animus excellit rebus secundis, Cato ap. Gell. 7, 3, 14; 13, 24, 14.—Far more freq. (but not in Plaut. and Ter.; and in the verb. finit. not in Aug. poets),
2. In partic., to be eminent, to distinguish one's self for any quality above others; to surpass, excel, in a good or (less freq.) in a bad sense: “ut is, qui dignitate principibus excellit facilitate infimis par esse videatur,” Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: “ut inter quos posset excellere, cum iis, etc.,” Cic. Inv. 1, 2 fin.: “inter omnes,” id. Or. 2, 6: “super ceteros,” Liv. 28, 43: “ante ceteros,” App. Flor. 16.—With dat.: “qui longe ceteris excellere pictoribus existimabatur,” Cic. Inv. 2, 1, 1: “quae una ceteris excellebat,” id. Tusc. 2, 18, 43; id. Fin. 3, 2, 8; id. de Or. 2, 54, 216; id. de Imp. Pomp. 13, 39 al.: “ceteris,” Quint. 2, 20, 9.—With abl.: “bonā famā,” Lucr. 6, 13: “ingenio scientiāque,” Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 4: “animi magnitudine,” id. Off. 1, 18 fin.: “actione,” id. Brut. 59, 215: “hoc genere virtutis,” id. Fam. 11, 21, 4: “dignitate,” Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 9: “altitudine,” Plin. 16, 6, 18, § 24: “candore,” id. 37, 6, 23, § 88 et saep.—With in and abl.: “in arte,” Cic. Rep. 1, 13: “in aliqua arte et facultate,” id. de Or. 1, 50, 217: “in alia parte orationis,” id. Brut. 59, 215: “maxime in amicitiis expetendis colendisque,” id. Lael. 9, 30; id. de Or. 2, 54, 217 et saep.— Absol.: “excellit atque eminet vis, potestas nomenque regium,” Cic. Rep. 2, 28; 2, 23; 1, 22; id. Div. 1, 19, 38; 1, 41, 91; id. Fam. 4, 3 fin.; Tac. Or. 32 (with eminere) et saep. —In a bad sense: “vitiis,” Cic. Leg. 1, 19, 51: “cum haec (flagitia), quae excellunt, me nosse videas,” id. Pis. 38 fin.—Hence,
1. excellens , entis, P. a., rising, overtopping.
A. Lit., high, lofty (very rare; “not in Cic.): oppida excellentibus locis constituta, Auct. B. Hisp. 8, 4: corpore excellens,” Vell. 2, 107.—Far more freq. and class.,
B. Trop., distinguishing himself, distinguished, superior, surpassing, excellent: “deos rerum omnium praestantia excellentes,” Cic. Div. 2, 63: “Brutus noster excellens omni genere laudis,” id. Ac. 1, 3 fin.; “for which also: in omni genere,” id. Tusc. 1, 1, 2; id. de Or. 2, 54, 220: “cujus excellens in re militari gloria,” id. Rep. 2, 17: “Galba fuit inter tot aequales unus excellens,” id. Brut. 97, 333: “natura excellens atque praestans,” id. N. D. 1, 20 fin.: “scientia excellens atque singularis,” id. Fam. 4, 3 fin.: “vir excellenti providentia,” id. Rep. 2, 3; “for which: excellente ingenii magnitudine,” id. Off. 1, 33 (al. excellenti and excellentis, v. Orell. ad h. l.): “studium,” Caes. B. C. 3, 34 fin.: “pulchritudo muliebris formae,” Cic. Inv. 2, 1, 1: cygnus, * Verg. A. 12, 250 et saep.—Subst.: excellentia , ōrum, n., exceptional instances: nec excellentia, sed quotidiana tractabo, Aus. Grat. Act. § 62.—Comp.: “ova excellentiora,” Plin. 29, 3, 11, § 50: “nihil illo (sc. Alcibiade) fuisse excellentius, vel in vitiis, vel in virtutibus,” Nep. Alcib. 1.— Sup.: “excellentissima virtus,” Caes. B. C. 3, 99, 2; Sen. Vit. Beat. 14: “cultus,” Suet. Ner. 20: “triumphus,” id. Caes. 37: “aurum,” Plin. 37, 4, 15, § 56 et saep.—Adv.: excellen-ter , excellently, Cic. Off. 1, 18, 61; Nep. Att. 1, 3.—Comp., Cic. Sest. 45.—Sup.: “excellentissime,” Aug. Civ. D. 17, 8.—
2. ex-celsus , a, um, P. a., elevated, lofty, high (freq. and class.; cf.: celsus, editus, altus, sublimis, procerus, arduus).
A. Lit.: “mons,” Caes. B. C. 1, 80, 2; cf.: vertex montis, * Verg. A. 5, 35: “locus,” Cic. Rep. 6, 11: “porticus,” id. Att. 4, 16, 14: “basis (statuae),” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 34; cf. “signum,” id. ib.: “statura,” Suet. Caes. 45: “aves (Ibes),” Cic. N. D. 1, 36, 101: “altitudo vineae,” Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 184 et saep.—Comp.: “in excelsiore loco,” Cic. Rep. 2, 31: “cornu (bovis),” Caes. B. G. 6, 26, 1; cf.: “crura chamaeleonis,” Plin. 8, 33, 51, § 120.—Sup.: “mons,” Caes. B. C. 1, 70, 4; cf. “locus,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 33 fin.: “rupes,” Plin. 10, 6, 7, § 19: “aegilops,” id. 16, 6, 8, § 22; 11, 37, 49, § 135.—
b. Subst.
1. excelsum , i, n., a height: “simulacrum Jovis in excelso collocare,” Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20; id. Att. 6, 1, 17: “Phoebus ab excelso, quantum patet, aspicit aequor,” Ov. H. 15, 165; so, “ab excelso,” id. F. 2, 369: “prohibebit in excelsum emicare (vitem),” Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 184.—
2. Ex-celsus , i, m., the Highest, the Most High, i. e. God (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Psa. 72, 11 al.—
B. Trop.
1. In gen., high, lofty, distinguished, excellent, noble: “te natura excelsum quendam videlicet et altum et humana despicientem genuit,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11; cf.: “magnus homo et excelsus,” id. Mur. 29: “animus excelsus magnificusque,” id. Off. 1, 23; cf. id. Opt. Gen. 4, 12: “excelso et illustri loco sita est laus tua,” id. Fam. 2, 5; cf.: “te in excelsissimo humani generis fastigio positum, Plin. H. N. praef. § 11: species magnae excelsaeque gloriac,” Tac. Agr. 4 fin. et saep.—Comp.: “(orator) grandior et quodammodo excelsior,” Cic. Or. 34; cf. Quint. 12, 10, 23; Plin. Pan. 94, 3: “quo tua in me humanitas fuerit excelsior quam in te mea,” Cic. Att. 3, 20 fin.—Sup.: “excelsissimae victoriae,” Vell. 2, 96 fin.: “duces,” id. 2, 114 fin.—Subst.
(α).
, m. plur.: excelsi , ōrum, the lofty; prov.: “excelsis multo facilius casus nocet,” Pub. Syr. 162 (Rib.).—
(β).
Neut.: excelsum , i, an elevated station or position: “in excelso aetatem agere,” i. e. in a high station, Sall. C. 51, 12.—Esp. (eccl. Lat.): in excelsis, in the highest, in ascriptions of praise, Vulg. Psa. 148, 1 al.—
2. Esp., in the later period of the empire, a title of high official dignitaries, e. g. of the praefectus praetorio, etc.—Adv.: excelsē , highly, on high, loftily.
1. Lit.: “si vitis scandit excelsius,” Col. 4, 1, 5.—
2. Trop., in an elevated manner, highly: “ornat excelse,” Plin. Ep. 2, 3, 3: “excelsius magnificentiusque et dicet et sentiet,” Cic. Or. 34, 119: “excelsissime floruit (Sparta),” exceedingly, Vell. 1, 6, 3.
