I. Lit., to lift up, to raise on high, to raise, set up (in the ante-Aug. per. very rare, perh. only twice in Sall. and Hirt.; later often, esp. in Quint. and the histt.): quibus (laqueis) adlevati milites facilius ascenderent, * Sall. J. 94, 2: pauci elevati scutis, borne up on their shields (others: adlevatis scutis, with uplifted shields, viz. for protection against the darts of the enemy), Auct. B. Alex. 20: “gelidos complexibus adlevat artus,” Ov. M. 6, 249: “cubito adlevat artus,” id. ib. 7, 343: “naves turribus atque tabulatis adlevatae,” Flor. 4, 11, 5: “supercilia adlevare,” Quint. 11, 3, 79 (cf. the Gr. τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπᾶν); so, “bracchium,” id. 11, 3, 41: “pollicem,” id. 11, 3, 142: “manum,” id. 11, 3, 94; Vulg. Eccli. 36, 3: “oculos,” Curt. 8, 14: “faciem alicujus manu,” Suet. Calig. 36: adlevavit eum, lifted him up (of the lame man), Vulg. Act. 3, 7 al.—
II. Trop.
A. To lighten, alleviate, mitigate physical or mental troubles; or, referring to the individual who suffers, to lift up, sustain, comfort, console (class.): aliorum aerumnam dictis adlevans, old poet in Cic. Tusc. 3, 29, 71 (cf. Sophocl. Fragm. ap. Brunck. p. 588: Καλῶς κακῶς πράσσοντι συμπαραινέσας): ubi se adlevat, ibi me adlevat, * Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 3: “Allevat Dominus omnes, qui corruunt,” Vulg. Psa. 144, 14: “dejecistis eos, dum adlevarentur,” ib. ib. 72, 18: “onus, aliquā ex parte,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 4, 10: “sollicitudines,” id. Brut. 3, 12: “adlevor cum loquor tecum absens,” id. Att. 12, 39: adlevare corpus, id. ib. 7, 1; Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 31: adlevor animum (poet.), Tac. A. 6, 43.—
B. To diminish the force or weight of a thing, to lessen, lighten: “adversariorum confirmatio diluitur aut infirmatur aut adlevatur,” Cic. Inv. 1, 42, 78: “adlevatae notae,” removed, Tac. H. 1, 52.—
C. To raise up, i. e. to make distinguished; pass., to be or become distinguished: “C. Caesar eloquentiā et spiritu et jam consulatu adlevabatur,” Flor. 4, 2, 10.