I.to commit to one for preservation, protection, etc., to intrust to one's charge, commit to one's care, commend to.
I. Prop.
A. Lit., implying a physical delivery, to deposit with, intrust to; constr. aliquem or aliquid alicui, or absol.: “commendare nihil aliud est quam deponere,” Dig. 50, 16, 186: “Oratorem meum—sic enim inscripsi— Sabino tuo commendavi,” Cic. Fam. 15, 20, 1: “sacrum sacrove commendatum qui clepsit rapsitve parricida esto,” id. Leg. 2, 9, 22; 2, 16, 40: “nummos alicui,” Dig. 16, 3, 24: “corpus alicui loco,” Paul. Sent. 1, 21, 4: “CORPORA SARCOPHAGO,” Inscr. Orell. 4370.—Poet.: “semina sulcis,” Sil. 15, 541.—With apud or ad and acc. (rare and post-class.): Demetrius duos filios apud Gnidium hospitem suum cum magno auri pondere commendaverat, Just. 35, 2, 1: “cujus beneficio ad sororem Medeam est commendatus,” Hyg. Fab. 3.—
B. Trop.: “ego me tuae commendo et committo fidei,” Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 47 (cf.: “bona nostra haec tibi permitto et tuae mando fide,” id. And. 1, 5, 61); so, “commendare se patri in clientelam et fidem,” id. Eun. 5, 8, 9; 3, 5, 29: “tibi ejus omnia negotia, libertos, procuratores, familiam,” Cic. Fam. 1, 3, 2: “vos sum testatus, vobis me ac meos commendavi,” id. Dom. 57, 145: “totum me tuo amori fideique,” id. Att. 3, 20, 2: “tibi suos testamento liberos,” id. Fin. 3, 2, 9: “simul atque natum sit animal, ipsum sibi conciliari et commendari ad se conservandum,” id. ib. 3, 5, 16; * Cat. 15, 1; Ov. M. 6, 495: “aliquem diis,” Tac. A. 4, 17; cf. id. ib. 15, 23: “rempublicam patribus,” id. H. 1, 90; Suet. Aug. 56.—Trop.: aliquid litteris, to commit to writing, Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 10, 2: “historiam immortalitati,” Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36: “nomen tuum immortalitati,” id. Fam. 10, 12, 5; cf.: “nomen suum posteritati,” Curt. 9, 3, 5: “eum sempiternae gloriae,” Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 6: se fugae, Auct. B. Afr. 34.—
2. Esp., of the dying, to commend children, parents, etc., to the care of others: “is, qui morti addictus esset, paucos sibi dies commendandorum suorum causā postulavisset,” Cic. Off. 3, 10, 46: “hi de suā salute desperantes ... parentes suos commendabant, si quos ex eo periculo fortuna servare potuisset,” Caes. B. C. 2, 41: “ille tibi moriens nos commendavit senex,” Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 11; Prop. 4 (5), 11, 73. “tibi suos testamento liberos,” Cic. Fin. 3, 2, 9.—
II. In gen., to commend or recommend, i. e. to procure favor for, to make agreeable, to set off with advantage, to grace (class.): “principes undique convenire et se civitatesque suas Caesari commendare coeperunt,” Caes. B. G. 3, 27 fin.; “Auct. B. G. 8, 50: P. Rutilii adulescentiam ad opinionem et conscientiae et juris scientiae P. Mucii commendavit domus,” Cic. Off. 2, 13, 47: “(vox) quae una maxime eloquentiam vel commendat vel sustinet,” id. de Or. 1, 59, 252; cf.: “nullā re unā magis oratorem commendari quam verborum splendore et copiā,” id. Brut. 59, 216; id. Att. 13, 19, 2; Quint. 6, 1, 21: “adfectus nemo historicorum commendavit magis,” id. 10, 1, 101: “quod me Lucanae commendet amicae,” Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 21: “marmora commendantur maculis aut coloribus,” Plin. 36, 6, 8, § 49: “compluresque tribuni militum ad Caesarem veniunt seque ei commendant,” Caes. B. C. 1, 74: “hoc idcirco commemoratum a te puto, uti te infimo ordini commendares,” Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 3: “se civibus impiis,” id. ib. 5, 1, 3: “cum se numeris commendat et arte,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 261: “se tonsā cute,” id. ib. 1, 18, 7: “his factis abunde se posteritati commendasset,” Val. Max. 5, 1, ext. 2.—Hence, commendātus , a, um, P. a.
A. Commended, recommended to: “quae res gloriosior? quae commendatior erit memoriae hominum sempiternae?” Cic. Phil. 2, 13, 32; id. Balb. 18, 43: “ceteris rebus habeas eos a me commendatissimos,” id. Fam. 12, 26, 2; 2, 8, 3; 13, 10, 2; 13, 64, 1.—
B. Agreeable, approved, distinguished, valued: “vultus commendatior,” Petr. 110, 5: “calami,” Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 161: “fama commendatior,” id. 25, 10, 81, § 130.
