I.to entwine around a person or thing (cf. amplector; class. in prose and poetry).
I. Lit.
a. Of persons, to clasp, embrace, as an expression of affection.
(α).
With acc.: “vidi et illam et hospitem Conplexum atque ausculantem,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 53: adcurrit; “mediam mulierem complectitur,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 106: “tum ille artius puellam amplexus,” Cic. Div. 1, 46, 103: “viri corpus,” Lucr. 4, 1193: “(adulescentem) complexus osculatusque dimiserit,” Cic. Att. 16, 5, 2: “suum maritum,” Ov. M. 12, 428: “nepotes,” Verg. A. 6, 786: “aliquem conplexa tenere,” Cic. Font. 21, 47 (17, 36); cf. Stat. S. 2, 1, 121.—Of parts of the person: “dextram euntis,” Verg. A. 8, 558; Ov. M. 6, 494; cf. Curt. 6, 7, 8: “infirmis membra lacertis,” Ov. M. 10, 407: “genua. in supplication,” Quint. 6, 1, 34: “pedes alicujus,” Luc. 10, 89.—
(β).
With inter se: “nosque inter nos esse conplexos,” Cic. Div. 1, 28, 58: “conplecti inter se lacrimantes milites coepisse,” Liv. 7, 42, 6; Verg. A. 5, 766.—
(γ).
With in vicem, Quint. 7, 10, 17.—
(δ).
Absol.: “nequeunt conplecti satis,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 32: Phr. Conplectere. Di. Lubens, id. Truc. 2, 4, 19: “contineri qum conplectar non queo,” id. Men. 5, 9, 65; id. Mil. 4, 8, 19; Prop. 1, 10, 5.— （ε) With cum and abl., Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 134.—
b. In gen., to grasp, clasp, seize, encircle, surround, compass, enclose: “(vitis) claviculis suis quasi manibus quicquid est nacta complectitur,” Cic. Sen. 15, 52: “(orbis caelestis) extimus, qui reliquos omnis complectitur,” id. Rep. 6, 17, 17: “complexi terram maris,” Ov. M. 8, 731: “ubi mollis amaracus illum (Ascanium) Floribus et dulci conplectitur umbrā,” Verg. A. 1, 694: “vestis complectens undique corpus,” Cat. 64, 307: “spatium,” to mark out around for military purposes, Caes. B. G. 7, 72; Auct. B. G. 8, 74; cf. “of ploughing around,” Ov. M. 15, 619: “aliquem obsidione,” Vell. 2, 51, 1 et saep.: “caput digitis cruentis,” Ov. M. 3, 727: “manibus eminentia saxa,” Curt. 7, 11, 15: “dexterā impendentes ramos,” id. 9, 5, 13.—Of grasping an adversary in fight: “quoad stans complecti posset atque contendere,” Nep. Epam. 2, 4: “qui cum inter se complexi in terram ex equis decidissent... non prius distracti sunt, quam alterum anima relinqueret,” in contention, id. Eum. 4, 2.—
II. Trop.
A. Of sleep, to seize upon, enfold: “sopor fessos complectitur artus,” Verg. A. 2, 253; cf.: “me artior somnus conplexus est,” Cic. Rep. 6, 10, 10.—
B. To embrace something intellectually as a whole, to comprehend, understand: “aliquid cogitatione et mente,” Cic. Or. 2, 8; cf. id. Fam. 5, 17, 4: “deum et divinum animum cogitatione,” id. Tusc. 1, 22, 51: “omne caelum totamque cum universo mari terram mente,” id. Fin. 2, 34, 112; cf. Quint. 12, 1, 25; 12, 2, 17: “animo proxima quaeque meo,” Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 70: “rei magnitudinem animo,” Cic. de Or. 1, 5, 19; Quint. 10, 6, 3; 10, 6, 6 al.; cf. without acc.: “cum conplector animo, quattuor reperio causas, etc.,” Cic. Sen. 5, 15.—Without mente, animo, etc.: “perficies ut ego ista innumerabilia complectens nusquam labar?” Cic. Ac. 2, 35, 114: “totum genus judiciorum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 12, § 32: “formam animi magis quam corporis,” to consider, Tac. Agr. 46: “aliquid memoriā,” Cic. Div. 2, 71, 146; Quint. 2, 7, 3; “and without memoria,” id. 11, 2, 36.—
C. To comprehend a multitude of objects in discourse or in a written representation, to comprise, express, describe, represent, explain; with acc. and abl. or adv.: “omnia alicujus facta oratione,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 57: “omnium rerum memoriam breviter libro,” id. Brut. 3, 14: “orator autem sic illigat sententiam verbis, ut eam numero quodam complectatur et astricto et soluto,” id. de Or. 3, 44, 175: “omnia unā comprehensione,” id. Fin. 5, 9, 26: “plura semel,” Quint. 11, 1, 66: “pauca paucis,” id. 8, 3, 82; cf. id. 7, 3, 29: “sententiam his verbis,” id. 3, 6, 13.—Esp. with sententiā, to sum up in a formal vote or decree (of speeches in the Senate): causas complectar ipsā sententiā, in the motion or decree itself, Cic. Phil. 14, 11, 29: “sed ut aliquando sententiā complectar, ita censeo,” id. ib. 14, 14, 36.—Hence,
2. In philos. lang., to draw a conclusion, make an inference, Cic. Inv. 1, 40, 73; Auct. Her. 2, 29, 47; cf. complexio.—
D. To embrace from love, to love, value, honor; to be addicted to, to care for; with acc. and abl.: “aliquem honoribus et beneficiis suis,” Cic. Prov. Cons. 16, 38; cf.: “eum beneficio,” id. Planc. 33, 82: “aliquem summā benevolentiā,” id. Fam. 6, 14, 1: “hunc omni tuā comitate,” id. ib. 7, 5, 3: “omnes caritate cives,” Liv. 7, 40, 3: “aliquem artā familiaritate,” Plin. Ep. 3, 11, 5 al.— Without abl.: “hominem,” Cic. Fam. 2, 6, 4. —Absol.: da te homini; “complectetur,” Cic. Fam. 2, 8, 2: “quos fortuna complexa est,” id. Lael. 15, 54: “philosophiam,” id. Brut. 93, 322; cf.: “artes ingenuas,” Ov. P. 1, 6, 9: “causam eam,” Cic. Phil. 5, 16, 44; cf. id. Att. 16, 15, 3: “otium,” id. ib. 2, 6, 1.—
E. To embrace, include: “cari sunt parentes, cari liberi, propinqui, familiares, sed omnis omnium caritates patria una complexa est,” Cic. Off. 1, 17, 87: “licet haec omnia complectatur eversio,” Quint. 8, 3, 69; 2, 15, 13.—
F. (Causa pro effectu.) To take into possession, to seize, lay hold of, to make one's self master of (rare): “(philosophiae) vis valet multum, cum est idoneam complexa naturam,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: “facultatem aliquam,” id. Fam. 10, 12, 5; Liv. 44, 1, 12: “plures provincias complexus sum quam alii urbes ceperunt,” Curt. 6, 3, 4.!*? *
a. Act. collat form complecto , ĕre: quando convenit complectite, Pompon. ap. Non. p. 472 fin.; cf. Prisc. p. 797 P.—
b. complector , ti, in pass. signif.: invidiosā fortunā complecti, Cic. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 793 P.: “quo uno maleficio scelera omnia complexa esse videantur,” id. Rosc. Am. 13, 37 (but in Cic. Tusc. 5, 14, 40, and id. Fin. 3, 12, 41, the best read. is completur).
