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con-tendo , di, tum, 3, v. a. and n.,
I.to stretch, stretch out vigorously, to draw tight, strain.
I. Lit. (rare and mostly poet.): “arcum,Verg. A. 12, 815; Ov. M. 6, 286; id. R. Am. 435: tormenta, Sisen. ap. Non. p. 258, 27; Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 57: muscipula, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 181, 31: “tenacia vincla,Verg. G. 4, 412: “ilia risu,Ov. A. A. 3, 285: pontem in alto, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 21 Müll. (Ann. v. 358 Vahl.): “oculi contendunt se,Lucr. 4, 810.— Of stringed instruments, to tune by stretching the strings: “ut in fidibus pluribus, si nulla earum ita contenta nervis sit, ut concentum servare possit,Cic. Fin. 4, 27, 75; cf. infra, P. a.—
B. Meton.
1. (Causa pro effectu.) Of weapons, to shoot, hurl, dart, throw: “infensam hastam,Verg. A. 10, 521: “tela,id. ib. 12, 815: “sagittas nervo,Sil. 1, 323: “telum aërias in auras,Verg. A. 5, 520. —
2. Of places, neutr., to stretch, reach, extend: “haec patulum vallis contendit in orbem,Calp. Ecl. 7, 30: “Cappadocum gens usque ad Cyrresticam ejus regionem parte suā, quae vocatur Cataonia, contendit,Plin. 6, 8, 8, § 24.—
II. Trop. (freq. in prose and poetry); act., to strain eagerly, to stretch, exert, to direct one's mental powers to something, to pursue or strive for earnestly; or neutr., to exert one's self, to strive zealously for something, etc.
A. In gen.
1. Act.
(β). With inf., to exert one's self vigorously to do something, to apply one's self with zeal to, to go to: “hunc locum duabus ex partibus oppugnare contendit,Caes. B. G. 5, 21: “summā vi transcendere in hostium naves,id. ib. 3, 15: “fugā salutem petere,id. ib. al.; Quint. 10, 1, 125: “neque ego nunc hoc contendo ... mutare animum, sed, etc.,Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 13, § 38.—
B. In partic.,
1. To direct or bend one's course eagerly somewhere; or, neutr., to strive to get to a place, to seek to arrive at, to go, march, or journey hastily to, etc.
a. Act.
(β). With inf. (freq.): “Bibracte ire,Caes. B. G. 1, 23; so, “ire cum his legionibus,id. ib. 1, 10: “in Britanniam proficisci,id. ib. 4, 20: “in provinciam reverti,id. ib. 3, 6 fin.: “Dyrrhachium petere,Cic. Planc. 41, 97; cf.: “proxima litora petere cursu,Verg. A. 1, 158; and: “iter a Vibone Brundisium terrā petere,Cic. Planc. 40, 96 Wund.—
b. Neutr. (so most freq.): “in Italiam magnis itineribus,Caes. B. G. 1, 10; cf.: “huc magnis itineribus,id. ib. 1, 38 fin.: “huc magno cursu,id. ib. 3, 19: “inde in Italiam,id. ib. 1, 33: “in fines Sigambrorum,id. ib. 4, 18: “in castra,id. ib. 4, 37: “ex eo loco ad flumen,id. ib. 2, 9: “ad Rhenum finesque Germanorum,id. ib. 1, 27 fin.: “ad oppidum Noviodunum,id. ib. 2, 12: “ad castra,id. ib. 2, 19 fin.; 3, 24 fin.: “ad hostes,id. ib. 5, 9: “ad Amanum,Cic. Att. 5, 20, 3: Tarentum ad Heraclidem Ponticum, Varr. ap. Non. p. 260, 19: “Lacedaemonem,Nep. Cim. 3, 3: “domum,Caes. B. G. 2, 24 fin. et saep.: “ad ultimum animo,Cic. Mur. 31, 65; cf.: “magna spectare atque ad ea rectis studiis contendere,id. Off. 2, 13, 44: “ad summam laudem gloriamque maximis laboribus et periculis,id. Phil. 14, 12, 32: “ad salutem,Caes. B. G. 3, 3 fin.
2. (Neutr.) To measure or try one's strength with, with weapons, by words, in action, etc.; to strive, dispute, fight, contend against, vie with; constr. with cum aliquo, contra or adversus aliquem, the dat., inter se, or absol.
(γ). Adversus aliquem: non contendam ego adversus te, Anton. ap. Cic. Att. 14, 13, A, 2.—
b. In auctions, to vie with in bidding, to bid against: is liceri non destitit; “illi quoad videbatur ferri aliquo modo posse, contenderunt,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 42, § 99.—
3. (Act.) To place together in comparison, to compare, contrast; constr. with cum, ad, the dat., or acc. only.
(α). With cum: tuam iram contra cum ira Liberi, Naev. ap. Non. p. 259, 7; Caecil. ib. p. 259, 1: “id cum defensione nostrā,Cic. Rosc. Am. 33, 93: “rationem meam cum tuā ratione,id. N. D. 3, 4, 10; Tac. A. 4, 32 al.: suam vitam mecum, Licinius, Macer. ap. Non. p. 259, 3.—*
(β). With ad: ut vim contendas tuam ad majestatem viri, Att. ap. Non. p. 259, 5 (Trag. Rel. v. 648 Rib.).—
(γ). With dat.: Thestiadas Ledae, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 258, 30: “vellera potantia Aquinatem fucum Sidonio ostro,Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 26; Aus. Grat. Act. 14 al.
(δ). With acc. only: anulum, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 258, 29: “ipsas causas, quae inter se confligunt,Cic. Cat. 2, 11, 25: “leges,id. Inv. 2, 49, 145: “suam quaeque nobilitatem, formam, opes,Tac. A. 12, 1: “vetera et praesentia,id. ib. 13, 3.—
5. (Act.) To assert, affirm earnestly, to maintain or contend energetically.
(β). Absol. (very rare): “si manantia corpuscula iter claudunt, ut Asclepiades contendit,Cels. 1, praef. § 28.—Hence, contentus , a, um, P. a.
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hide References (106 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (106):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 13.7.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 2.6.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 14.13
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    • Horace, Satires, 1.9.42
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    • Tacitus, Annales, 12.1
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    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 6.24
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 40.5
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    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 3, 4.8
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    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 9.3
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