I.to weigh well in one's mind, to consider maturely, deliberate respecting a thing; to take counsel, consult, advise upon (freq. and class.; for syn. cf. cogito, agito, volvo, reputo, perpendo, meditor, commentor, consulo).
I. Prop.
A. In gen.: “re deliberata, post diem tertium ad Caesarem reversuros,” Caes. B. G. 4, 9; so, “re deliberata,” id. B. C. 1, 10: “delibera hoc, dum ego redeo,” Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 42: “de summa rerum deliberare,” Caes. B. C. 2, 30: “de geographia etiam atque etiam,” Cic. Att. 2, 7: “de necanda filia,” Suet. Aug. 65: “de singulis articulis temporum,” id. Claud. 4 al.: “deliberare Velitne an non,” Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 58: “utrum ... an (with concoquere),” Cic. Rosc. Com. 15, 45: “an recipiat,” Quint. 7, 1, 24; cf.: “quando incipiendum sit,” id. 12, 6, 3: “ego amplius deliberandum censeo,” Ter. Ph. 2, 4, 17; so absol., Caes. B. G. 1, 7 fin.; Cic. Off. 1, 3, 9; Quint. 3, 8, 35 sq.; Vulg. 2 Reg. 21, 13 al.: “cum aliquo de salute fortunisque alicujus,” Cic. Att. 11, 3; Liv. 32, 34; cf.: “cum judicibus quasi deliberamus,” Quint. 9, 2, 21: “cum cupiditate id est cum animi levissima parte deliberat,” takes counsel of, Cic. Fin. 2, 34, 115: “cum materia,” Quint. 3, 7, 16: “cum causis,” id. 7, 10, 10: “cum re praesenti,” id. 9, 4, 117.—Pass. impers.: “deliberatur de Avarico in communi concilio, incendi placeret an defendi,” Caes. B. G. 7, 15, 3: “ut utri potissimum consulendum sit deliberetur,” Cic. Inv. 2, 58, 174 al. —Prov.: “deliberando saepe perit occasio,” Pub. Syr. 140 (Rib.): “deliberandum est saepe, statuendum est semel,” id. 132.—
B. In partic.
1. (Like consulo, no. I. B. 1.) To consult an oracle (only in Nepos): “ex his delecti Delphos deliberatum missi sunt ... his consulentibus, etc.,” Nep. Milt. 1, 2: “so with consulere,” id. Them. 2, 6.—
2. Pass. impers.: deliberari, to be maturely discussed, hence to be in doubt, usually with potest, non potest, etc.: “ex eo deliberari poterit, ducenda necne alvus sit,” Cels. 3, 13, § 12: “neque maneatis aut abeatis deliberari potest,” i. e. you must certainly go away, Liv. 7, 35, 8: “M. Aemilius, qui pejor an ignavior sit, deliberari non potest,” Sall. Hist. Fr. 1, 48, 3. Cf.: nemo deliberat, no one doubts, etc., Min. Fel. 35, 4. —
II. Meton. (causa pro effectu), to resolve, determine, after deliberation (rare in the verb. finit.; usually in the part. perf., with inf. or acc. and inf.): “quod iste certe statuerat ac deliberaverat non adesse,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 1: (Cleopatra) deliberata morte ferocior, * Hor. Od. 1, 37, 29: certum ac deliberatum est me illis obsequi, Turpil. ap. Non. 282, 11, and 429, 21; “so with certum,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 11, 31: “cum mihi deliberatum et constitutum sit ita gerere consulatum, etc.,” id. Agr. 1, 8, 25: “sic habuisti statutum cum animo ac deliberatum, omnes judices reicere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41: deliberatum est non tacere amplius, Afran. ap. Interpr. Verg. A. 10, 564.—Hence, dēlībĕrātus , a, um, P. a., resolved upon, determined, certain (rare): “neque illi quicquam deliberatius fuit quam me ... evertere,” Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 8: “instructius deliberatiusque,” Gell. 1, 13, 9.
