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dis-sĕro , rŭi, rtum (
I.part. perf. disserta, first in Hier. in Isa. 4, 11; class. form dĭsertus, as a P. a., is very freq.; v. under P. a.), 3, v. a.—Lit., to set forth in order, arrange distinctly; hence, to examine, argue, discuss; or (more freq.) to speak, discourse, treat of a thing (good prose and very freq., esp. in Cic. and Quint.—cf.: disputo, discepto).
(α). With acc. (so in Cic., and usually only with pronouns, but in Tac. also freq. with nominal subjects): “idonea mihi Laelii persona visa est, quae de amicitia ea ipsa dissereret, quae disputata ab eo meminisset Scaevola,Cic. Lael. 1, 4; cf. id. de Sen. 21, 78: “nihil de ea re,Tac. A. 1, 6: “seditiosa de aliqua re,id. ib. 3, 40: “permulta de eloquentia cum Antonio,Cic. de Or. 2, 3, 13; cf.: “haec cum ipsis philosophis,id. ib. 1, 13, 57: “quae inter me et Scipionem de amicitia disserebantur,id. Lael. 10, 33: “qui haec nuper disserere coeperunt, cum corporibus simul animos interire,id. ib. 4, 13: “haec subtilius,id. ib. 5, 18: “aliquid pluribus verbis in senatu,id. Fam. 12, 7; cf. Sall. J. 30 fin.: “ea, quae disputavi,Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 95; cf. id. Fat. 5; id. Tusc. 1, 11, 23: “ea lege, qua credo omnibus in rebus disserendis utendum esse,id. Rep. 1, 24: “pauci bona libertatis incassum disserere,Tac. A. 1, 4; cf. id. ib. 6, 34; id. H. 3, 81: “cujus negotii initium, ordinem, finem curatius disseram,id. A. 2, 27; cf. id. H. 2, 2 fin.: “paucis instituta majorum domi militiaeque, quomodo rem publicam habuerint, etc., disserere,Sall. C. 5 fin. Kritz.; for the latter constr. with a rel. clause, cf. Quint. praef. § 22, and 1, 10, 22; and with acc. and inf.: “malunt disserere, nihil esse in auspiciis, quam quid sit ediscere,Cic. Div. 1, 47, 105; id. Fin. 4, 1, 2 al.
(γ). Absol.: “ut memini Catonem anno ante quam est mortuus mecum et cum Scipione disserere,Cic. Lael. 3, 11; so, “cum aliquo,id. Rep. 1, 21: “ita disseruit: duas esse vias, etc.,id. Tusc. 1, 30: “in disserendo rudes,id. Rep. 1, 8; cf. id. ib. 3, 16; Quint. 12, 1, 35; 12, 2, 25 al.: “causa disserendi,Cic. Tusc. 3, 3 fin.: “ratio disserendi,id. Fat. 1; cf. id. Fin. 1, 7; id. Ac. 1, 8, 30; and: “ars bene disserendi,id. de Or. 2, 38: “adhibita disserendi elegantia,id. ib. 2, 2 fin.; cf.: “disserendi subtilitas,id. de Or. 1, 15, 68 et saep. —Hence, dĭsertus , a, um (for dissertus. Cf.: “difficultas laborque discendi disertam negligentiam reddidit. Malunt enim disserere, nihil esse in auspiciis, quam quid sit ediscere,Cic. Div. 1, 47, 105; and: disertus a disserendo dictus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 72, 15), P. a., skilful in speaking on a subject; clear, methodical in speaking; well-spoken, fluent (less than eloquens, eloquent: “disertos cognosse me nonnullos, eloquentem adhuc neminem, etc.,Cic. de Or. 1, 21; and id. Or. 5, 18; cf. also: facundus, loquax, dicax).
B. Transf., of discourse: “illam orationem disertam sibi et oratoriam videri, fortem et virilem non videri,Cic. de Or. 1, 54, 231; cf. “historia,id. Brut. 26: “epilogus,id. Att. 4, 15, 4: “verba,Ov. Pont. 3, 5, 8 al.; Quint. 1, 8, 4; cf. id. 2, 11, 5; 8 prooem. § 24; 8, 2, 21.Comp.: “sententia,Sen. Ep. 21.—Sup.: “litterae,Cic. Att. 7, 2 fin.—Adv., clearly, expressly, distinctly; eloquently.
(β). dĭsertim , Liv. Andr., Att. Trag. v. 350 Rib. (ap. Non. 509, 25 sq.); Titin. Com. v. 150 Rib. (ap. Non. ib.); Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 87.—
b. Comp., Mart. 3, 38.—
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hide References (67 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (67):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 12.7
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.15.4
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.1.6
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 7.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his brother Quintus, 3.1.10
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.43.111
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.39
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 13.228
    • New Testament, Acts, 17.2
    • Horace, Ars Poetica, 370
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.4
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.6
    • Tacitus, Annales, 2.27
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.2
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 3.81
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 2.1
    • Plautus, Stichus, 1.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.10
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.15
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.21
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.54
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.9
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.38
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.32
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 28
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 42, 25
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 19
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.21
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.23
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.24
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.3
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.8
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.47
    • Cicero, De Fato, 1
    • Cicero, De Fato, 5
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 1.7
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 2.1
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 4.1
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.40
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 10
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 4
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 1
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 3
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.11
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.30
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 2.3
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.3
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.9
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 8.4
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 11.5
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 3.7
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 2.26
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 8, 2.21
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 8, pr.24
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 2.25
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.30
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.35
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 19.1.19
    • Seneca, Epistulae, 21
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 5
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 30
    • Ovid, Tristia, 3.11
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 3.38
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 4.55
    • Cicero, Brutus, 26
    • Cicero, Orator, 5.18
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