I.to make firm or fast, to strengthen, fortify, support (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.: “lacertos,” Lucr. 6, 397: “corpora juvenum firmari labore voluerunt,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 36: “corpora cibo,” Liv. 27, 13 fin.: “vexatos milites quiete,” Curt. 9, 10: “praegnantes largo pascuo,” Col. 6, 27, 10: “bitumen aeramentis illinitur firmatque ea contra ignes,” Plin. 35, 15, 51, § 182: “remedium ad dentium mobilĭs firmandos,” id. 21, 31, 105, § 180: “aestuaria aggeribus et pontibus,” Tac. A. 4, 73: “vestigia,” Verg. A. 3, 659: “gradum,” Quint. 9, 4, 129: “alvum solutam,” to bind, Cels. 1, 3; Plin. 14, 18, 22, § 117.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to fortify, strengthen, secure; to make lasting, durable, permanent: “(Romulus) urbem auspicato condere, et firmare dicitur primum cogitavisse rem publicam,” Cic. Rep. 2, 3; cf.: “urbem colonis firmare,” id. ib. 2, 18; so, “novam civitatem,” id. ib. 2, 7: “provinciam pace praesidiisque,” id. Fam. 1, 7, 4: “locum magnis munitionibus,” Caes. B. G. 6, 29, 3: “turres praesidiis,” Sall. J. 23, 1: “aditum urbis,” Verg. A. 11, 466: “aciem subsidiis,” Liv. 9, 17, 15: “latronum opes firmare atque augere,” Cic. Off. 2, 11, 40; “in aliquos imperium,” id. Sull. 11, 32: “vocem,” id. de Or. 3, 61, 227: “firmari consuetudine,” Quint. 11, 3, 24: “quorum (hominum) cum adolescentiae cupiditates defervissent, eximiae virtutes firmata jam aetate exstiterunt,” Cic. Cael. 18, 43; cf.: “animus adolescentis nondum consilio ac ratione firmatus,” id. Clu. 6, 13: “firmata stirpe virtutis,” id. Cael. 32, 79: “pacem amicitiamque,” Liv. 9, 3, 10: “memoria praecipue firmatur atque alitur exercitatione,” Quint. 1, 1, 36; so, “memoriam,” id. 2, 4, 15: “opinio omnium gentium firmata consensu,” Cic. Div. 1, 1, 1: “non tamen pro firmato stetit magistratus ejus jus,” Liv. 4, 7, 3.—
B. In partic.
1. To strengthen in resolution, to encourage, animate: “cujus adventus Pompeianos compressit nostrosque firmavit, ut, etc.,” Caes. B. C. 3, 65, 2: “donec firmaret consilio patres auctor,” Hor. C. 3, 5, 46: suos, Just. 2, 11: “plebem hinc provocatione, hinc tribunicio auxilio,” Liv. 3, 55: “cunctos alloquio et cura sibique et proelio,” Tac. A. 1, 71: “animum exemplis,” id. ib. 16, 35: “animum praesenti pignore,” Verg. A. 3, 611: “firmatus animi,” Sall. Hist. Fragm. 3, 24, p. 236 ed. Gerl. (ap. Arus. Mess. p. 232 ed. Lindem.).—
2. In fidelity, to make sure of, secure: “civitates obsidibus,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 27.—
3. to confirm, show, prove; to affirm, assert, declare, promise the correctness or truth of a circumstance, statement, etc. (less freq. than confirmo, affirmo): “cum intelligat, quam multa firmentur jure jurando,” Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 16: “si vis et natura fati ex divinationis ratione firmabitur,” id. Fat. 5, 11: “firmatam dare fidem,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 45; so, “fidem,” Ter. And. 3, 1, 4; id. Hec. 4, 2, 5: “vix quidquam firmare ausim,” Tac. A. 1, 81; 6, 6; id. H. 2, 9: “hoc genus in rebus firmandum est multa prius quam Ipsius rei rationem reddere possis,” to prove, Lucr. 6, 917: “da augurium, atque haec omina firma,” Verg. A. 2, 691; so, “numina,” id. ib. 8, 78.—
(β).
With object-clauses: “seque et ibi futurum, ubi praescripserit et ea facturum, quae imperarit obsidibus datis firmat,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 48, 9; cf.: “paratis omnium animis reversuros firmaverunt,” Tac. H. 2, 9: “firmare necesse est, nil esse in promptu, etc.,” Lucr. 6, 940.—In pass. with a subject-clause: “sata bene provenire firmantur,” Pall. 11, 12.
