I.to light up, make light, illuminate (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.).
I. Lit.: “o, qua sol habitabiles Illustrat oras, maxime principum?” Hor. C. 4, 14, 6: “placida nocte leniter illustrante stellas,” Plin. 2, 18, 16, § 80: “ergastulum angustis illustratum fenestris,” Col. 1, 6, 3 (but Cic. Rep. 6, 17, read lustret).—
II. Trop. (acc. to illustris, II. A. and B.).
A. To make clear to the mind, to clear up, elucidate, illustrate, explain: “ut ea consilia, quae clam essent inita contra salutem urbis, illustrarentur,” Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20; cf.: “illustrantur, erumpunt omnia,” id. ib. 1, 3, 6; id. Rep. 2, 18; Lucr. 1, 137: “omnia illustrata, patefacta, comperta sunt per me,” Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 3; 3, 9, 21; cf.: “si modo id patefactum et illustratum est,” id. Lael. 26, 97; and: “jus obscurum et ignotum patefacere et illustrare,” id. de Or. 1, 39, 177: “philosophiam veterem Latinis litteris illustrare,” id. Ac. 1, 1, 3; cf. id. Brut. 64, 228: “illustrant eam (orationem) quasi stellae quaedam translata verba atque immutata,” place in the right light, embellish, set off, adorn, id. Or. 27, 92; cf. id. Inv. 2, 15, 49: “de illustranda oratione ut diceres,” id. de Or. 3, 36, 144: “orationem,” Quint. 4, 3, 4; 8, 6, 14; 11, 1, 2.—
B. To render famous, renowned, illustrious: aliquem laudibus, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 1: “quem Brutus cognomine suo illustravit,” Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 82: “familiam,” Suet. Galb. 3: “illustrabit, mihi crede, tuam amplitudinem hominum injuria,” Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: humilius genus illustrasse factis, Quint. 3, 7, 10: “summa quibus illustratur forum ingenia,” id. 10, 1, 122; cf.: “Padus poenā Phaëthontis illustratus,” Plin. 3, 16, 20, § 117: “vina maxime illustrata Messalae potu et salute,” id. 14, 6, 8, § 69; Quint. 10, 1, 67; cf.: “quid prius illustrem satiris Musaque pedestri?” Hor. S. 2, 6, 17; Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 91.
