I. To balance, make even, level, to determine a level: aquam, to level water, i. e. to ascertain the fall of water by means of a level, Vitr. 8, 6, 3: collocationem libratam indicare, id 8, 6, 1.—Pass. impers.: “libratur autem dioptris,” Vitr. 8, 6, 1.—
B. Transf., to make even or level: “pavimenta,” Cato, R. R. 18, 7.—
II. To hold in equilibrium, to poise, balance: “terra librata ponderibus,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: “columnarum turbines ita librati perpenderunt, ut puero circumagente tornarentur,” Plin. 36, 13, 19, § 91: “librati pondera caeli orbe tene medio,” Luc. 1, 58.—
B. To cause to hang or swing, to keep suspended, keep in its place: “vela cadunt primo et dubia librantur ab aura,” are waved to and fro, Ov. F. 3, 585: “et fluctus supra, vento librante, pependit,” Sil. 17, 274: “aëris vi suspensam librari medio spatio tellurem,” Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 10.—
C. To cause to swing, to swing, sway, brandish, set in motion, hurl, dash, cast, launch, fling, throw: “summā telum librabat ab aure,” Verg. A. 9, 417: “ferro praefixum robur,” id. ib. 10, 479: “caestus,” id. ib. 5, 478: “tum librat ab aure intorquens jaculum,” Sil. 5, 576: “dextra libratum fulmen ab aure misit,” Ov. M. 2, 311; 5, 624; 7, 787; Luc. 3, 433: “librata cum sederit glans,” Liv. 38, 29: librare se, to balance or poise one's self, to fly: “cursum in aëre,” Ov. Am. 2, 6, 11: saepe lapillos Tollunt; “his sese per inania nubila librant,” Verg. G. 4, 196: “haliaeetos librans ex alto sese,” Plin. 10, 3, 3, § 8: “corpus in herba,” to stretch one's self out on the grass, Ov. F. 1, 429: incidentis manus libratur artifici temperamento, Plin. 12, 25, 54, § 115: “librare iter,” to take one's way, Sen. Oed. 899.—
III. Trop.
A. To make of even weight, to balance, make equal (poet.): “orbem horis,” Col. 10, 42: “crimina in antithetis,” Pers. 1, 85.—
B. To weigh, ponder, consider (poet. and in post-class. prose): “librabat metus,” Stat. Th. 9, 165: quae omnia meritorum momenta perpendit, librat, examinat, Naz. Pan. ad Const. 7: praescriptiones, Cod. Th. 8, 4, 26.— Hence, lībrātus , a, um, P. a.
A. Level, horizontal: “aquam non esse libratam, sed sphaeroides habere schema,” Vitr. 8, 6.—
B. Poised, balanced, swung, hurled, launched; forcible, powerful: “librata cum sederit (glans),” Liv. 38, 29: “librato magis et certo ictu,” violent, powerful, Tac. H. 2, 22: “malleus dextra libratus ab aure,” Ov. M. 2, 624: “per nubes aquila librata volatu,” Sil. 15, 429. —Comp.: “libratior ictus,” Liv. 30, 10; cf. id. 42, 65.—Hence, * adv.: lībrātē , deliberately: “aliquid eligere,” Serv. Verg. A. 2, 713.
