I.“quia nondum geminabant antiqui consonantes,” Fest. p. 205 Müll.), ēre, v. n. potis-valeo.
I. Lit.
A. In gen., to be strong, powerful, or potent, to be able, to prevail, avail (class.; cf.: valeo, possum): QVANTO MAGIS POTES POLLESQVE, an old formula in Liv. 1, 24, 8: “potest polletque (populus),” Liv. 8, 33; Plaut. As. 3, 3, 46: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69: “pollere, regnare, dominari,” Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21: “qui in republicā tum plurimum pollebant,” Caes. B. C. 1, 4: polleo plurimum inter homines, id. ap. Suet. Caes. 6; Cic. Brut. 51, 90: “ad fidem faciendam justitia plus pollet,” id. Off. 2, 9, 34: “cum Romana majestas toto orbe polleret,” Flor. 4, 2, 8.—With subj.-clause: “is omnibus exemplo debet esse, quantum in hac urbe polleat, multorum obedire tempori,” Cic. Brut. 69, 242.—
(β).
With abl.: “formā,” Prop. 3, 8 (4, 9), 17: “pecuniā,” Suet. Caes. 19: “armis,” Tac. A. 11, 24: “gloriā antiquitatis,” id. ib. 4, 55: “nobilitate,” id. H. 3, 45: “malis artibus,” id. A. 14, 57: “gratiā,” id. H. 2, 92. —
B. In partic., of medicines, to be potent or efficacious, to operate: “herba contra anginas efficacissime pollet,” is a powerful specific, Plin. 24, 19, 110, § 171: “pollet adversus scorpiones,” id. 20, 16, 63, § 171: “aurum plurimis modis pollet in remediis,” id. 33, 4, 25, § 84; 28, 8, 29, § 114.—
II. Transf.
A. To be of worth, to be valued, esteemed, Plin. 19, 3, 17, § 47: “cum eadem vitis aliud aliis in locis polleat,” id. 14, 6, 8, § 70.—
B. To possess in abundance, be rich in: “utensilibus,” App. M. 2, 19.—Hence, pollens , entis, P. a., strong, mighty, able, powerful, potent (mostly since the Aug. period; “not in Cic.): genus pollens atque honoratissumum,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 28: “animus, abunde pollens potensque,” Sall. J. 1, 3: “potens pollensque,” Liv. 2, 34; Inscr. Grut. 50, 3: “genus pollens,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 28: “classis plurimum pollens mari,” Vell. 1, 2: “mens pollentior,” Tert. adv. Psych. 6: “pollentissima ingenia,” Sol. 2 med.—With abl.: sagittis pollens dea, Naev. ap. Macr. 6, 5 (Trag. Rel. p. 11 Rib.): “equo pollens,” Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 55: “opibus,” Lucr. 1, 61: “venenis,” Val. Fl. 6, 85.—With gen.: “vini pollens Liber,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 21 (Fleck. as one word, vinipollens).—With acc.: “soror cuncta pollentis viri, Argolica Juno,” Sen. Agam. 805.—With inf.: “tractare sereno Imperio vulgum pollens,” Sil. 14, 80; Luc. 6, 685.—Hence, adv.: pollenter , powerfully (post-class.); comp. pollentius, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 254.