I.to stretch out or widen again; to unloose, loosen, open (class.; cf.: solvo, libero).
I. Lit.: “alvus tum astringitur, tum relaxatur,” Cic. N. D. 2, 54, 136; cf.: “tum astringentibus se intestinis tum relaxantibus,” id. ib. 2, 55, 138: “densa relaxare (opp. rara densare),” Verg. G. 1, 419: “dissolvunt nodos omnes et vincla relaxant,” Lucr. 6, 356: tunicarum vincula, Ov. F. 2, 321; cf. “nodos (sc. aquaï),” Lucr. 6, 878 (with exsolvere glaciem); cf.: “fontibus ora,” Ov. M. 1, 281: “caecos fontes,” Sil. 3, 51: “glaebas,” to loosen, Varr. R. R. 1, 27, 2: “humum,” Col. 11, 3, 46 Schneid. N. cr.; Pall. 2, 13, 3: “vias et caeca Spiramenta,” Verg. G. 1, 89: “claustra,” Ov. Am. 1, 6, 17; cf. “flores,” Sen. Thyest. 903: “diversa bracchia,” to spread out, Sil. 14, 399: “arcum,” to unbend, Sen. Agam. 322: “ut, quae (aedificia) sunt vetustate sublapsa, relaxentur in melius,” restored, Plin. Ep. 10, 70 (75), 1 Keil (al. reparentur).—
II. Trop., to slacken, ease, lighten, alleviate, mitigate, soften, assuage; to cheer up, enliven, relax (a favorite word of Cic.; cf.: “relevo, recreo, mitigo): animos doctrinā,” Cic. Arch. 6, 12; cf.: “tu a contentionibus cottidie relaxes aliquid,” id. Leg. 1, 4, 11: quaero enim non quibus intendam rebus animam, sed quibus relaxem, ac remittam, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 329, 7, and 383, 23: “constructio verborum tum conjunctionibus copuletur, tum dissolutionibus relaxetur,” id. Part. 6, 21: “pater nimis indulgens, quicquid ego astrinxi, relaxat,” id. Att. 10, 6, 2: “animus somno relaxatus,” id. Div. 2, 48, 100: “animum,” id. Brut. 5, 21; id. Rep. 1, 9, 14; cf.: “relaxare animos et dare se jucunditati,” id. Off. 1, 34, 122: “ut ex pristino sermone relaxarentur animi omnium,” id. de Or. 1, 8, 29: “anxiferas curas requiete, id. poët. Div. 1, 13, 22: (risus) tristitiam ac severitatem mitigat et relaxat,” id. de Or. 2, 58, 236; cf.: “tristem vultum relaxare,” Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 15; “and, with this, cf.: relaxato in hilaritatem vultu,” Petr. 49, 8: “ne nocturna quidem quiete diurnum laborem relaxante,” Curt. 5, 13, 5: mores aetas lasciva relaxat, i. e. makes dissolute, Claud. Prob. et Olybr. 153: “(animi) cum se plane corporis vinculis relaxaverint,” Cic. Sen. 22, 81; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 330: “se occupationibus,” Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 5; id. Att. 16, 16, 2: “se a nimiā necessitate,” id. Or. 52, 176. — “Mid.: homines quamvis in turbidis rebus sint, tamen interdum animis relaxantur,” Cic. Phil. 2, 16, 39: “insani cum relaxentur,” when they come to themselves, when the attack abates, id. Ac. 2, 17, 52.— Absol.: (dolor) si longus, levis; “dat enim intervalla et relaxat,” Cic. Fin. 2, 29, 94.