I. (With the signif. of the re predominating.) To hold or keep back, not let go; to detain, retain; to restrain (class.; cf. restringo).
A. Lit.: Ep. Asta, abire hinc non sinam. Th. Quid nunc me retines? Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 61: “quotiens foras ego ire volo, me retines, revocas,” id. Men. 1, 2, 5: “quid, malum, astas? Quin retines altrinsecus?” id. Mil. 2, 5, 36; id. Stich. 2, 3, 11: “te dexterā retinens manu Opsecro,” id. Capt. 2, 3, 82: si magis vis, eam omittam. Py. Nolo; “retine,” id. Mil. 4, 8, 27: “retine me,” id. Curc. 2, 3, 11; Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 23: “concilium dimittit, Liscum retinet,” Caes. B. G. 1, 18: “homines,” Cic. Att. 13, 14, 1: “ab his fit initium retinendi Silii, etc.,” Caes. B. G. 3, 8; 3, 9; 3, 10 et saep.: “milites,” id. ib. 7, 47; 7, 52; cf.: “milites in loco,” id. B. C. 3, 92: “legiones ad urbem,” id. ib. 1, 2; “1, 9: cohortes apud se,” id. ib. 2, 19: “venit Varro ad me, et quidem id tempus, ut retinendus esset,” when he must be kept, Cic. Att. 13, 33, 4: “biduum tempestate retentus,” detained, Caes. B. C. 3, 102; cf. id. B. G. 7, 1; Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 12; cf.: “aegre sunt retenti, quin oppidum irrumperent,” Caes. B. C. 2, 13 fin.: “vi me, vi inquam, Plancius et complexu suo retinuit,” Cic. Planc. 41, 100: “nisi jam profecti sunt, retinebis homines,” id. Att. 13, 14, 1: “euntem,” Ov. H. 18, 99: “aliquem vinclis,” id. R. Am. 213: “consulem,” Liv. 37, 51: “morbo retineri,” id. 34, 10; “v. also infra, B.: armorum parte tertiā celatà atque in oppido retentā,” Caes. B. G. 2, 32 fin.; 2, 33: “naves pro bonis Tarquiniorum ab Aristodemo retentae sunt,” i. e. as security, Liv. 2, 34, 4: “vinum portantes naves tempestatibus retentas esse,” id. 37, 27, 2; Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 45: “mercedem,” to keep back, stop, id. As. 2, 4, 37: “alienum,” Cic. Fl. 23, 56: “lacrimas,” Ov. M. 1, 647: “manus ab ore,” id. ib. 9, 575 et saep.: “mulierem,” to hold, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 33; cf.: “mulierem per vim,” id. Bacch. 4, 8, 2: “arcum manu,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74: “faculas sagittas,” Prop. 2, 29 (3, 27), 5; cf.: “injectā manu ferreā et retentā utrāque nave,” Caes. B. C. 1, 58: “sudor madidā veste retentus,” Mart. 5, 79, 3.—
B. Trop., to hold in check, keep within bounds, to restrain, check, repress, etc.: hoc servi esse officium reor, retinere at salutem (erum), Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 8: “liberos retinere,” Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 33; Cic. Rep. 2, 25, 46; cf.: “moderantem cursum atque in suā potestate retinentem,” id. ib. 1, 29, 45: “gaudia,” Ov. M. 12, 285: “rabiem,” id. ib. 3, 566: “verba dolore,” id. ib. 10, 474: “aliquem in officio,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 25, 70: “animos sociorum in fide,” Liv. 25, 40: “retineri nequeo quin dicam ea, quae promeres,” Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 15 (cf. supra, A.): “quae (varietas) vehementer animos hominum in legendo tuo scripto retinere possit . . . ordo ipse annalium mediocriter nos retinet,” binds, enchains, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 4 and 5: “(picus) Ore suo volucres vagas retinere solebat,” Ov. M. 14, 340: “lingua retenta metu,” id. H. 11, 82: “retinentibus vobis, erumperem,” Curt. 6, 3, 5.—
II. (With the signif. of the verb predominant.) To hold fast, keep, retain, preserve, maintain, etc. (freq. only since the class. per.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.; cf. obtineo).
A. Lit.: potius mansuetudine et innocentiā imperatoris provinciam quam vi militum aut benignitate deorum retentam atque conservatam esse, Cato ap. Cic. Fam. 15, 5, 2: “oppidum,” Caes. B. G. 7, 21 fin.: “arces (Minerva),” to preserve, protect, Cat. 64, 8: “id egit, ut amicos observantiā, rem parsimoniā retineret,” Cic. Quint. 18, 59; cf.: “retinere servareque amicos,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 89: “summos cum infimis pari jure,” Cic. Off. 2, 12, 41: “Aegyptum,” Curt. 4, 1, 30: “regionem,” id. 6, 5, 21: “neque virtutem qui habet virtute retinetur in vitā,” Cic. Fin. 3, 18, 61 B. and K.: fortunam citius reperias quam retineas, Publ. Syr. 168 Rib. —
B. Trop.: “retinete (fidem), post factum ut laetemini,” Plaut. Rud. prol. 30: “existimo jus augurum . . . rei publicae causā conservatum ac retentum,” Cic. Div. 2, 35, 75; so, “jus suum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 14, § 37; Caes. B. C. 1, 5: “statum suum,” Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 43: “pristinam virtutem,” Caes. B. G. 5, 48, 91; cf.: “vestigium pristinae dignitatis,” Cic. Sull. 32, 91: “officium,” id. Off. 3, 29, 105: “justitiam (with colere),” id. ib. 2, 12, 42 Beier; id. Inv. 1, 1, 3: “caritatem in pastores,” id. Lael. 19, 70: “utilitatem in amicitiā et fidem,” id. ib. 24, 88: “hunc morem usque adhuc,” id. Rep. 2, 20, 36; cf. id. ib. 2, 9, 16: “de finibus retentae defensaeque sententiae,” id. Tusc. 5, 30, 84: “gravitatem retinere, iracundiam pellere,” id. Off. 1, 38, 137: “ferociam animi in vultu,” Sall. C. 61, 4: “memoriam suae pristinae virtutis, tot secundissimorum proeliorum,” Caes. B. G. 2, 21; 7, 62: “aliquid memoriā,” Cic. Imp. Pomp. 7, 19; id. Rosc. Am. 12, 33: “commissa (aures),” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 70 et saep.: “ut Palaemo et Telamo et Plato dicerentur, retinuerunt,” Quint. 1, 5, 60.— With ne, Cic. Rep. 2, 32, 56.—
2. Post-class. for memoriā retinere, to keep in mind, remember: “sive ille Hasdrubal est, sive quis alius, non retineo,” Gell. 17, 9, 16.—With object-clause: “retineo me dixisse,” Dig. 35, 1, 92 init.— Hence, rĕtĭnens , entis, P. a., holding fast, tenacious, observant of any thing (class.; cf. tenax); constr. with gen.: “homo sui juris dignitatisque retinens,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 3, § 11: “nimium equestris juris et libertatis,” id. Planc. 23, 55: “avitae nobilitatis,” Tac. A. 2, 38 fin.: “modestiae,” id. ib. 5, 11: “Seleuci conditoris (civitas),” i. e. retaining his institutions, id. ib. 6, 42; cf.: “antiqui moris,” id. ib. 16, 5 et saep. — Sup.: “proprietatum in verbis retinentissimus,” Gell. 10, 20, 10.
