I. One who stands by or is present at any thing, a by-stander, witness (only in the foll. passages): “superstites testes praesentes significat, cujus rei testimonium est, quod superstitibus praesentibus ei, inter quos controversia est, vindicias sumere jubentur. Plautus in Artemone: nunc mihi licet quidvis loqui, nemo hic adest superstes,” Fest. p. 305 Müll.; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 3, 339: suis utrisque superstitibus praesentibus istam viam dico: inite viam, an old legal formula in Cic. Mur. 12, 26. —
B. Poet., pregn., standing over as in triumph: “spoliisque animosa superstes, Unda, velut victrix, sinuataque despicit undas,” Ov. M. 11, 552; Stat. Th. 8, 471.—
II. That remains alive after another's death, outliving, surviving (the predom. signif.); constr. usually with dat.; less freq. with gen. or absol.
(α).
With dat.: “sicut tuum vis unicum gnatum tuae Superesse vitae sospitem et superstitem,” Plaut. As. 1, 1, 2: “ut vitae tuae superstes suppetat,” id. Trin. 1, 2, 19: “ut tibi superstes uxor aetatem siet,” id. As. 1, 1, 6: “ita mihi atque huic sies superstes,” Ter. Heaut. 5, 4, 7: “ut viro tuo semper sis superstes,” Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 2: “ut sui sibi liberi superstites essent,” Cic. N. D. 2, 28, 72: “superstes filio pater,” Liv. 1, 34, 3: “rei publicae,” Cic. Fam. 6, 2, 3; 9, 17, 1: “ubi privatus superstes regno suo consenescat,” Liv. 42, 50, 8: patriae (Aeneas) Hor. C. S. 42: “gloriae suae,” Liv. 2, 7, 8: “priscis illa superstes avis,” Ov. A. A. 3, 128: “ceteri (liberi) superstites patri fuerunt,” Suet. Calig. 7: “cenis tribus perna superstes,” Mart. 10, 48, 17: “Tiberio,” Tac. A. 5, 8.—
(β).
With gen. (mostly post-Aug.): “utinam te non solum vitae, sed etiam dignitatis meae superstitem reliquissem!” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 1: “alterius vestrum superstes,” Liv. 40, 8, 18: “omnium,” Plin. 7, 48, 49, § 156: “superstes omnium meorum,” Quint. 6, prooem. § 4; cf.: “omnium suorum,” Suet. Tib. 62 fin.: “iniquorum,” Tac. A. 3, 4 fin.: “non modo aliorum sed etiam nostri superstites sumus,” id. Agr. 3: “multique superstites bellorum infamiam laqueo finierunt,” id. G. 6 fin.—
(γ).
Absol.: “quod superstitem Augustum reliquissent,” Suet. Aug. 59: “mortem obiit repentinam superstitibus liberis, etc.,” id. ib. 4: “liberis superstitibus,” Quint. 6, prooem. § 6: “ per ecastor scitus puer est natus Pamphilo. Deos quaeso, ut sit superstes,” that he may live, Ter. And. 3, 2, 7: “superstes hereditatem regni accipiam (sc. patri),” Liv. 40, 11, 6: “illum aget pennā metuente solvi Fama superstes,” Hor. C. 2, 2, 8: “me tamen exstincto fama superstes erit,” Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 50: “dimidiā parte superstes ero,” id. ib. 1, 2, 44: “post mea mansurum fata superstes opus,” id. Am. 3, 15, 20: “superstite Romā,” Luc. 7, 660: “(silva fertur) Nymphas etiam mutasse superstes,” i. e. survived their transformations, Stat. Th. 6, 95.
