I.to surround with a rampart and palisades, to palisade, intrench, circumvallate (syn. saepio).
I. Lit.: “castra vallantem Fabium adorti sunt,” Liv. 9, 41, 15: “castra vallari placuit,” Tac. H. 2, 19; so, castra, Auct. B. Alex. 27, 6; 30, 2; Plin. 15, 18, 20, § 76: “vallare noctem,” i. e. to intrench themselves at night, Tac. G. 30: “nulli vallārant oppida muri,” Luc. 4, 224.—Absol.: “muniendo vallandoque militem firmabant,” Tac. H. 4, 26.—
II. Transf., in gen., to fortify, protect, defend with something: “elephantis aciem utrimque vallaverat,” Flor. 2, 8 fin.: “Macedoniam suam armis ferroque,” id. 2, 12, 4: “Pontus et regiis opibus et ipsā naturā regionis vallatus,” Cic. Arch. 9, 21: “urbs Capsa in mediā Africā sita anguibus arenisque vallata,” Flor. 3, 1, 14: “cum gladio te vallare scieris, vallum ferre desinito,” Liv. Epit. 57: “vallatus bello,” Luc. 6, 29: “videbant Catilinam ... vallatum indicibus atque sicariis,” Cic. Mur. 24, 49: “haec omnia quasi saepimento aliquo vallabit disserendi ratione,” id. Leg. 1, 24, 62: “jus legatorum divino jure esse vallatum,” id. Har. Resp. 16, 34: “ignotae cumulis vallatus harenae,” Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 29: “templa praesenti numine vallata,” Val. Max. 9, 11, ext. 4: “hydra venenatis vallata colubris,” Lucr. 5, 27; cf. Val. Fl. 1, 697; Sen. Herc. Oet. 1932; Sil. 7, 407: “sol radiis frontem vallatus acutis,” Ov. H. 4, 159: “vallantur planctibus arae,” Stat. Th. 10, 564.—To surround: “abyssus vallavit me,” Vulg. Jonae, 2, 6.