I.part. perf. from Plautus until after Livy is altus (in Cic. four times); alitus seems to have been first used in the post-Aug. per. to distinguish it from altus, the adj. Altus is found in Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 36; Varr. ap. Non. 237, 15; Cic. Planc. 33, 81; id. Brut. 10, 39; id. N. D. 2, 46, 118; id. Fam. 6, 1; Sall. J. 63, 3; “on the contrary, alitus,” Liv. 30, 28; Curt. 8, 10, 8; Val. Max. 3, 4, 4; 5, 4, 7; 7, 4, 1; 9, 3, 8; Sen. Contr. 3, praef. 10; Just. 44, 4, 12; Dig. 27, 3, 1; cf. Prisc. 897; Diom. 371; Charis. 220 P.; Wund. ad Cic. Planc. p. 201) [cf.: ἄν-αλτος = insatiable, ἄλσος = growth (of wood), 1. ad-oleo, ad-olesco, elementum; Goth. alan = to bring up; Germ. alt = old; Engl. old, eld, elder, and alderman], to feed, to nourish, support, sustain, maintain (in gen. without designating the means, while nutrire denotes sustenance by animal food; cf. Herz. ad Caes. B. G. 1, 18; 7, 32; Doed. Syn. II. p. 99).
I. Lit.: “quem ego nefrendem alui, Liv. And. ap. Fest. s. v. nefrendes, p. 163 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 5 Rib.): Athenis natus altusque,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 36: “alebat eos,” Vulg. Gen. 47, 12: “esurientes alebat,” ib. Tob. 1, 20.—With natus, educatus, or a similar word, several times: Alui, educavi, Att. ap. Non. 422, 14 (Trag. Rel. p. 150 Rib.): “cum Hannibale alto atque educato inter arma,” Liv. 30, 28 (cf. II. infra): “aut equos Alere aut canes ad venandum,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 30; id. Hec. 4, 4, 49: “alere nolunt hominem edacem,” id. Phorm. 2, 2, 21: “quoniam cibus auget corpus alitque,” Lucr. 1, 859; 5, 221 al.: “quae etiam aleret adulescentes,” Cic. Cael. 38: “milites,” Cic. Verr. 5, 80: “nautas,” id. ib. 5, 87: “exercitum,” id. Deiot. 24: “magnum numerum equitatus,” Caes. B. G. 1, 18: “cum agellus eum non satis aleret,” Cic. N. D. 1, 26, 72; so Nep. Phoc. 1, 4: “locus ille, ubi altus aut doctus est,” Cic. Planc. 33, 81: “quibus animantes aluntur,” id. N. D. 2, 19: “(animus) aletur et sustentabitur isdem rebus, quibus astra sustentantur et aluntur,” id. Tusc. 1, 19, 43 al.: “latrociniis se suosque alebat,” Caes. B. G. 8, 47; 1, 18: “quos manus aut lingua perjurio aut sanguine civili alebat,” Sall. C. 14, 3; cf. Kritz ad Sall. C. 37, 3; Nep. Arist. 3 fin.: “ut nepotem elephantos alere prohiberet,” Cic. Phil. 9, 4: “canes,” id. Sex. Rosc. 56: “quod alerentur regiones eorum ab illo,” Vulg. Act. 12, 20: “velut amnis imbres Quem super notas aluere ripas,” have swollen, Hor. C. 4, 2, 5: “rhombos aequora alebant,” id. S. 2, 2, 48 al.; Ov. M. 9, 339; 3, 411; and in a paradoxical phrase: infelix minuendo corpus alebat, and sustained his body by consuming it, i. e. nourished himself by his own flesh, id. ib. 8, 878 al.—Hence in pass. with the abl. = vesci, to be nourished or sustained with or by something, to live or feed upon: “panico vetere atque hordeo corrupto omnes alebantur,” Caes. B. C. 2, 22: “quia viperinis carnibus alantur,” Plin. 7, 2, 2, § 27: “locustis eos ali, etc.,” id. 7, 2, 2, § 29: “hoc cibo aliti sunt,” Vulg. Exod. 16, 35.—
II. Fig., to nourish, cherish, promote, increase, strengthen: “honos alit artes,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 4: “in eā ipsā urbe, in quā et nata et alta sit eloquentia,” id. Brut. 10, 39: “hominis mens alitur discendo et cogitando,” id. Off. 1, 30: “haec studia adulescentiam alunt,” id. Arch. 7, 16; cf. “Ochsn. Eclog. 134 al.: civitas, quam ipse semper aluisset,” i. e. whose prosperity he had always promoted, Caes. B. G. 7, 33: “vires,” id. ib. 4, 1: “nolo meis impensis illorum ali augerique luxuriam,” Nep. Phoc. 1 fin.: “alere morbum,” id. Att. 21 fin.: “insita hominibus libido alendi de industriā rumores,” Liv. 28, 24: “regina Vulnus alit venis,” Verg. A. 4, 2: “divitiis alitur luxuriosus amor,” Ov. R. Am. 746: “alitur diutius controversia,” Caes. B. G. 7, 32: “quid alat formetque poëtam,” Hor. A. P. 307 al.—Hence, altus, a, um.
