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portendo , di, tum, 3 (
I.inf. pres. portendier, Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 4), v. a. an archaic collat. form in relig. lang. of protendo, to stretch forth, to point out, indicate (future events, misfortunes, etc.), to foretell, predict, presage, portend (cf.: “ostendo, monstro): ea (auspicia) illis exeuntibus in aciem portendisse deos,Liv. 30, 32, 9; cf.: “di immortales mihi sacrificanti ... laeta omnia prosperaque portendere,id. 31, 7 fin.: “magnitudinem imperii portendens prodigium,id. 1, 55: populo commutationem rerum portendit fore, Att. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 22, 45: “triginta annos Cyrum regnaturum esse portendi,Cic. Div. 1, 23, 46: “quod portentum regni ruinam portendebat, of an earthquake,Just. 17, 1, 3.—Pass., to be indicated (by a sign), to threaten, impend.
(β). Of good fortune, etc.: “salvos sum: libertas portenditur,Plaut. Rud. 5, 3, 38: “quid spei Latinis portendi?Liv. 1, 50. —Hence, portentum , i, n., a sign, token, omen, portent (syn.: ostentum, prodigium).
I. Lit.: “ex quo illa ostenta, monstra, portenta, prodigia dicuntur,Cic. N. D. 2, 3, 7; cf. Fest. p. 245 Müll.; and Paul. ex Fest. p. 244 Müll.: “nam si quod raro fit, id portentum putandum est, sapientem esse portentum est,Cic. Div. 2, 28, 61: portentum inusitatum conflatum est recens, Poët. ap. Gell. 15, 4: “alii portenta atque prodigia nunciabant,Sall. C. 30, 2: “ne quaere profecto, Quem casum portenta ferant,Verg. A. 8, 533.—Of miracles, Vulg. Heb. 2, 4; id. Deut. 34, 11; cf. id. Marc. 13, 22.—
II. Transf.
A. A monster, monstrosity: “cetera de genere hoc quae sunt portenta perempta,Lucr. 5, 37; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 11: “quale portentum neque militaris Daunias latis alit aesculetis Nec, etc.,id. C. 1, 22, 13: “quae virgineo portenta sub inguine latrant,” i. e. the dogs of Scylla, Ov. Am. 2, 16, 23: “praeter naturam hominum pecudumque portentis,monstrous births, monsters, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14; cf.: bovem quendam putari deum, multaque alia portenta apud eosdem, id. Rep. 3, 9, 14.—Trop., in a moral sense, a monster of depravity: “P. Clodius, fatale portentum prodigiumque rei publicae,Cic. Pis. 4, 9: “Gabinius et Piso, duo rei publicae portenta ac paene funera,id. Prov. Cons. 1, 2: “qualia demens Aegyptus portenta colat,Juv. 15, 2.—
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