I. A.. To fasten, attach, join, bind, tie to (syn.: ligo, adligo, jungo, conjungo, recto): comprehendere antiqui vinculo apere dicebant, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. apex, p. 18 Müll.; cf. apex; used only in part. perf. pass. aptus (the P. a. v. infra): “uteri terrae radicibus apti,” fastened to the earth, Lucr. 5, 808 (Lachm., terram and apti = adepti): “bracchia validis ex apta lacertis,” united with the strong shoulders, id. 4, 829: “gladium e lacunari setā equinā aptum demitti jussit,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 62: “linguam vinclis de pectore imo aptis moveri,” Gell. 1, 15.—
B. Trop.: ex aliquā re (like pendere ex aliquā re), depending upon, arising from (so only in Cic.): “rerum causae aliae ex aliis aptae et necessitate nexae,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 25, 70: “honestum, ex quo aptum est officium,” id. Off. 1, 18, 60; id. Fin. 2, 14, 47: “ex quā re (sc. virtute) una vita omnis apta sit,” id. Ac. 2, 10, 31: “causa ex aeternis causis apta,” id. Fat. 15, 34: “cui viro ex se apta sunt omnia, etc.,” id. Tusc. 5, 12, 36 (as transl. of Plat. Menex. p. 302: Ὅτῳ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀνήρτηται πάντα, etc.); cf. id. Fam. 5, 13.—Once also with pendere: “non ex verbis aptum pendere jus,” Cic. Caecin. 18.—Also without ex: “vitā modicā et aptā virtute perfrui,” Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 56: “rudentibus apta fortuna,” id. Tusc. 5, 14, 40.—
II. A.. Joined, bound, or tied together, connected: “aptum conexum et colligatum significat,” Non. p. 234, 32 (so most freq. in Lucr.): “conjugio corporis atque animae consistimus uniter apti,” Lucr. 3, 846; 5, 555; 5, 558: “genus ... validis aptum per viscera nervis,” bound together by the strong band of the sinews, id. 5, 928: “quae memorare queam inter se singlariter apta,” id. 6, 1067 al.: “facilius est apta dissolvere quam dissipata conectere,” Cic. Or. 71, 235: “quā ex conjunctione caelum ita aptum est, ut, etc.,” id. Tim. 5: “qui tam certos caeli motus, tamque omnia inter se conexa et apta viderit,” id. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Gell. 6, 2. —
B. Trop.: “omnia inter se apta et conexa,” Cic. Fin. 4, 19, 53: “apta inter se et cohaerentia,” id. N. D 3, 1, 4: “efficiatur aptum illud, quod fuerit antea diffiuens ac solutum,” id. Or. 70, 233.—Poet., with abl., endowed, furnished, or ornamented with something: fides alma, apta pinnis, furnished with wings, winged, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 3, 29, 105: “stellis fulgentibus apta caeli domus,” the abode of heaven studded with glittering stars, Lucr. 6, 357 (cf. id. 5, 1205: stellis micantibus aethera fixum); “imitated by Verg.: caelum stellis fulgentibus aptum,” Verg. A. 11, 202, and: “axis stellis ardentibus aptus,” id. ib. 4, 482: “veste signis ingentibus aptā,” Lucr. 5, 1428: “magis apta figura,” id. 2, 814: lucus opacus teneris fruticibus aptus, Varr. ap. Non. p. 235, 9: “Tyrio prodeat apta sinu,” Tib. 1, 9, 70.—Hence,
III. aptus , a, um, P. a., pr., fitted to something; hence, suited, suitable, proper, apposite, fit, appropriate, adapted, conformable to (cf. accommodatus and appositus, 2.).
A. In gen.: aptus is, qui convenienter alicui junctus est, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. apex, p. 18 Müll. (so most freq. after the Cic. per.); constr. with ad or dat.; of persons always with dat.
(α).
With ad: “ossa habent commissuras ad stabilitatem aptas,” Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 139: “in pulmonibus inest raritas quaedam ad hauriendum spiritum aptissima,” id. ib. 2, 55, 136: “locus ad insidias aptior,” id. Mil. 20: “calcei habiles et apti ad pedem,” id. de Or. 1, 54, 231: “castra ad bellum ducendum aptissima,” Caes. B. C. 2, 37; so Vulg. 1 Par. 7, 40; ib. 2 Par. 26, 13: “aptum ad proelium,” ib. 1 Reg. 14, 52: “fornices in muro erant apti ad excurrendum,” Liv. 36, 23, 3 al.—
(β).
With dat.: “non omnia rebus sunt omnibus apta,” Lucr. 6, 961: “aliis alias animantibus aptas Res,” id. 6, 773: “initia apta et accommodata naturae,” Cic. Fin. 4, 17, 46: “quod verum, simplex sincerumque sit, id esse naturae hominis aptissimum,” id. Off. 1, 4, 13: “haec genera dicendi aptiora sunt adulescentibus,” id. Brut. 95, 223; so id. ib. 62, 326; id. Tusc. 1, 36, 87; id. Or. 22, 1 al.: “quod aetati tuae esset aptissimum,” id. Off. 1, 2, 4; so Nep. Att. 16, 1: “apta dies sacrificio,” Liv. 1, 45: “venti aptiores Romanae quam suae classi,” id. 25, 37 al.: “notavi portus puppibus aptos,” Ov. M. 3, 596; 4, 160: “armis apta magis tellus,” Prop. 4, 22, 19: “aptum equis Argos,” Hor. C. 1, 7, 9: “apta vinculo conjugali,” Vulg. Ruth, 1, 12; ib. Luc. 9, 62: “aptus amicis,” Hor. S. 2, 5, 43 et saep.— Other constrr.:
(γ).
With in (cf. Rudd. II. p. 96, n. 60): “in quod (genus pugnae) minime apti sunt,” Liv. 38, 21: “formas deus aptus in omnes,” apt for, easily changed into, Ov. M. 14, 765: “in ceteros apta usus,” Vulg. Deut. 20, 20: “vasa apta in interitum,” ib. Rom. 9, 22.—
(δ).
With qui (cf. Zumpt, § “568): nulla videbatur aptior persona, quae de illā aetate loqueretur,” Cic. Am. 1, 4: “est mihi, quae lanas molliat, apta manus,” Ov. H. 3, 70.—(ε) Poet., with inf: “(Circe) apta cantu veteres mutare figuras,” Tib. 4, 1, 63: “aetas mollis et apta regi,” Ov. A. A. 1, 10.— Esp. freq., (ζ) Absol., Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 235, 16: “amor,” Prop. 4, 22, 42: “saltus,” Ov. M. 2, 498: “ars,” Tib. 1, 7, 60: “apta oscula,” Tib. 1, 4, 54; Ov. H. 15, 132: “lar aptus,” an extensive, satisfying possession, Hor. C. 1, 12, 43.—So in prose: “aptus exercitus,” an army good in fight, ready for battle, Liv. 10, 25: “tempus aptum,” the right time, id. 35, 19; so Vulg. Eccli. 20, 6 al.—
B. Esp., in rhet., of the fitness, appropriateness of discourse: “quid aptum sit, hoc est quid maxime decens in oratione,” Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 210; so apta oratio, which has the appropriate rhet. fulness and periodic rounding: numerosa et apta oratio, id. Or. 50, 168; cf. id. ib. 50, 70; so id. Brut. 17, 68: “Thucydides verbis aptus et pressus,” exact and brief in expression, id. de Or. 2, 13, 56.—Hence, aptē , adv., closely, fitly, suitably, nicely, rightly.
I. Lit.
A. Absol.: “atque ita apte cohaeret (mundi corpus), ut etc.,” Cic. Tim. 5: altera est nexa cum superiore et inde apteque pendens, id. ap. Non. p. 235, 18: “capiti apte reponere,” Liv. 1, 34, 8.—
B. With ad: “apte convenire ad pedem,” Cic. Fin. 3, 14, 46.— Sup.,
C. With inter: “ut inter se quam aptissime cohaereant extrema (verba) cum primis etc.,” Cic. Or. 44, 149.—
II. Trop., fitly, suitably, properly, duly, rightly.
A. Absol.: “facile judicabimus, quid eorum apte fiat,” Cic. Off. 1, 41, 146: “quod est oratoris proprium, apte, distincte, ornate dicere,” id. ib. 1, 1, 2: “apte et quiete ferre,” id. ib. 4, 17, 38: “non equite apte locato,” Liv. 4, 37, 8: “Qui doceant, apte quid tibi possit emi,” Ov. Am. 1, 8, 88: “nec aliter imperium apte regi potest,” Curt. 8, 8, 13: “floribus compositis apte et utiliter,” Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 46. —Comp.: “qualia aptius suis referentur locis,” Plin. 2, 62, 62, § 153: “Aptius haec puero, quam tibi, dona dabis,” Mart. 13, 26.—