I.to hold up or upriqht, to uphold, support, prop, sustain (syn. sustineo).
I. Lit. (only poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “multos per annos Sustentata ruet moles et machina mundi,” Lucr. 5, 96: Hercule quondam Sustentante polum, Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 143: “Alcanor fratrem ruentem Sustentat dextrā,” Verg. A. 10, 339: “in Tiberim abjectum,” Plin. 8, 40, 61, § 145: “naufraga sustentant ... vela (i. e. navem) Lacones,” Claud. B. Gild. 222; cf.: “aegre seque et arma sustentans,” Curt. 8, 4, 15.—
B. To bear, wear: “catenas,” Vop. Aur. 34.—
II. Trop., to keep up, uphold, sustain, maintain, support, bear, uplift, preserve (class. and freq.).
A. In gen.: “exsanguem jam et jacentem (civitatem),” Cic. Rep. 2, 1, 2; cf.: “rem publicam,” id. Mur. 2, 3: “imbecillitatem valetudinis tuae sustenta et tuere,” id. Fam. 7, 1, 5: “valetudo sustentatur notitiā sui corporis,” id. Off. 2, 24, 86; Vell. 2, 114, 1: “Terentiam, unam omnium aerumnosissimam, sustentes tuis officiis,” Cic. Att. 3, 23, 5: “tu velim tete tuā virtute sustentes,” id. Fam. 6, 4, 5: “me una consolatio sustentat, quod, etc.,” id. Mil. 36, 100: “per omnis difficultates animo me sustentavi,” Quint. 12, prooem. § 1: “ litteris sustentor et recreor,” Cic. Att. 4, 10, 1; cf.: “praeclarā conscientiā sustentor, cum cogito, etc.,” id. ib. 10, 4, 5: “Pompeius intellegit, C. Catonem a Crasso sustentari,” id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 4: “jurisconsultus, non suo artificio sed alieno sustentatus,” id. de Or. 1, 56, 239: “amicos suos fide,” id. Rab. Post. 2, 4: “si qua spes reliqua est, quae fortium civium mentes cogitationesque sustentet,” id. Fl. 2, 3: “spes inopiam sustentabat,” Caes. B. C. 3, 49: “res publica magnis meis laboribus sustentata,” Cic. Mur. 2, 3: “Venus Trojanas sustentat opes,” Verg. A. 10, 609: “multa virum meritis sustentat fama tropaeis,” upholds, id. ib. 11, 224: “Arminius manu, voce, vulnere sustentabat pugnam,” kept up, maintained, Tac. A. 2, 17: “aciem,” id. ib. 1, 65 fin.; id. H. 2, 15.—
B. In partic.
1. To support, sustain, maintain, preserve by food, money, or other means: “familiam,” Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 36: “cum esset silvestris beluae sustentatus uberibus,” Cic. Rep. 2, 2, 4: “idem (aër) spiritu ductus alit et sustentat animantis,” id. N. D. 2, 39, 101: “qui se subsidiis patrimonii aut amicorum liberalitate sustentant,” id. Prov. Cons. 5, 12: “eo (frumento) sustentata est plebs,” Liv. 2, 34, 5: “sustentans fovensque,” Plin. Ep. 9, 30, 3: “saucios largitione et curā,” Tac. A. 4, 63 fin.: “animus nullā re egens aletur et sustentabitur isdem rebus, quibus astra sustentantur et aluntur,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 43; cf.: “furtim rapta sustentat pectora terra,” refreshes, Stat. Th. 6, 875: “parsimoniam patrum suis sumptibus,” Cic. Cael. 16, 38: “tenuitatem alicujus,” id. Fam. 16, 21, 4: “egestatem et luxuriem domestico lenocinio sustentavit,” id. Red. Sen. 5, 11: “Glycera venditando coronas sustentaverat paupertatem,” Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 125; cf.: “ut milites pecore ex longinquioribus vicis adacto extremam famem sustentarent,” Caes. B.G. 7, 17.—Mid.: “mutando sordidas merces sustentabatur,” supported himself, got a living, Tac. A. 4, 13; for which in the act. form: Ge. Valuistin' bene? Pa. Sustentavi sedulo, I have taken good care of myself, have kept myself in good case, Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 8; cf. impers. pass.: Ge. Valuistin' usque? Ep. Sustentatum'st sedulo, id. ib. 3, 2, 14. —
2. To keep in check, hold back, restrain: “milites, paulisper ab rege sustentati, paucis amissis profugi discedunt,” Sall. J. 56, 6; cf. aciem, Auct. B. Afr. 82: aquas, Auct. Cons. Liv. 221. —
3. To bear, hold out, endure, suffer (rare but class.; “syn.: fero, patior): miserias plurimas,” Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 3: “moerorem doloremque,” Cic. Pis. 36, 89. —Absol. (sc. morbum), Suet. Tib. 72: “procellas invidiae,” Claud. in Eutr. 1, 265: “aegre is dies sustentatur,” Caes. B. G. 5, 39: “quorum auxiliis atque opibus, si qua bella inciderint, sustentare consuerint,” id. ib. 2, 14 fin.—Impers. pass.: “aegre eo die sustentatum est,” a defence was made, Caes. B. G. 2, 6: “hostem,” Tac. A. 15, 10 fin.: “bellum,” Vell. 2, 104, 2: impetus legionum, Auct. B. Hisp. 17, 3. — Absol.: “nec, nisi in tempore subventum foret, ultra sustentaturi fuerint,” Liv. 34, 18, 2. —
4. To put off, defer, delay (Ciceron.; “syn. prolato): rem, dum, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 13, 64, 1: “aedificationem ad tuum adventum,” id. Q. Fr. 2, 7: “id (malum) opprimi sustentando ac prolatando nullo pacto potest ... celeriter vobis vindicandum est,” id. Cat. 4, 3, 6; cf. Ov. R. Am. 405.