I.to call as a witness to any thing; to protest or assert by a person or thing (syn.: testor, obsecro, supplico; class.).
I. In gen.: “necessitudinem nostram tuamque in me benevolentiam obtestans,” Cic. ad Brut. 1, 13, 1: “deūm hominumque fidem,” Liv. 2, 10: “sacra regni, deos et hospitales mensas,” Tac. A. 2, 65: “summam rempublicam agi obtestans,” id. ib. 12, 5: “aut militum se manibus aut suis moriturum obtestans,” id. H. 3, 10; Suet. Calig. 15 fin.—
II. Transf., to conjure by calling to witness; to entreat, beseech, supplicate, implore: “per ego haec genua te,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 2, 13; id. Aul. 4, 9, 4: “per omnes deos te obtestor, ut, etc.,” Cic. Att. 11, 2, 2; Verg. A. 9, 260: “vos judices,” Cic. Cael. 32, 78: “vos obtestor atque obsecro, ut, etc.,” id. Sest. 69, 147: “id sibi ne eripiatis, vos obtestatur,” id. Sull. 32, 89: “obsistens obtestansque deum et hominum fidem testabatur, nequiquam eos fugere,” Liv. 2, 10, 3. —With double acc.: “illud te ... Pro Latio obtestor, ne, etc.,” Verg. A. 12, 819.—Part.: obtestātus , a, um, in the pass. signif., earnestly entreated, supplicated, implored: “obtestatus prece impensā,” Amm. 31, 9, 4: “obtestatā fide,” App. M. 2, p. 125, 11.
