I.to put or place over or upon, to set up (perh. not ante-Aug.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “superpositum capiti decus (i. e. pileus),” Liv. 1, 34: “altissimam turrim congestis pilis,” Suet. Claud. 20 fin.: “statuam marmoream Jano,” id. Aug. 31: “villam profluenti,” Col. 1, 5, 4; cf.: “villa colli superposita,” Suet. Galb. 4: “ut omnis materia jugo superponatur,” Col. 4, 25, 4: “vitis, quae uno jugo superponatur,” id. 5, 5, 15: “aegra superpositā membra fovere manu,” Ov. H. 21, 190: desertis Africae duas Aethiopias superponunt, place above or beyond, Plin. 5, 8, 8, § 43; cf.: “Galatia superposita,” situated above, id. 5, 32, 42, § 146: hominis collo superpositum, Capitol. Max. et Balb. 9; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 27.— With abl.: “arx asperi montis interruptā planitie superposita,” Amm. 24, 2, 12. —
B. In partic., medic. t. t., to lay on, apply a plaster or the like, Cels. 5, 26, 35; Plin. 29, 6, 38, § 126; 32, 7, 24, § 75: “emplastrum loco dolenti,” Scrib. Comp. 206.—
II. Trop., to place over or above.
A. To place or set over, of official station, etc.: “Perperna in maritimam regionem superpositus,” Liv. Fragm. Libr. 91: “ut unus de presbyteris superponeretur ceteris,” Hier. in Ep. ad Tit. 1, 5: “puer super hoc positus officium,” Petr. 56: “T. FLAVIO SVPERPOSITO MEDICORVM,” president, Inscr. Grut. 581, 7.—*
B. To place before, prefer: Stoici volunt superponere huic etiam aliud genus magis principale, Sen. Ep. 58, 13. —
C. To place after, postpone: “(ante gesta) levioribus superponenda sunt,” Quint. 9, 4, 25: “summum est enim ... huic deinde aliquid superpositum,” id. 8, 4, 6; Col. 3, 10, 7.
