Contestor, contestâris, contestatus sum, contestári. To call towitnesse: to desire: to complaine to one lamentably.Deos hominesque contestans. Cic With pitifull complaint and prayer, calling God and man to witnesse.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
con-testor, ātus, 1, v. dep., to take or call to witness. I. Prop. A. In gen.: deos hominesque, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 29, 67; cf. deos, Caes. B. G. 4, 25: caelum noctemque, Cic. Fl. 40, 102.—Far more freq., (b). In pass. signif.: contestari, to be called to witness, P. Aufidius ap. Prisc. p. 793 P.—B. Esp., jurid. t. t.: litem,
to introduce a lawsuit by calling witnesses, to bring an action, to set on foot
, Cic. Att. 16, 15, 2; id. Rosc. Com. 18, 53; Gell. 5, 10, 8; Cod. Just. 3, 9 al.; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 57, 18 Müll.—(b). In pass. signif.: lis contestatur, Lex Gall. Cisalp. 1, 48; Dig. 9, 4, 26, 5 al.; so, lite contestata, Cic. Rosc. Com. 11, 32; 12, 35: cum lis contestata cum Flavio damni injuriā esset, id. ib. 18, 54; Dig. 24, 3, 22 et saep.; cf. Prisc. p. 793 P.—(g). contestātō, adverbially, by aid of witnesses, Dig. 15, 4, 1; 25, 3, 1 al.—II.Trop., part. perf.: contestatus, in pass. signif., proved by witness, tried: ab hac perenni contestataque virtute majorum,