Potestas, potestâtis, f. g. Paulus. Power: authoritie: office: do, miniou: rule. Also habilitie: facultie: leaue: counsaile: reason. Potestates. Plin. Rulers: potentates: officers: men in autoritie: great magistrates: vt, Domini potestatesq; exorabiles. Plin. Potestas & facultas.Cic.Vix adipiscendi potestas modò fuit.Plaut.Vnneth: or wyth great paine I might come by it.Quocunque tempore mihi potestas præsentis tui fuerit, tu eris. &c. Ci. Whensoeuer I shal haue you present, or haue opportunitie of your presence.Quidlibet audendi æqua poetis & pictoribus potestas. Ho. Poets and painters haue like licence to feigne any thing.DeorÛ immortaliÛ nutu atque potestate administrare.Cic.An erit hæc optio & potestas tua, vt, &c.Cic.Shall it bee in your choyce and authoritie. &c.Vis omnis ac potestas deorum.Cic. Dignus potestae & dominatu omnium rerum. Ci. Most worthie to haue authoritie and rule ouer all things.Dominatio & potestas.Cic.Imperium aut potestatem assequi. Ci. To attaine the dominion and rule.A magistratu, aut ab aliqua potestate legitima euocatus. C. Called by some magistrate or lawful authoritie.Præditus summa potestate homo. Cice. A man in chief anthoritie. Decemuiralis potestas.Tacit.Extraordinariæ potestates.Cic.Firma retum potestas.Val. Flac.Fracta potestas & penètranslata. Claud. Immensa potestas deûm. Lucr. Inuidiosa potestas. Claud. Iusta potestas est illi in ambos. Horat. Iusta & legitima potestas.Cic.Lenis potestas. Claud. Regia. Cicero. Tranquilla. Claud. Summa. Seneca. Violenta. Claud. Abrogare potestatem.Cic.To put one out of his authoritie and office.Accipere potestatem vide Accipio.Adimere potestatem.Cic.Per potestatem auferre aliquid alicui. Ci. By might and authoritie to take away.Cadere in potestatem, Vide CADO.Peccandi potestatem alicui concedere. Ci. To giue one authoritie or libertie to offend.Continere in sua potestate aliquos.Cic.To keepe at his cõmaundement and obedience. Spatio diuisa potestas. Lucr. Deferre potestatem alicui tribuendorum beneficiorum. C. Dare potestatem. Columella, Vaporibus omni quadrupedi largius bibendi potestas danda est. In great heates weemust permit al foure sooted beasts to drinke more largely.Vtrique data petendi quod velit potestate. Qui. Graunting to ech of them liberitie to aske what he would.Simulac potestas primùm data est, adeunt. Ci. So sone as they had licence & opportunitie they go vnto him.Exisse de potestate propriè iratos dicimus, id est, de consilio, de ratione, de mente. Ci. To be beside themselues: not to be able to rule their affections.Pro potestate aliquid facere. Suet. To shew a point of his office and authoritie: or according to his office.Facere potestatem. Colu. To permit or suffer, to giue leaue, lyberty or licence.Nec potestas aquæ nisi quam parcissimè facienda est. Colum. And you must not suffer them to drinke water but very litle and seldome.Si quid de his rebus dicere vellet, feci potestatÊ. C. If he would speake any thing of these matters, I permitted him.Subscribendi mihi fecerunt potestatÊ. Ci. They gaue me leaue to subsccibe.Libera facta est mihi potestas loquendi. Ci. Potestatem sui facere. Ci. To suffer men to haue accesse to him and speake with him.Orat vt cui copiam sibi potestatem q; facias.Plaut.He prayeth that ye wil suffer him to rule you.Gerere potestates. Author ad Heren. To beare office, to bee in office and authoritie. Gliscit potestas. Tac. Habere potestatem.Cic.To haue leaue & licence.Regalem habuit potestatem.Cicer.He had the authoritie of a king.Habere summam potestatem in aliquo loco. Ci. To bee chiefe ruler or gouernour in a place.Habere potestatem alicuius.Cic.To haue one in subiection: to haue at his commandement.Habere aliquem in sua potestate. Brutus Ciceroni. Idem. Vitæ necisq; potestatem habere in aliquem.Cic.To haue authoritie of life and death ouer one.Nacti summam potestatem.Salust.Dictatura vim iam regiæ potestatis obsederat.Cic.Ostendere suam potestatem in aliquem.Terent.Patet latè potestas eius.Cic.He is of great power & dominson.Permittere potestatem. Ci. Decemuiris corrumpendarum tabularum publicaiÛ magna potestas permittitur. They gaue great libertie & oportunitie to the tenue peeres, to corrupte and falsifie the registers and bookes.Ea potestate, quam tu ad dignitatem permisisses, ad quæstum vtebatur.Cic.Peruenire in potestatem alicuius. Cice. To come vnder ones hands & subiection, to be at ones rule, to be at his mercie.Poni in potestate alicuius. Ci. To be in the power, or at the cõmandement of one: to be in his owne handes.Priuare aliquem potestate faciendi aliquid. Ci. Cum potestate proficisci in prouinciam. C. To go into the prouince hauing authoritie and commission to rule.Fortunæ potestas in nos prorogata, Cicer.Fortunes power is largely spread ouer vs. Recisa orandi potestas. Qui. Tricesimus dies reddebar victo certaminis, potestatem. Quin. Redigere aliquem in suam ditionem ac potestatem.Cic.Redire in suam potestatem. Gel. In potestate alicuius esse. Plat. To be at ones commandement: to be vnder his rule.In ditione ac potestate alicuius esse.Cic.Totum eum negotiÛ permisi, meq, in eius potestate dixi fore.Cic.And saide that I would be at his commandement, and doe as he would haue me.In porestate tua est.Cicer.It is in your owne hands, or at your owne libertie either to doe it or no.In potestate esse, Vide IN præpositionem.Cum potestare esse, Vide CVM præpositionem.Sub potestate alicuius esse.Liu.Malefaciendi est mihi potestas.Plaut.Cuius tibi potestas summa seruandi datur. Ter. Whom it lyeth greatly now in the handes to saue.Potestas tibi fuit quotidiè hominis admonendi. Cicero. Thou hadst euery day free libertie and oportunitie to monish him.Quòd potestas mittendi non fuit.Cic.Because I woulde not send, or had not oportunitie to send.Quoties mihi certorum hominÛ potestas crit, quibus rectè dem, non prætermittam &c.Cic.As often as I may haue sure and trustie messengers.Integra nobis est iudicandi potestas.Cic.We are at free lybertie to iudge.Sita est in eotum potestate nostra salus. Cice. Out life and good estate is in their handes.Præsertim quum tota potestas huius rei tua sit Cice.Scing this matter is wholy in youre handes, or you may doe in this matter as you wil your selfe.Nequa deductio fieret, magna ex parte tua potestas erat. C. You might chose, or it was chiefly in your hands, whether any deduction should be made or no.Quæ tum erat potestas.Cic.According as it was lawfull at that time: as it might be done at that time.Suscipere in potestatem, Er Dimittere ex potestate.Cic.Tenere aliquem in sua potestare & ditione.Cic.Tradere potestatem alicui.Cic.Venire in arbitrium ac potestatem alicuius.Cicer.To be in ones hands and at his merry, as men take in war.Versati cum imperio & potestate in Repub.Cic.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
pŏtestas, ātis (gen. plur. potestatium, Sen. Ep. 115, 7; Plin. 29, 4, 20, 67), f. [possum]. I.Lit., in gen., ability, power of doing any thing (class.): SI FVRIOSVS EST AGNATORVM GENTILIVMQVE IN EO PECVNIAQVE EIVS POTESTAS ESTO, Fragm. XII. Tabularum: vim tantam in se et potestatem habere tantae astutiae,
to have such a power of craftiness
,
to be able to devise such tricks
, Ter. Heaut. 4, 3, 32: aut potestas defuit aut facultas aut voluntas, Cic. Inv. 2, 7, 24: habere potestatem vitae necisque in aliquem, id. Dom. 29, 77; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 3, 11: potestatem alicui deferre beneficiorum tribuendorum, id. Balb. 16, 37. —Poet., with inf.: potestas occurrere telis ... ensem avellere dextrā, Stat. Th. 3, 296; Luc. 2, 40.—B. In phrases. 1. Esse in potestate alicujus, to be in one's power, under one's control, to be subject to (for a description of the relation of potestas under the Roman law, and of the classes of persons to whom it applied, v. Gai. Inst. 1, 49 sqq.): mittuntur legati, qui nuntient, ut sit in senatūs populique Romani potestate, Cic. Phil. 6, 2, 4: esse in dicione ac potestate alicujus, id. Quint. 2, 6: habere familiam in potestate, to keep them slaves, not tofree them, Liv. 8, 15.—2. Esse in suā potestate, to be one's own master, Nep. Att. 6, 1; so, esse suae potestatis, Liv. 31, 45.—3. Jus potestatemque habere imperandi, Cic. Phil. 11, 12, 30; cf.: cum consulis eā de re jus ac potestatem esse dixisset,
had jurisdiction and authority over it
, Liv. 24, 39.— 4. Est mea (tua, etc.) potestas, I have the power, I can, Cic. Att. 2, 5, 1; Ter. Heaut. 4, 3, 42; cf.: sed volui meam potestatem esse vel petendi, etc., Cic. Att. 4, 2, 6.—II. In partic. A.Political power, dominion, rule, empire, sovereignty (syn.: imperium, dicio): Thessaliam in potestatem Thebanorum redigere, Nep. Pelop. 5, 1; Liv. 24, 31; so, sub potestatem Atheniensium redigere, Nep. Milt. 1, 4: esse in potestate alicujus, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 54, 136: tenere aliquem in suā potestate ac dicione, id. ib. 2, 1, 38, 97: venire in arbitrium ac potestatem alicujus, id. ib. 2, 1, 57, 150.—B.Magisterial power, authority, office, magistracy (syn.: magistratus, auctoritas): potestas praetoria, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 24, 69: qui togatus in re publicā cum potestate imperioque versatus sit, id. Phil. 1, 7, 18: modo ut bonā ratione emerit, nihil pro potestate, nihil ab invito, id. Verr. 2, 4, 5, 10: cum potestate aut legatione in provinciam proficisci, id. ib. 2, 4, 5, 9; id. Clu. 27, 74: censores dederunt operam, ut ita potestatem gererent, ut, etc.,
so to administer the office
, id. Verr. 2, 2, 55, 138; id. Agr. 2, 6, 14.—In plur.: imperia, potestates, legationes, id. Leg. 3, 3, 9: in potestatibus gerendis, Auct. Her. 3, 7, 14.— b.Transf.(a).A person in office, a public officer, magistrate: a magistratu aut ab aliquā potestate legitimā evocatus,
by some lawful authority
, Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 74: mavis Fidenarum esse potestas, Juv. 10, 100.—(b).A ruler, supreme monarch: hominum rerumque aeterna potestas, i. e.
Jupiter
, Verg. A. 10, 18: nihil est quod credere de se Non possit, cum laudatur dis aequa potestas, Juv. 4, 71 (v. context): potestates, = a)rxai/, the highest magistrates, Plin. 9, 8, 8, 26; Suet. Ner. 36; Amm. 31, 12, 5: celsae potestates,
officers of state
, id. 14, 1, 10: jurisdictionem potestatibus per provincias demandare, Suet. Claud. 23.—C. Esp., legal power, right over or to a thing (class.): potestatis verbo plura significantur: in personā magistratuum imperium, in personā liberorum patria potestas, in personā servi dominium: at cum agimus de noxae deditione cum eo, qui servum non defendit, praesentis corporis copiam facultatemque significamus. Ex lege Atiniā in potestatem domini rem furtivam venisse videri, et si ejus vindicandae potestatem habuerit, Sabinus et Cassius aiunt, Dig. 50, 16, 215.—D. Of inanimate things, power, force, efficacy, effect, operation, virtue, value: potestates colorum, Vitr. 7, 14: potestates visque herbarum, Verg. A. 12, 396; Plin. 25, 2, 5, 9: pecuniarum,
value
, Dig. 13, 4, 3: haec potestatibus praesentibus dijudicanda sunt,
circumstances
,
state of things
, Gell. 1, 3, 24: actionum vis et potestas, Dig. 9, 4, 1: quaternarius numerus suis partibus complet decadis ipsius potestatem (because the first four integers, taken together, = 10),
compass
,
fulness
, Mart. Cap. 2, 106: plumbi potestas,
nature
,
quality
,
properties
, Lucr. 5, 1242: naturalis, Vitr. 9, 4.—E. Of a word, meaning, signification (syn.: vis, significatio), Gell. 10, 29, 1; Auct. Her. 4, 54, 67; Sen. Ben. 2, 34, 4.—F. Math. t. t., = du/namis, the square root, Mart. Cap. 2, 106.—III.Trop.A.Power, control, command (class.): dum ex tanto gaudio in potestatem nostram redeamus, recover our self-control, come to ourselves, Cato ap. Gell. 7, 3, 14: exisse ex potestate dicimus eos, qui effrenati feruntur aut libidine, aut iracundiā,
to have lost the control of their reason
,
to be out of their minds
, Cic. Tusc. 3, 5, 11; cf.: qui exisse ex potestate dicuntur, idcirco dicuntur, quia non sunt in potestate mentis, cui regnum totius animi a natura tributum est, id. ib. 3, 5, 11; cf. also id. ib. 4, 36, 77: postquam ad te cum omnium rerum tum etiam tui potestatem di transtulerint, Plin. Pan. 56, 3.—B.Power, ability, possibility, opportunity (class.; cf.: copia, facultas): ubi mihi potestas primum evenit, Plaut. Cist. 1, 2, 18: liberius vivendi, Ter. And. 1, 1, 25: ut primum potestas data est augendae dignitatis tuae, Cic. Fam. 10, 13, 1: quoties mihi certorum hominum potestas erit (al. facultas), whenever I find men on whom I can rely, id. ib. 1, 7, 1: facere potestatem, to give opportunity, leave, permission: si quid de his rebus dicere vellet, feci potestatem, id. Cat. 3, 5, 11: quae potestas si mihi saepius fiet, utar,
shall present itself
, id. Phil. 1, 15, 38: alicui potestatem optionemque facere, ut, etc., id. Div. in Caecil. 14, 45: facio tibi interpellandi potestatem, id. Rosc. Am. 27, 73: ego instare, omnium mihi tabularum et litterarum fieri potestatem oportere,
must be allowed the use of
, id. Verr. 2, 4, 66, 149: potestatem sui facere, to allow others to see or have access to one, to give an opportunity of conversing with one: cum neque praetores diebus aliquot adiri possent vel potestatem sui facerent,
allowed themselves to be spoken to
, id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 5, 15: facere omnibus conveniendi sui potestatem,
to admit to an audience
, id. Phil. 8, 10, 31: qui potestatem sui non habuissent,
who had not been able to speak with him
, Suet. Tib. 34: potestatem sui facere,
to give an opportunity of fighting with one
, Caes. B. G. 1, 40; Nep. Ages. 3, 3.—Poet., with inf.: non fugis hinc praeceps, dum praecipitare potestas, Verg. A. 4, 565: nunc flere potestas est, Luc. 2, 40: soli cui tanta potestas meis occurrere telis, Stat. Th. 3, 296.—IV. In eccl. Lat.: potestates,
angels
,
angelic powers
,
authorities in the spiritual world
, Vulg. Ephes. 6, 12; id. 1 Pet. 3, 22; sing., id. 1 Cor. 15, 24.—V. Personified, a daughter of Pallas and Styx, Hyg. Fab. prooem.