Lewis & Short

sustento, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [sustineo], to hold up or upriqht, to uphold, support, prop, sustain (syn. sustineo).

  1. 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.
    1. B. To bear, wear: catenas, Vop. Aur. 34.
  2. II. Trop., to keep up, uphold, sustain, maintain, support, bear, uplift, preserve (class. and freq.).
    1. 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.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 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. 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. 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. 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.