Lewis & Short

firmo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [firmus], to make firm or fast, to strengthen, fortify, support (freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.: lacertos, Lucr. 6, 397: corpora juvenum firmari labore voluerunt, Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 36: corpora cibo, Liv. 27, 13 fin.: vexatos milites quiete, Curt. 9, 10: praegnantes largo pascuo, Col. 6, 27, 10: bitumen aeramentis illinitur firmatque ea contra ignes, Plin. 35, 15, 51, § 182: remedium ad dentium mobilĭs firmandos, id. 21, 31, 105, § 180: aestuaria aggeribus et pontibus, Tac. A. 4, 73: vestigia, Verg. A. 3, 659: gradum, Quint. 9, 4, 129: alvum solutam, to bind, Cels. 1, 3; Plin. 14, 18, 22, § 117.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to fortify, strengthen, secure; to make lasting, durable, permanent: (Romulus) urbem auspicato condere, et firmare dicitur primum cogitavisse rem publicam, Cic. Rep. 2, 3; cf.: urbem colonis firmare, id. ib. 2, 18; so, novam civitatem, id. ib. 2, 7: provinciam pace praesidiisque, id. Fam. 1, 7, 4: locum magnis munitionibus, Caes. B. G. 6, 29, 3: turres praesidiis, Sall. J. 23, 1: aditum urbis, Verg. A. 11, 466: aciem subsidiis, Liv. 9, 17, 15: latronum opes firmare atque augere, Cic. Off. 2, 11, 40; in aliquos imperium, id. Sull. 11, 32: vocem, id. de Or. 3, 61, 227: firmari consuetudine, Quint. 11, 3, 24: quorum (hominum) cum adolescentiae cupiditates defervissent, eximiae virtutes firmata jam aetate exstiterunt, Cic. Cael. 18, 43; cf.: animus adolescentis nondum consilio ac ratione firmatus, id. Clu. 6, 13: firmata stirpe virtutis, id. Cael. 32, 79: pacem amicitiamque, Liv. 9, 3, 10: memoria praecipue firmatur atque alitur exercitatione, Quint. 1, 1, 36; so, memoriam, id. 2, 4, 15: opinio omnium gentium firmata consensu, Cic. Div. 1, 1, 1: non tamen pro firmato stetit magistratus ejus jus, Liv. 4, 7, 3.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To strengthen in resolution, to encourage, animate: cujus adventus Pompeianos compressit nostrosque firmavit, ut, etc., Caes. B. C. 3, 65, 2: donec firmaret consilio patres auctor, Hor. C. 3, 5, 46: suos, Just. 2, 11: plebem hinc provocatione, hinc tribunicio auxilio, Liv. 3, 55: cunctos alloquio et cura sibique et proelio, Tac. A. 1, 71: animum exemplis, id. ib. 16, 35: animum praesenti pignore, Verg. A. 3, 611: firmatus animi, Sall. Hist. Fragm. 3, 24, p. 236 ed. Gerl. (ap. Arus. Mess. p. 232 ed. Lindem.).
      2. 2. In fidelity, to make sure of, secure: civitates obsidibus, Hirt. B. G. 8, 27.
      3. 3. to confirm, show, prove; to affirm, assert, declare, promise the correctness or truth of a circumstance, statement, etc. (less freq. than confirmo, affirmo): cum intelligat, quam multa firmentur jure jurando, Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 16: si vis et natura fati ex divinationis ratione firmabitur, id. Fat. 5, 11: firmatam dare fidem, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 45; so, fidem, Ter. And. 3, 1, 4; id. Hec. 4, 2, 5: vix quidquam firmare ausim, Tac. A. 1, 81; 6, 6; id. H. 2, 9: hoc genus in rebus firmandum est multa prius quam Ipsius rei rationem reddere possis, to prove, Lucr. 6, 917: da augurium, atque haec omina firma, Verg. A. 2, 691; so, numina, id. ib. 8, 78.
          1. (β) With object-clauses: seque et ibi futurum, ubi praescripserit et ea facturum, quae imperarit obsidibus datis firmat, Hirt. B. G. 8, 48, 9; cf.: paratis omnium animis reversuros firmaverunt, Tac. H. 2, 9: firmare necesse est, nil esse in promptu, etc., Lucr. 6, 940.
            In pass. with a subject-clause: sata bene provenire firmantur, Pall. 11, 12.