Lewis & Short

fortis (archaic form FORCTIS, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Fest. s. v. sanates, p. 348 Müll.; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 84; and perh. also in the form FORCTUS; v. id. s. v. horctum, p. 102; cf. Müll. ad Fest. p. 320, b), e, adj. [Sanscr. dhar-; v. forma, firmus], strong, powerful.

  1. I. Physically (rare; syn.: firmus, strenuus, incolumis, animosus): ecquid fortis visa est (mulier), powerful, Plaut. Mil. 4, 3, 13: set Bacchis etiam fortis tibi vissast? id. Bacch. 2, 2, 38: sicut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremo Vicit Olympia, nunc senio confectus quiescit, a powerful horse, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 5, 14 (Ann. v. 441 ed. Vahl.); so, equus, Lucr. 3, 8; 764; 4, 987; Verg. A. 11, 705.
    Poet. transf.: aquarum, Lucr. 6, 530: terrae pingue solum … Fortes invortant tauri, Verg. G. 1, 65: contingat modo te filiamque tuam fortes invenire, i. e. hearty, well, Plin. Ep. 4, 1 fin.; 4, 21, 4; 6, 4, 3: antecedebat testudo pedum LX., facta item ex fortissimis lignis, Caes. B. C. 2, 2, 4; so, ligna fortissima, Veg. 1, 24 fin.: invalidissimum urso caput, quod leoni fortissimum, Plin. 8, 36, 54, § 130: fortiores stomachi, id. 32, 7, 26, § 80: plantae fortiores fient, Pall. Febr. 24, 7: fortiorem illum (pontem) tueri, Auct. B. Alex. 19, 2: castra, Cic. Div. 1, 33, 72: aratra, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10: fortiora remedia, Tac. A. 1, 29: humeri, Val. Fl. 1, 434: vincula, Sen. Hippol. 34: sol (with medius), powerful, i. e. fierce, hot, id. Med. 588: fortiora ad hiemes frumenta, legumina in cibo, Plin. 18, 7, 10, § 60: (vites) contra pruinas fortissimae, id. 14, 2, 4, § 23.
  2. II. Mentally, strong, powerful, vigorous, firm, steadfast, stout, courageous, brave, manly, etc., answering to the Gr. ἀνδρεῖος (very freq. in all periods and sorts of composition).
    1. A. Of human beings: fortis et constantis est, non perturbari in rebus asperis nec tumultuantem de gradu deici, ut dicitur; sed praesenti animo uti et consilio, nec a ratione discedere, Cic. Off. 1, 23, 80: temperantia libidinem (aspernatur), ignaviam fortitudo: itaque videas rebus injustis justos maxime dolere, imbellibus fortes, id. Lael. 13, 47: gladiatores fortes et animosos et se acriter ipsos morti offerentes servare cupimus, id. Mil. 34, 92: rebus angustis animosus atque Fortis appare, Hor. C. 2, 10, 22: viri fortes et magnanimi, Cic. Off. 1, 19, 63: vir fortis et acris animi magnique, id. Sest. 20, 45: boni et fortes et magno animo praediti, id. Rep. 1, 5; 1, 3: sapientissimi et fortissimi, id. ib. 2, 34: vir liber ac fortis, id. ib. 2, 19: horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 3: fortissimus vir, id. ib. 2, 25, 1; 2, 33, 4; 3, 20, 2: hunc liberta securi Divisit medium, fortissima Tyndaridarum, Hor. S. 1, 1, 100: vis recte vivere? quis non? Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omissis Hoc age deliciis, id. Ep 1, 6, 30: seu quis capit acria fortis Pocula, id. S. 2, 6, 69: cavit, ne umquam infamiae ea res sibi esset, ut virum fortem decet, an honorable or worthy man, Ter. And. 2, 6, 13; cf.: FORCTIS frugi et bonus, sive validus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 84 Müll.; and: HORCTUM et FORCTUM pro bono dicebant, id. p. 102: ego hoc nequeo mirari satis, Eum sororem despondisse suam in tam fortem familiam … Familiam optimam occupavit, so respectable, honorable a family, Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 9; (cf. bonus): vir ad pericula fortis, Cic. Font. 15, 33: nondum erant tam fortes ad sanguinem civilem, Liv. 7, 40, 2: vir contra audaciam fortissimus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 85: vidi in dolore podagrae hospitem meum fortiorem, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 527, 33: imperator in proeliis strenuus et fortis, Quint. 12, 3, 5: virum fortem ac strenuum scio dixisse, etc., Sall. C. 51, 16: si fortes fueritis in eo, quem nemo sit ausus defendere, if you had proceeded with vigor, energy, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 1, § 3.
      Poet., with dat.: fugacibus, Ov. M. 10, 543; and with inf.: fortis et asperas Tractare serpentes, Hor. C. 1, 37, 26: contemnere honores, id. S. 2, 7, 86: aurum spernere fortior Quam cogere, id. C. 3, 3, 50; Stat. Th. 10, 906.
      Prov.: fortes fortuna adjuvat, fortune favors the brave, Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 26; cf.: fortes enim non modo fortuna adjuvat, ut est in vetere proverbio, sed multo magis ratio, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: audendum est; fortes adjuvat ipsa Venus, Tib. 1, 2, 16: fortibus est fortuna viris data, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 262 ed. Vahl.; for which: audentes fortuna iuvat, Verg. A. 10, 284; and: audentes deus ipse juvat, Ov. M. 10, 586); cf. also elliptically: sedulo, inquam, faciam: sed fortuna fortes; quare conare, quaeso, Cic. Fin. 3, 4, 16; id. Fam. 7, 25.
    2. B. Of animals (rare): fortes ad opera boves, Col. 6, 1, 2: bestiae et fortiora animalia, Lact. 6, 10, 13.
    3. C. Of inanim. and abstr. things: ex quo fit, ut animosior senectus sit quam adolescentia et fortior, Cic. de Sen. 22, 72: fortibus oculis, with eyes sparkling with courage, id. Att. 15, 11, 1: fortissimo et maximo animo ferre, id. Fam. 6, 13 fin.: animus, Hor. S. 2, 5, 20: pectus, id. Epod. 1, 14; id. S. 2, 2, 136: fortissimo quodam animi impetu, Cic. de Or. 3, 8, 31: acerrima et fortissima populi Romani libertatis recuperandae cupiditas, id. Phil. 12, 3, 7: in re publica forte factum, id. Att. 8, 14, 2: ut nullum paulo fortius factum latere posset, Caes. B. G. 3, 14, 8: fortia facta, Sall. C. 59, 6; id. J. 53, 8; Liv. 26, 39, 3; Curt. 7, 2, 38: opera, service, Liv. 40, 36, 11: consilia, id. 9, 11, 4; 25, 31, 6; Cic. Sest. 23, 57; Tac. H. 3, 67: solatia, id. A. 4, 8: nulla poterat esse fortior contra dolorem et mortem disciplina, Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41: acerrimae ac fortissimae sententiae, id. Cat. 3, 6, 13: oratio fortis et virilis, id. de Or. 1, 54, 231; cf.: genus dicendi forte, vehemens, id. ib. 3, 9, 32: non semper fortis oratio quaeritur, sed saepe placida, summissa, lenis, id. ib. 2, 43, 183: placidis miscentem fortia dictis, Ov. M. 4, 652: verba, Prop. 1, 5, 14.
      Hence, adv.: fortĭter.
      1. 1. (Acc. to I.) Strongly, powerfully, vigorously (rare): astringere, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 25: verberare virgis uvas, Pall. Oct. 19.
        Comp.: sublatis fortius manibus, Petr. 9: fortius attrahere lora, Ov. R. Am. 398: ardere, id. M. 6, 708.
        Sup.: fortissime urgentes, Plin. 9, 8, 9, § 32: rigorem fortissime servat ulmus, id. 16, 40, 77, § 210.
      2. 2. (Acc. to II.) Strongly, powerfully, boldly, intrepidly, valiantly, bravely, manfully (very freq. in all periods and kinds of composition): quae (vincla, verbera, etc.) tulisse illum fortiter et patienter ferunt, Cic. Phil. 11, 3, 7; cf.: fortiter et sapienter ferre, id. Att. 14, 13, 3: fortiter excellenterque gesta, id. Off. 1, 18, 61: facere quippiam (with animose), id. Phil. 4, 2, 6: repudiare aliquid (with constanter), id. Prov. Cons. 17, 41: bellum gerere, id. Fl. 39, 98; cf.: sustinere impetum hostium, Caes. B. G. 2, 11, 4: perire, Hor. S. 2, 3, 42: absumptis rebus maternis atque paternis, manfully made away with, id. Ep. 1, 15, 27.
        Comp.: pugnare, Caes. B. G. 2, 26, 2: evellere spinas animo an agro, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 4: et melius secat res, id. S. 1, 10, 15.
        Sup.: Dolabella injuriam facere fortissime perseverat, Cic. Quint. 8, 31: restitit hosti, Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 5.