sub-verto (-vorto), ti, sum, 3, v. a., to turn upside down; to upset, overturn, overthrow (not in Cic. or Cæs.).
- I. Lit.: lupinum aratro, Col. 11, 2, 44: mensam, Suet. Ner. 47: statuas, id. Calig. 34: tantas operum moles, Ov. F. 6, 645: silvam, Luc. 3, 436: subversi montes, Sall. C. 13, 1: Arisbe terrarum motu subversa, Plin. 5, 31, 39, § 139: Silvani simulacrum, id. 15, 18, 20, § 77: obices portarum, Tac. A. 13, 39.
Absol., Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 13, 17: calceus olim Si pede major erit, subvertet, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 43.
- II. Trop., to overthrow, ruin, destroy, subvert: subversa jacebat Pristina majestas soliorum, overthrown, subverted, Lucr. 5, 1136: subversa Crassorum et Orphiti domus, Tac. H. 4, 42: florentes privignos per occultum, Tac. A. 4, 71 fin.: aliquem, to ruin, undo, Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 51: avaritia fidem, probitatem ceterasque artes bonas subvertit, Sall. C. 10, 4: leges ac libertatem, id. H. 1, 48, 10 Dietsch: imperium, id. ib. 1, 48, 8: ad ea quae majores pepererunt, subvortunda, id. ib. 1, 41, 3: decretum consulis, id. J. 30, 1: leges, Tac. A. 2, 36: jura, id. ib. 4, 30: scriptam legem, Quint. 7, 7, 6: omnia praejudicia, id. 5, 11, 13: interpretationem adversarii (opp. confirmare), id. 7, 6, 2: artem orandi, id. 9, 4, 3: testamentum, Val. Max. 7, 8, 1: antiquiora beneficia, Plin. Ep. 3, 4, 6: omnis domus delatorum interpretationibus, Tac. A. 3, 25: opes, Luc. 8, 273: quaesitum imperium brevis momenti culpā, Just. 6, 3, 8: patriae mores, id. 12, 5, 2.