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certāmen, ĭnis, n. [2. certo], a contest, struggle, strife, whether friendly or hostile, physical or intellectual; most freq. of a pugilistic contest of any kind; but also of contention in war.

  1. I. A contest, struggle in games or otherwise.
    1. A. Lit.: videmusne apud quos eorum ludorum, qui gymnici nominantur, magnus honos sit, nullum ab iis, qui in id certamen descendant, devitari dolorem? Cic. Tusc. 2, 26, 62; cf. id. de Or. 2, 78, 317: Hac celebrata tenus sancto certamina patri, Verg. A. 5, 603; cf. Ov. M. 1, 446: luctandi, Quint. 12, 2, 12: saliendi, id. 10, 3, 6: citharoedorum, id. 4, 1, 2: sacra, id. 2, 8, 7 Spald.: quinquennale triplex, musicum, gymnicum, equestre, Suet. Ner. 12; cf. id. Vit. 4; id. Dom. 4: bijugum, Verg. A. 5, 144: quadrigarum, Suet. Claud. 21: pedum, Ov. M. 12, 304: cursus, id. ib. 7, 792; 10, 560: disci, id. ib. 10, 177: Veneris, id. Am. 2, 10, 29 et saep.
      1. 2. Meton., poet., the object contended for, the prize, Ov. M. 13, 129: pecoris magistris Velocis jaculi certamina ponit in ulmo, Verg. G. 2, 530 Heyne.
    2. B. Trop., a rivalry, contest, struggle, emulation, etc.: certamen honestum (Stoicorum et Peripateticorum), Cic. Fin. 2, 21, 68: est mihi tecum pro aris et focis certamen, id. N. D. 3, 40, 94: est alicui certamen cum aliquo de principatu, Nep. Them. 6, 3: certamen honoris et gloriae. Cic. Lael. 10, 34; cf. id. Off. 1, 12, 38; Sall. J. 41, 2; Quint. 10, 5, 5: bona ratio cum perditā confligit. In ejus modi certamine ac proelio, Cic. Cat. 2, 11, 25: pugna forensium certaminum, id. 5, 12, 22: eloquentiae inter juvenes, Quint. 2, 17, 8: verborum linguaeque, Liv. 10, 22, 6: laboris ac periculi, id. 28, 19, 14: amicitiae, benevolentiae, id. 37, 53, 7: bonae artis ac virtutis, id. 37, 54, 19: irarum, id. 1, 7, 2; cf. id. 3, 39, 3: conferendi (pecuniam), id. 4, 60, 8: patrum animos certamen regni ac cupido versabat, id. 1, 17, 1; cf. id. 21, 31, 6: leti (inter mulieres Indas), Prop. 3 (4), 13, 19: diu magnum inter mortales certamen fuit, vine corporis an virtute animi, etc., Sall. C. 1, 5; cf. Tib. 4, 1, 37.
      Rarely with gen. of adversary: si in virtutis certamen venerint ( = cum virtute), Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 71 Madv. ad loc.
      Poet.: mite vini, a drinking bout, Tib. 3, 6, 11.
      Also poet.: certamina ponere, syn. with certamina instituere = ἀγῶνα προτιθέναι, to order, arrange a fight or contest, Verg. A. 5, 66; 8, 639; cf. id. G. 2, 530 Wagn.
      Of inanimate things: Arboribusque datumst variis exinde per auras Crescendi magnum inmissis certamen habenis, Lucr. 5, 787.
  2. II. Esp., a military strife, battle, engagement, contest, fight, combat.
    1. A. Subject. (diff. from the objective; cf.: proeliam, pugna, bellum, etc.): horrida Romuleum certamina pango duellum, Enn. Ann. 1, 1; 1, 476; 2, 6; 5, 1295; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 2; Lucr. 4, 844; Ov. M. 12, 180; Liv. 36, 19, 13: aeterno certamine proelia pugnasque edere, Lucr. 2, 117: fit proelium acri certamine, Hirt. B. G. 8, 28; cf.: proelii certamen, id. B. Alex. 16: certamine, with zeal, emulously, earnestly, Verg. A. 5, 197; Curt. 9, 4; Sil. 10, 536; cf.: nec magni certaminis ea dimicatio fuit, not severe, Liv. 21, 60, 7.
    2. B. Object., = proelium, pugna, etc.: vario certamine pugnatum est, Caes. B. C. 1, 46: erat in celeritate omne positum certamen, utri, etc., id. ib. 1, 70: bella atque certamina, Sall. C. 33, 5: ubi res ad certamen venit, id. J. 13, 4: in certamine ipso, Liv. 2, 44, 11: navalia, a naval engagement, sea-fight, id. 31, 14, 4: classicum, Vell. 2, 85, 2: saevit medio in certamine Mavors, Verg. A. 8, 700 et saep.
      Hence.
    3. C. In the postAug. histt. for war in gen., Flor. 1, 20; Eutr. 1, 16; Just. 7, 2, 6; 7, 6, 6.

2. certo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [cerno], to decide something by a contest (cf. cerno, II. C. b.); hence, to fight, struggle, contend, combat, implying great exertion, and usually a measuring of strength (class. in prose and poetry; most freq. in a trop. signif.; syn.: decerto, contendo).

  1. I. Of a physical contest of strength; mostly of battle: utrum igitur utilius Fabricio … armis cum hoste certare, an venenis? Cic. Off. 3, 22, 87: adulescentium greges Lacedaemone videmus ipsi incredibili contentione certantis pugnis, calcibus, unguibus, morsu denique, id. Tusc. 5, 27, 77: manu, Sall. H. 2, 41, 6 Dietsch: proelio, id. J. 81, 3: cum Gallis pro salute, id. ib. 114, 2; cf. Tac. Agr. 5: de ambiguo agro bello, Liv. 3, 71, 2: de imperio cum populo Romano, Cic. de Or. 2, 18, 76: de principatu armis, Tac. H. 2, 47; cf. Suet. Vesp. 5: odiis etiam prope majoribus certarunt quam viribus, Liv. 21, 1, 3: acie, Verg. A. 2, 30 et saep.
    Impers.: dignus quicum certetur, Pac. ap. Non. p. 473, 16: certatur limine in ipso Ausoniae, Verg. A. 10, 355; 11, 313: die quo Bedriaci certabatur, Tac. H. 2, 50: quā in parte rex pugnae affuit, ibi aliquamdiu certatum, Sall. J. 74, 3: in cujus (amnis) transgressu multum certato pervicit Vardanes, Tac. A. 11, 10; id. H. 4, 61.
    Mostly poet. in pass.: certata lite deorum Ambracia (for the possession of which Apollo. Diana, and Hercules contended), Ov. M. 13, 713: certatus nobis orbis (i. e. de quo certavimus), Sil. 17, 342; cf. II. infra.
  2. II. Out of the sphere of milit. operations, to contend, struggle, strive, emulate, vie with: certabant urbem Romam Remoramne vocarent, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 85 Vahl.): haut doctis dictis certantes sed maledictis, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10, 4 (Ann. v. 274 ib.): minis mecum, minaciis, Plaut. Truc. 5, 56: malitiā tecum, id. Pers. 2, 2, 56: benedictis, Ter. Phorm. prol. 20: certare ingenio, contendere nobilitate, Lucr. 2, 11: cum aliquo dicacitate, Cic. Brut. 46, 172: officiis inter se, id. Fam. 7, 31, 1; cf.: certatum inter collegas maledictis, Liv. 5, 8, 13; and: eo modo inter se duo imperatores certabant, Sall. J. 52, 1: cum civibus de virtute, id. C. 9, 2: pro sua quisque potentia, id. ib. 38, 3: contumaciā adversus contemnentes humilitatem suam nobiles certavit (Licinius), Liv. 9, 46, 4: cum usuris fructibus praediorum, to contend against interest (to strive to pay interest) with the produce of estates, Cic. Cat. 2, 8, 18: cum a Cheruscis Longobardisque pro antiquo decore aut recenti libertate; et contra, augendae dominationi certaretur, Tac. A. 2, 46: ob hircum, Hor. A. P. 220: joco, id. C. 2, 12, 18: mero, id. ib. 4, 1, 31: animis iniquis, Verg. A. 10, 7: parsimoniā et vigiliis et labore cum ultimis militum, Liv. 34, 18, 5: sententiis, Tac. A. 1, 29 al.: ut si nautae certarent, quis eorum potissimum gubernaret, Cic. Off. 1, 25, 87: mos gentis est, equitare jaculari cursu cum aequalibus certare, Sall. J. 6, 1: dic mecum quo pignore certes, Verg. E. 3, 31: celeri sagittā, id. A. 5, 485: certemus, spinas animone ego fortius an tu Evellas agro, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 4.
    Poet., with acc.: hanc rem ( = de hac re), Sedigit. ap. Gell. 15, 24; cf. in pass.: cui (multae) certandae cum dies advenisset, Liv. 25, 3, 14.
    With dat. instead of cum: solus tibi certat Amyntas, Verg. E. 5, 8; Hor. S. 2, 5, 19; id. Epod. 11, 18; 2, 20; id. C. 2, 6, 15; Verg. E. 8, 55; id. G. 2, 138; Ov. M. 14, 794.
      1. 2. Particularly of judicial disputations, to contend at law: inter se, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 16, § 39; cf. id. ib. 2, 2, 13, § 32: in centumvirali judicio, id. de Or. 1, 39, 177: si a duumviris provocarit, provocatione certato, Liv. 1, 26, 6: si quid se judice certes, Hor. S. 2, 1, 49: foro si res certabitur olim, id. ib. 2, 5, 27.
      2. 3. With inf. (mostly poet.), to strive to do something, to labor, endeavor, struggle earnestly, to exert one’s self: certantes ad summum succedere honorem, Lucr. 5, 1123; so, inter se cernere, id. 5, 394: dimittere se (nubes), id. 6, 509: populum alium suorum sepelire, id. 6, 1247: Phoebum superare canendo, Verg. E. 5, 9: superare, Ov. M. 5, 394: vincere, Verg. A. 5, 194: tollere (hunc) tergeminis honoribus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 8: inter se eruere quercum, Verg. A. 4, 443: certat quisque evadere, Curt. 9, 4, 33: frangere fluctus, Plin. Pan. 81 fin.; Sil. 13, 222; Stat. S. 5, 3, 191.

certor, āri, v. dep. n. [collat. form of 2. certo], to strive, struggle, contend, Hyg. Fab. 273; Vulg. Ecclus. 11, 9.