Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

circumstantĭa, ae, f. [circumsto] (post-Aug. and rare).

  1. I. A standing round, a surrounding: hostium, Gell. 3, 7, 5: aquae, aëris, Sen. Q. N. 2, 7, 2 (as transl. of the Gr. ἀντιπερίστασις).
    1. * B. Concr., a surrounding circle, a band, troop: angelorum, Tert. Or. 3.
  2. II. Trop., the state, condition, circumstances, attribute, quality: rerum negotiorumque, Gell. 14, 1, 15; 14, 2, 2; Tert. Bapt. 17: hoc genus argumentorum sane dicamus ex circumstantiā, quia περίστασιν dicere aliter non possumus, * Quint. 5, 10, 104.

circum-sto, stĕti, 1, v. n. and a. (the perf. and pluperf. having the same form with those of circumsisto, and a similar meaning, it is sometimes doubtful to which verb a form belongs), to stand around in a circle, to take a station round; and, with the acc., to stand around a person or thing, to surround, encircle, encompass.

  1. I. Prop. (very freq. and class.).
          1. (α) Absol.: circumstant cum ardentibus taedis, Enn ap. Cic. Ac. 2, 28, 89 (Trag. v. 51 Vahl.): circumstant lacrimis rorantes ora genasque, Lucr. 3, 469: Morini spe praedae adducti circumsteterunt, Caes. B. G. 4, 37: circumstant properi aurigae, Verg. A. 12, 85: ad circumstantes tendens sua bracchia silvas, Ov M. 3, 441: circumstantis exercitūs gratia, Curt. 9, 3, 15: amici, id. 3, 5, 9.
          2. (β) With acc.: aliquem, Verg. G. 4, 216; Ov. M. 11, 505; Curt. 5, 12, 9: equites Romani qui circumstant senatum, Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 21: sellam, Liv. 8, 32, 14; Suet. Aug. 35: solem, Ov. M. 2, 394: sacra, id. ib. 2, 717: lectum, Curt. 10, 5, 2.
      1. 2. Hence, circumstantes, ĭum, m. subst., the by-standers, Quint. 4, 2, 22; 4, 2, 127; Tac. A. 1, 21; 1, 22; Suet. Caes. 84; id. Aug. 93; Curt. 6, 10, 36.
    1. B. In partic., to surround in a hostile manner, to beset, besiege: circumstare tribunal praetoris urbani, obsidere cum gladiis curiam, etc., Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32: quem tres Curiatii circumsteterant, Liv. 1, 25, 6: si ambo consules infesti circumstarent tribunum, id. 3, 9, 6: urbem Romanam, id. 27, 40, 6: regis tecta, Verg. A. 7, 585; cf. the foll.
  2. II. Trop., to surround, encompass, occupy, take possession of (freq. in post-Aug prose); absol. or with acc.: cum dies et noctes omnia nos undique fata circumstent, Cic. Phil. 10, 10, 20: circumstant te summae auctoritates, id. Verr. 1, 17, 52: cum tanti undique terrores circumstarent, Liv. 6, 2, 4; cf. id. 30, 3, 3: anceps proelium Romanos circumsteterat, incertos in quem hostem eruptionem facerent, id. 25, 34, 10: ancepsque terror circumstabat, id. 21, 28, 3; 34, 27, 1; Quint. 10, 3, 30: haec me cura, haec difficultas sola circumstat, Plin. Pan. 3, 4: at me tum primum saevus circumstetit horror, Verg. A. 2, 559: scio acerba meorum Circumstare odia ( = meos, qui me oderunt), id. ib. 10, 905: circumsteterat Civilem et alius metus, Tac. H. 4, 79: circumsteterat palatium publica exspectatio, id. ib. 1, 17: paupertas et angustiae rerum nascentes eos circumsteterunt, id. Or. 8.
    Subst.: circumstantĭa, ium, n., details, circumstances, in an argument: illa (argumenta) per se fortia non oportet circumstantibus obscurare, Quint. 5, 12, 4.