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con-tĭnĕo, tĭnŭi, tentum, 2, v. a. and n. [teneo]. Act., to hold or keep together.

  1. A. In gen. (rare).
    1. 1. Lit. (syn.: coërceo, conjungo): contine quaeso caput, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 26: quod omnem continet amplexu terram, Lucr. 5, 319; cf.: mundus omnia conplexu suo coërcet et continet, Cic. N. D. 2, 22, 58: vitem levi nodo, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 187: magni refert primordia saepe cum quibus … contineantur, Lucr. 1, 818; 1, 908; 2, 761; 2, 1008: pars oppidi, mari dijuncta angusto, ponte adjungitur et continetur, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 52, § 117.
      1. b. Of places, to bound, limit, enclose (very rare in act.): reliquum spatium mons continet, Caes. B. G. 1, 38: Oceanus ponto qua continet orbem, Tib. 4, 1, 147; but more freq. in pass., to be comprised, enclosed, surrounded, encompassed, environed by: qui vicus altissimis montibus undique continetur, Caes. B. G. 3, 1; so, undique loci naturā Helvetii, id. ib. 1, 2: mare montibus angustis, id. ib. 4, 23: una pars Galliae Garumnā flumine, Oceano, finibus Belgarum, id. ib. 1, 1.
    2. 2. Trop.: omnes artes quasi cognatione quādam inter se continentur, hang together, Cic. Arch. 1, 2.
      Far more freq. in all periods and species of composition.,
  2. B. With partic. access. ideas.
    1. 1. With the access. idea of firmness, quiet, permanence, etc., to hold or keep together, to keep, hold fast, preserve, retain (syn. servo).
      1. a. Lit.: (alvus) arcet et continet … quod recepit, Cic. N. D. 2, 54, 136: merces (opp. partiri), id. Vatin. 5, 12; cf. exercitum (opp. dividere), Liv. 28, 2, 16: arida continent odorem diutius, Plin. 21, 7, 18, § 39.
      2. b. Trop.: nec ulla res vehementius rem publicam continet quam fides, Cic. Off. 2, 24, 84: Remos reliquosque Belgas in officio, Caes. B. G. 3, 11: in officio Dumnorigem, id. ib. 5, 7: te in exercitatione, Cic. Fam. 7, 19 fin.: te in tuis perenuibus studiis, id. Brut. 97, 332: ceteros in armis (plaga), Liv. 9, 41, 15: alicujus hospitio, Nep. Lys. 1, 5.
    2. 2. With the access. idea of hindering, preventing motion, to keep, keep still, detain, restrain, repress, enclose.
      1. a. Lit.: milites sub pellibus, Caes. B. G. 3, 29; cf.: pecudem sub tecto, Col. 7, 10, 3: exercitum castris, Caes. B. G. 1, 48; 2, 11; Liv. 31, 26, 6; 28, 9, 14 al.; cf.: nostros in castris (tempestates), Caes. B. G. 4, 34; 6, 36; and: copias in castris, id. B. C. 1, 66; 3, 30; Auct. B. Afr. 1; 7; Liv. 36, 17, 9: Pompeium quam angustissime, Caes. B. C. 3, 45: aliquem limine, Liv. 34, 1, 5: ora frenis, Phaedr. 3, 6, 7: ventos carcere, Ov. M. 11, 432: animam in dicendo, Cic. de Or. 1, 61, 261 et saep.: se ruri, to stay, remain, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 17; cf.: se domi, Suet. Caes. 81: suo se loco, Caes. B. G. 4, 34: oppido sese, id. ib. 2, 30: castris se continere, id. B. C. 3, 37: se vallo, id. B. G. 5, 44: se finibus Romanis, Liv. 39, 17, 4; 34, 58, 3: moenibus sese, id. 42, 7, 4: agrorum suorum terminis se, id. 38, 40, 2: se moenibus, Ov. M. 13, 208: sese intra silvas, Caes. B. G. 2, 18: suos intra munitionem, id. ib. 5, 57; 5, 58: milites intra castrorum vallum, id. B. C. 3, 76; Liv. 31, 34, 9; Auct. B. Afr. 24: intra castra militem, Tac. H. 4, 19: praesidibus provinciarum propagavit imperium, ut a peritis et assuetis socii continerentur, Suet. Aug. 23 et saep.: an te auspicium commoratum est? an tempestas continet? Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 67.
      2. b. Trop., to hold back, detain, repress, hold in check, curb, check, stay, stop, tame, subdue, etc. (syn. cohibeo): adpetitiones animi, Cic. Tusc. 4, 9, 22: omnis cupiditates, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11, § 32: modeste insolentiam suam, id. Agr. 1, 6, 18: risum, id. Fin. 4, 25, 71 et saep.: formido mortales omnes, Lucr. 1, 151: Etruriam non tam armis quam judiciorum terrore, Liv. 29, 36, 10: oppida magis metu quam fide, id. 30, 20, 5; cf.: quosdam continet metus, Quint. 1, 3, 6: solo metu, id. 12, 7, 2 et saep.: animum a consuetā libidine, Sall. J. 15, 3: temeritatem ab omni lapsu (with cohibere), Cic. Ac. 1, 12, 45: suos a proelio, Caes. B. G. 1, 15: manum juventus Metu deorum, Hor. C. 1, 35, 37 al.: se ab adsentiendo, Cic. Ac. 2, 32, 104; so, se ab exemplis, id. Fin. 2, 19, 62: temperans, qui se in aliquā libidine continuerit, id. Par. 3, 1, 21: se male continet amens, Ov. M. 4, 351: male me, quin vera faterer, Continui, id. ib. 7, 729: nequeo continere quin loquar, Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 28.
        Mid.: contineri, quin complectar, non queo, restrain myself, refrain, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 128; cf.: vix me contineo, quin, etc., Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 20: jam nequeo contineri, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 60; cf.: vix contineor, Ter. Hec. 4, 3, 9: quae vera audivi, taceo et contineo optime, keep it to myself, conceal it, id. Eun. 1, 2, 23: ea quae continet, neque adhuc protulit, explicet nobis, Cic. de Or. 1, 47, 206: dicta, id. ib. 2, 55, 222.
    3. 3. With the access. idea of containing, to comprise, contain, involve, comprehend something in itself (syn. complector): (aqua gelum) quod continet in se, mittit, Lucr. 6, 877; cf.: ut omnia, quae aluntur et crescunt, contineant in se vim caloris, Cic. N. D. 2, 9, 23; so, in se, Quint. 1, 6, 31; 2, 10, 2: Quattuor aeternus genitalia corpora mundus Continet, Ov. M. 15, 240: rem militarem, Liv. 5, 52, 16: panis innumeras paene continet medicinas, Plin. 22, 25, 68, § 138: (linea) centum continet (pedes), Quint. 1, 10, 44: Idus Martiae magnum mendum continent, Cic. Att. 14, 22, 2: paucas species (vox), Quint. 11, 3, 18: tales res, quales hic liber continet, Cic. Or. 43, 148; Plin. Ep. 5, 9, 1: narrationes, quae summam criminis contineant, Quint. 4, 2, 10: fabula stultorum regum et populorum continet aestus, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 8; cf.: liber primus ea continebit, quae, etc., Quint. prooem. § 21: tertia epistula continebat, etc., Plin. Ep. 9, 28, 5.
      With subj.-clause: quando ipsos loqui deceat, quartus liber continet, Quint. 11, 1, 59.
      Esp. freq.,
      1. b. In pass.: contineri aliquā re, to be contained in something, be composed of, consist of or in, to rest upon, to be supported by, etc.: terreno corpore, Lucr. 1, 1085: non venis et nervis et ossibus continentur (dii), Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 59: artem negabat esse ullam, nisi quae cognitis penitusque perspectis … rebus contineretur, id. de Or. 1, 20, 92: forma honestatis, quae tota quattuor his virtutibus … continetur, id. Fin. 2, 15, 48: versus paucis (pedibus) continetur, Quint. 9, 4, 60: quae philosophorum libris continentur, id. prooem. § 11; cf. id. 5, 10, 111 et saep.: artes, quae conjecturā continentur et sunt opinabiles, Cic. Div. 1, 14, 24: foedere, Liv. 41, 23, 9: actu, Quint. 2, 18, 5; 12, 9, 1; 3, 7, 28.
        Rarely with in and abl.: forum, in quo omnis aequitas continetur, Cic. Cat. 4, 1, 2; cf.: quibus (legibus) in singulis civitatibus res publica continetur, id. Off. 3, 5, 23.
  • II. Neutr., to hold together in itself, to hang together (in the verb. finit. very rare; but freq. as P. a.; cf. also the deriv. continuus): per hortum utroque commeatus continet, Plaut. Stich. 3, 1, 43.
    Hence,
      1. 1. contĭnens, entis, P. a.
    1. A. (Acc. to II.) Holding or hanging together (freq. and class.).
      1. 1. Bordering upon, neighboring, contiguous, lying near, adjacent (syn.: junctus, adjunctus, contiguus); constr. with dat., cum, or absol.
        1. a. Prop.: aër mari, Cic. N. D. 2, 45, 117: continentia atque adjuncta praedia huic fundo, id. Caecin. 4, 11: (mare) dissimile est proximo ei continenti, id. Ac. 2, 33, 105 al.: Cappadociae pars ea, quae cum Cilicià continens est, id. Fam. 15, 2, 2: (Morini) continentes silvas ac paludes habebant, Caes. B. G. 3, 28; cf. so absol.: parum locuples continente ripā, Hor. C. 2, 18, 22; cf.: pars eorum, qui propiores erant continenti litori, Liv. 44, 28, 12.
          Subst.: contĭnentĭa, ĭum, n. (sc. loca), adjoining places, the neighborhood: Cherronesum et continentia usque Atho montem, Plin. 18, 25, 57, § 215 al.: urbis, the suburbs, Dig. 50, 16, 147.
        2. b. Trop., in time, following, next: continentibus diebus, Caes. B. C. 3, 84; and of other abstract things: motus sensui junctus et continens, Cic. N. D. 1, 11, 26: timori perpetuo ipsum malum continens fuit, followed at its heels, Liv. 5, 39, 8.
      2. 2. Holding together, cohering in itself, connected, continuous, uninterrupted.
        1. a. Prop.: continens agmen migrantium, Liv. 1, 29, 4: agmen, id. 2, 50, 7; 8, 8, 13 al.: ruinae, id. 21, 8, 5; terra, the mainland, continent, Varr. ap. Charis. p. 100 P.; Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 274, 6; Nep. Them. 3, 2; and in the same sense far more freq. subst.: contĭnens, entis, f. (rarely masc., Curt. 4, 2, 1 Zumpt, dub.; abl. in e and i equally used; v. the 4th and 5th books of Caes. B. G.), Caes. B. G. 4, 27; 4, 28; 4, 31; 4, 36 bis et saep.; Nep. Milt. 7, 3; Liv. 35, 43, 4; Plin. 5, 31, 34, § 128; Suet Aug. 65; id. Tib. 40 et saep.
        2. b. Trop., in time, continual, consecutive, uninterrupted: labor omnium dierum, Caes. B. C. 3, 63; Liv. 42, 54, 3: bella, Caes. B. G. 5, 11 fin.: imperium usque ad nos, Liv. 7, 30, 8: imber per noctem totam, id. 23, 44, 6: biduo, Suet. Calig. 19: febres sine intermissione, Cels. 3, 5 fin.: e continenti genere, in continuous descent, Cic. Fin. 2, 19, 61: spiritus, id. de Or. 3, 57, 216 et saep.: ex continenti (sc. tempore), instantly, immediately, = continuo, statim, Just. 1, 9; so, in continenti, Dig. 44, 5, 1.
    2. B. (Acc. to I. B. 2. b.) That restrains his passions, continent, moderate, temperate, ἐγκρατής (rare, but in good prose): continentior in vitā hominum quam in pecuniā, Caes. B. C. 1, 23: cum reges tam sint continentes, multo magis consularis esse oportere, Cic. Fam. 9, 19, 1: puer, id. Att. 6, 6, 3: Epaminondas, Nep. Epam. 3, 2 al.
      Sup., Cic. Par. 1, 1, 7; Suet. Aug. 71.
    3. C. (Acc. to I. B. 3.) In rhet., subst.: contĭnens, entis, n., that on which something rests or depends, the chief point, hinge: causae, Cic. Part. Or. 29, 103; id. Top. 25, 95: intuendum videtur, quid sit quaestio, ratio, judicatio, continens, vel ut alii vocant, firmamentum, Quint. 3, 11, 1; cf. id. ib. § 18 sqq.
      Adv.: contĭnen-ter.
      1. 1. (Acc. to A. 2.)
        1. a. In space, in unbroken succession, in a row. continenter sedetis, Cat. 37, 6.
          More freq. and class.,
        2. b. In time, continuously, without interruption: totā nocte ierunt, Caes. B. G. 1, 26: jam amplius horis sex pugnaretur, id. ib. 3, 5: biduum lapidibus pluit, Liv. 25, 7, 7: usque ad ipsum negotium, Cic. Inv. 1, 26, 37: ferri imagines, id. N. D. 1, 39, 109.
      2. 2. (Acc. to B.) Temperately, moderately (rare): vivere, Cic. Off. 1, 30, 106; in sup.: vivere, Aug. Ep. 199; id. Conf. 6, 12.
        Hence also,
      3. 2. contentus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to I. B. 2. b.); medial., satisfying one’s self with, contented, satisfied, content (freq. in all periods and species of composition); constr. in gen. with the abl.; more rarely absol.; after the Aug. per. very freq. with the inf.
          1. (α) With abl.: his versibus, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 264, 3: suis rebus, Cic. Par. 6, 3, 51: paucis, Hor. S. 1, 3, 16: illā (sorte), id. ib. 1, 1, 3: viverem uti contentus eo quod mī ipse parasset, id. ib. 1, 4, 108; cf. Suet. Aug. 82: solā Dianā, Verg. A. 11, 582.
          2. (β) Absol.: cum ipsum audires sine comparatione, non modo contentus esses, sed melius non quaereres, Cic. Brut. 35, 134; so comp., Plaut. Poen. 2, 15.
          3. (γ) With inf.: indagare, Ov. M. 1, 461: edidicisse, id. ib. 2, 638: retinere titulum provinciae, Vell. 2, 49: hostes sustinuisse, id. 2, 112: indicare, Quint. 4, 2, 128: ostendere, id. 5, 10, 31: id consequi, quod imiteris, id. 10, 2, 7 et saep.
            Adv.: contentē (ante-and post-class., and rare), in a restrained manner, closely: arte contenteque habere aliquem, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 63: parce contenteque vivere, Pacat. Pan. Theod. 13.