Lewis & Short

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praestantĭa, ae, f. [praestans], preeminence, superiority, excellence (class.): excellentia praestantiaque animantium reliquorum, over other creatures, Cic. Off. 1, 28, 97: virtutis, ingenii, fortunae, pre-eminence in, id. Lael. 19, 70: di omnium rerum praestantiā excellentes, in all things, id. Div. 2, 63, 129: dignitatis, id. de Or. 2, 52, 209: remedii, Plin. 12, 3, 7, § 16: vulneribus sanandis tanta praestantia est, ut, etc., of such superior efficacy, id. 27, 6, 24, § 42.

2. prae-sto, ĭti (post-class. also praestāvi), ātum or ĭtum, 1, v. n. and a.

  1. I. Neutr., to stand before or in front.
    1. A. Lit.: dum primae praestant acies, Luc. 4, 30.
    2. B. Trop., to stand out, be superior, to distinguish one’s self, to be excellent, distinguished, admirable; constr. alicui aliquā re, alicui rei, in aliquā re, or absol. (class.): cum virtute omnibus praestarent, Caes. B. G. 1, 3: quantum praestiterint nostri majores prudentiā ceteris gentibus, Cic. de Or. 1, 44, 192: quā re homines bestiis praestent, id. Inv. 1, 4, 5: hoc praestat amicitia propinquitati, quod, etc., id. Lael. 5, 19: Zeuxin muliebri in corpore pingendo plurimum aliis praestare, id. Inv. 2, 1, 1: ceteris, id. Ac. 1, 4, 16: suos inter aequales longe praestitit, id. Brut. 64, 230: omnes homines, qui sese student praestare ceteris animalibus, Sall. C. 1, 1: praestare honestam mortem existimans turpi vitae, Nep. Chabr. 4, 3: quantum ceteris praestet Lucretia, Liv. 1, 57, 7: cernere, quantum eques Latinus Romano praestet, id. 8, 7, 7: quantum vel vir viro vel gens genti praestat! id. 31, 7, 8: genere militum praestare tironibus, id. 42, 52, 10: tantum Romana in bellis gloria ceteris praestat, Quint. 1, 10, 14: qui eloquentiā ceteris praestet, id. 2, 3, 5; 2, 16, 17; Curt. 8, 14, 13; Just. 18, 3, 14; 28, 2, 11; 44, 3, 9: sacro, quod praestat, peracto, Juv. 12, 86: probro atque petulantiā maxume praestabant, were pre-eminent, distinguished themselves, Sall. C. 37, 5: truculentiā caeli praestat Germania, Tac. A. 2, 24: cur alias aliis praestare videmus Pondere res rebus? Lucr. 1, 358.
      1. 2. Praestat, with a subjectclause, it is preferable or better: nimio impendiosum praestat te, quam ingratum dicier, it is much better, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 2, 12: mori milies praestitit, quam haec pati, it was better, Cic. Att. 14, 9, 2: praestare dicunt, Gallorum quam Romanorum imperia perferre, it is better, Caes. B. G. 1, 17: motos praestat componere fluctus, Verg. A. 1, 135; 3, 429; 6, 39.
  2. II. Act.
    1. A. To surpass, outstrip, exceed, excel (not in Cic. or Cæs.; constr. usually aliquem aliquā re): qui primus in alterutrā re praestet alios, Varr. ap. Non. 502, 23; Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 10; 3, 1, 3: quantum Galli virtute ceteros mortales praestarent, Liv. 5, 36, 4: qui belli gloriā Gallos omnes Belgasque praestabant, Hirt. B. G. 8, 6: praestate virtute peditem, ut honore atque ordine praestatis, Liv. 3, 61, 7: ut vetustate et gradu honoris nos praestent, id. 7, 30, 4; 34, 34, 14; 37, 30, 2: praestat ingenio alius alium, Quint. 1, 1, 3; Val. Max. 3, 2, 21; 3, 2, ext. 7; 7, 2, 17: honore ceteros, Nep. Att. 18, 5; 3, 3; id. Reg. 3, 5: imperatores prudentiā, id. Hann. 1, 1: eloquentiā omnes eo tempore, id. Epam. 6, 1.
      Only aliquem, Stat. Th. 4, 838.
    2. B. To become surety for, to answer or vouch for, to warrant, be responsible for, to take upon one’s self, etc. (class.): ut omnes ministros imperii tui rei publicae praestare videare, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 3: quem tamen ego praestare non poteram, id. Att. 6, 3, 5: quanto magis arduum est alios praestare quam se, tanto laudabilius, Plin. Pan. 83: communem incertumque casum neque vitare quisquam nostrum, nec praestare ullo pacto potest, Cic. Fam. 5, 17, 3: simus eā mente ut nihil in vitā nobis praestandum praeter culpam putemus, that we need only answer for guilt, i. e. keep ourselves clear of guilt, id. ib. 6, 1, 4: impetus populi praestare nemo potest, no one can be held to answer for the outbreaks of the people, id. de Or. 2, 28, 124: periculum judicii, id. Mur. 2, 3: damnum alicui, id. Off. 3, 16: invidiam, id. Sest. 28, 61: nihil, to be responsible for nothing, id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3; cf. in pass.: cum id, quod ab homine non potuerit praestari, evenerit, what none could vouch for that it would not happen, id. Tusc. 3, 16, 34.
      With ab aliquā re: ego tibi a vi praestare nihil possum, Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 3.
      With de: quod de te sperare, de me praestare possum, Cic. Fam. 4, 15, 2.
      With an objectclause: quis potest praestare, semper sapientem beatum fore, cum, etc.? Cic. Tusc. 5, 10, 29; cf.: (praedones) nullos fore, quis praestare poterat? id. Fl. 12, 28: meliorem praesto magistro Discipulum, Juv. 14, 212.
      With ut: illius lacrimae praestant ut veniam culpae non abnuat Osiris, Juv. 6, 539.
    3. C. In gen., to fulfil, discharge, maintain, perform, execute: arbitramur nos ea praestitisse, quae ratio et doctrina praescripserit, Cic. N. D. 1, 3, 7: ultima exspectato, quae ego tibi et jucunda et honesta praestabo, id. Fam. 7, 17, 2: suum munus, id. de Or. 2, 9, 38: hospitii et amicitiae jus officiumque, id. Fam. 14, 4, 2: ne quem ejus paeniteret, praestiti, I took care, exerted myself, Liv. 30, 30; Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 19: quamcumque ei fidem dederis, ego praestabo, I will fulfil, keep the promise, Cic. Fam. 5, 11, 2: fidem alicui, Liv. 30, 15: pacem cum iis populus Romanus non ab se tantum, sed ab rege etiam Masinissa praestitit, maintained, id. 40, 34: tributa, to pay, Juv. 3, 188: annua, id. 6, 480: triplicem usuram, id. 9, 7.
      Pass.: promissum id benignius est ab rege quam praestitum, Liv. 43, 18, 11: mea tibi tamen benevolentia fidesque praestabitur, Cic. Fam. 12, 2, 3; so, quibus (victoribus) senatūs fides praestabitur, id. Phil. 14, 11, 30: virtus vetat spectare fortunam dum praestetur fides, id. Div. 2, 37, 79: ni praestaretur fides publica, Liv. 2, 28, 7.
      1. 2. In partic.
        1. a. To keep, preserve, maintain, retain: pueri, quibus videmur praestare rem publicam debuisse, Cic. Att. 10, 4, 5; Ov. M. 11, 748: omnes socios salvos praestare poteramus, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55: mors omnia praestat Vitalem praeter sensum calidumque vaporem, Lucr. 3, 214.
        2. b. To show, exhibit, to prove, evince, manifest: Pomptinius praestat tibi memoriam benevolentiamque, quam debet, Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 3: neque hercule in iis ipsis rebus eam voluntatem, quam exspectaram, praestiterunt, id. ib. 1, 9, 5: virtutem, Caes. B. G. 2, 27: benevolentiam, Cic. Att. 11, 1, 1: consilium suum fidemque, id. de Or. 3, 33, 134.
          With se, to show, prove, or behave one’s self as: praesta te eum, qui, etc., show thyself such, as, etc., Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: se incolumem, Lucr. 3, 220: se invictum, Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 104: teque praesta constanter ad omne Indeclinatae munus amicitiae, show thyself constant, id. ib. 4, 5, 23: Victoria nunc quoque se praestet, show itself, id. ib. 2, 169: sed ne ad illam quidem artissimam innocentiae formulam praestare nos possumus, prove ourselves innocent even according to that rule, Sen. Ira, 2, 28, 1: juris periti consultatoribus se praestabant, showed themselves accessible, Dig. 1, 2, 2.
          Poet.: vel magnum praestet Achillem, should show, prove, approve himself a great Achilles, Verg. A. 11, 438.
        3. c. To show, exhibit, manifest: honorem debitum patri, Cic. Phil. 9, 5, 12: fratri pietatem, id. Brut. 33, 126: virtutem et diligentiam alicui, id. Fam. 14, 3, 2: frequentiam et officium alicui honores petenti, Hirt. B. G. 8, 50: obsequium, Sen. Q. N. 2, 59, 8: sedulitatem alicui rei, to apply, Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 6.
        4. d. To give, offer, furnish, present, expose: alicui certam summam pecuniae, Suet. Dom. 9: cervicem, Sen. ap. Diom. p. 362 P.: caput fulminibus, to expose, Luc. 5, 770: Hiberus praestat nomen terris, id. 4, 23: anser praestat ex se pullos atque plumam, Col. 8, 13: cum senatui sententiam praestaret, gave his vote, Cic. Pis. 32, 80: terga hosti, to turn one’s back to the enemy, to flee, Tac. Agr. 37: voluptatem perpetuam sapienti, to assume, Cic. Fin. 2, 27, 89.
          Pass.: pueri, quibus id (biduum) praestabatur, was devoted, Quint. 1, prooem. § 7; cf.: corpus, cui omnia olim tamquam servo praestabantur, nunc tamquam domino parantur, Sen. Ep. 90, 19.
          Hence, praestans, antis, P. a., pre-eminent, superior, excellent, distinguished, extraordinary.
    1. A. In gen. (class.).
      1. 1. Of persons: omnibus praestans et ingenio et diligentiā, far surpassing all, Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 22: usu et sapientiā praestantes, noted for their experience and wisdom, Nep. Timoth. 3, 2.
        Comp.: virginibus praestantior omnibus Herse, superior to all, Ov. M. 2, 724.
        Sup.: in illis artibus praestantissimus, Cic. de Or. 1, 50, 217: praestantissimi studio atque doctrinā, id. Ac. 1, 4, 17.
        With gen.: o praestans animi juvenis, distinguished for courage, Verg. A. 12, 19: belli, Sil. 5, 92: armorum, Stat. Th. 1, 605: praestantissimus sapientiae, Tac. A. 6, 6.
        Poet., with objectclause: quo non praestantior alter Aere ciere viros, whom no other excelled in rousing the men, Verg. A. 6, 164.
      2. 2. Of things, pre-eminent, excellent, remarkable, extraordinary, distinguished: praestanti corpore Nymphae, Verg. A. 1, 71: praestanti corpore tauri, id. G. 4, 550: formā, id. A. 7, 483: naturā excellens atque praestans, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 56: qui a te tractatus est praestanti et singulari fide, id. Fam. 3, 10, 3: praestans prudentiā in omnibus, Nep. Alc. 5, 1; Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38: quid praestantius mihi potuit accidere? id. Vatin. 3, 8.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Efficacious: medicina, Plin. 13, 24, 47, § 130: usus praestantior, id. 18, 13, 34, § 126: calamus praestantior odore, id. 12, 22, 48, § 105: sucus sapore praestantissimus, id. 15, 1, 2, § 5: praestantissima auxilia, id. 27, 13, 120, § 146.
      2. 2. Sup.: Praestantissimus, a title of the later emperors, Nazar. 26; Tert. Cor. Mil. 1.
        Hence, adv.: praestanter, excellently, admirably (post-Aug.); sup.: praestantissime, Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 186.