Lewis & Short

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summa, ae, f. (sc. res; old gen. summai, Lucr. 1, 984; 6, 679) [summus, v. superus].

  1. I. Lit., that which is highest in any thing, the top, summit, surface (postAug. and very rare): testudines evectae in summā pelagi, Plin. 9, 10, 12, § 35 (cf. summus, I. s. v. superus).
  2. II. Transf., that which is most important or prominent in any thing, the main thing, chief point, principal matter; the sum, height, substance, summit, completion, perfection
    1. A. In gen.: leges a me edentur non perfectae … sed ipsae summae rerum atque sententiae, the main points, chief particulars, Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 18: cujus rei satis erit summam dixisse, id. Inv. 1, 20, 28: ex hac infinitā licentiā haec summa cogitur, ut, etc., id. Rep. 1, 43, 67: lectis rerum summis, Liv. 40, 29, 11: haec summa est, hic nostri nuntius esto, Verg. A. 4, 237: summa est, si curaveris, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 75, 2: in hoc summa judicii causaque tota consistit, id. Quint. 9, 32: eam ignominiam ad summam universi belli pertinere ratus, to the issue of the whole war, Liv. 32, 17, 3; cf.: haec belli summa nefandi, Verg. A. 12, 572: solus summam habet hic apud nos, the first place, pre-eminence, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 15: qui vobis summam ordinis consiliique concedunt, Cic. Cat. 4, 7, 15: summam alicui rei dare, perfection, culmination, Quint. 3, 2, 1: 5, 10, 72; 11, 2, 41; 12, 1, 20: remittendo de summā quisque juris. strict or extreme right, Liv. 4, 43, 11.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of a reckoning of numbers, the amount, the sum, sum total, including each of the single items, as if counted: quid, tu, inquam, soles, cum rationem a dispensatore accipis, si aera singula probasti, summam, quae ex his confecta sit, non probare? Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 193, 11: addendo deducendoque videre, quae reliqui summa fiat, id. Off. 1, 18, 59: Py. Quanta istaec hominum summa est? Ar. Septem milia, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 46: equitum magno numero ex omni populi summa separato, Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 39: subducamus summam, id. Att. 5, 21, 11: summam facere, id. Verr. 2, 2, 53, § 131.
      2. 2. Of money, a sum, amount.
          1. (α) With pecuniae: pecuniae summam quantam imperaverit, parum convenit, Liv. 30, 16, 12: pecuniae etiam par prope summa fuit, id. 33, 23, 9: summa pecuniae signatae fuit talentūm duo milia et sexcenta, Curt. 3, 13, 16: accessit ad hanc pecuniae summam sex milia talantum, id. 5, 6, 10: pecuniae summa homines movit, Liv. 22, 61, 1; 38, 11, 8; 40, 46, 16; 42, 62, 14; cf.: census equestrem Summam nummorum, Hor. A. P. 384: ob parvam pecuniae summam erogatam, Val. Max. 4, 8, 1.
          2. (β) Without pecuniae: de summā nihil decedet, Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 30: hac summā redempti, Liv. 32, 17, 2; 22, 61, 2: Marcellus decem pondo auri et argenti ad summam sestertii decies in aerarium rettulit, id. 45, 4, 1: quācumque summā tradet luxuriae domum, Phaedr. 4, 4, 44; creditor totius summae, Quint. 5, 10, 117: actor summarum, Suet. Dom. 11.
      3. 3. Without reference to a count, the sum, the whole: de summā mali detrahere, Cic. Tusc. 3, 23, 55: summa cogitationum mearum omnium, id. Fam. 1, 9, 10: meorum maerorum atque amorum summam edictavi tibi, Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 2: ergo ex hac infinita licentiā haec summa cogitur, Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 67: proposita vitae ejus velut summa, Suet. Aug. 9: vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam, Hor. C. 1, 4, 15: summarum summa est aeterna, the sum of all sums, the sum of all things, i. e. the universe, Lucr. 5, 361; so, summa summarum, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 4; Sen. Ep. 40, 13; and: summa summaï, Lucr 6, 679.
      4. 4. Adverb.
          1. (α) Ad summam, on the whole, generally, in short, in a word: ille affirmabat … ad summam: non posse istaec sic abire, Cic. Att. 14, 1, 1; so, ad summam, id. ib. 7, 7, 7; id. Off. 1, 42, 149; id. Fam. 14, 14, 2; Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 106, Juv. 3, 79.
          2. (β) In summā, in all: Drusus erat de praevaricatione a tribunis aerariis absolutus, in summā quattuor sententiis, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 16, 3; Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 6; 2, 11, 25: in omni summā, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 5
          3. (γ) In summā, at last, finally (post-Aug.): diu colluctatus est: in summā victus occumbit, Just. 13, 8, 8; 22, 1, 8; 37, 1, 8.
    3. C. Transf., the whole (opp. a part): magnam res diligentiam requirebat, non in summā exercitus tuenda, sed in singulis militibus conservandis, Caes. B. G. 6, 34; cf.: summa exercitus salva, the main body of the army, id. B. C. 1, 67: solet quaedam esse partium brevitas, quae longam tamen efficit summam, Quint. 4, 2, 41: quaedam partibus blandiuntur, sed in summam non consentiunt, id. 4, 2, 90.
      1. 2. That which relates to the whole, as opp. to a part; with gen., the general, supreme: (Remi dicebant) ad hunc (regem) totius belli summam omnium voluntate deferri, the command in chief, Caes. B. G. 2, 4: neque de summā belli suum judicium sed imperatoris esse, id. ib. 1, 41: cum penes unum est omnium summa rerum, regem illum unum vocamus, authority over all affairs, the supreme power, Cic. Rep. 1, 26, 42: is, qui summam rerum administrabat, id. Rosc. Am. 32, 91: ad te summa solum, Phormio, rerum redit, Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 3: ad summam rerum consulere, for the general interest, Caes. B. C. 3, 51: ad discrimen summa rerum adducta, to a general engagement, Liv. 10, 27: discrimen summae rerum, id. 10, 14: quos penes summam consilii voluit esse, cum imperii summam rex teneret, the sole command, Cic. Rep. 2, 28, 51; cf.: qui vobis summam ordinis consiliique concedunt, id. Cat. 4, 7, 15: imperii, Caes. B. G. 2, 23; id. B. C. 3, 5: quod penes eos (Bituriges), si id oppidum retinuissent, summam victoriae constare intellegebant, the whole credit of the victory, id. B. G. 7, 21; so, victoriae, id. B. C. 1, 82.
        Poet.: summa ducum, Atri des, Ov. Am. 1, 9, 37.