ŏb (old form obs, v. III.), prep. with acc. (in late Lat. also with the abl.: OB PERPETVO EIVS ERGA SE AMORE, Inscr. Orell. 106) [Osc. op; kindr. with Sanscr. api; Gr. ἐπί].
I Lit.
A With verbs of motion, towards, to (only ante-class.): IS TERTHS DIEBVS OB PORTVM OBVAGVLATVM ITO, let him go before his house to summon him , Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. portum, p. 233 Müll.: ob Romam legiones ducere, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 179 Müll. (Ann. v. 295 Vahl.); cf.: ob Troiam duxit, id. ib. p. 178 Müll. (Incert. libr. v. 5 Vahl.): cujus ob os Grai ora obvertebant sua, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 39; and ap. Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 2 (Trag. Rel. p. 211 Rib.).—
B With verbs of rest, about, before, in front of, over (in Cic.): follem sibi obstringit ob gulam, Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 23: lanam ob oculum habere, id. Mil. 5, 37: ob oculos mihi caliginem obstitisse, before my eyes , id. ib. 2, 4, 51: mors ob oculos saepe versata est, Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 39; id. Sest. 21, 47: ignis qui est ob os offusus, id. Univ. 14.—
II Transf., to indicate the object or cause, on account of, for, because of, by reason of , etc.
A In gen. (freq. and class.): etiam ob stultitiam tuam te tueris? do you still defend yourself with regard to your folly? Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 82: pretium ob stultitiam fero, Ter. And. 610; id. Phorm. 370: ob eam rem iratus, on that account , Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 33: neu quid ob eam rem succenseat, id. ib. 4, 4, 39; Ter. Ad. 895: Mi. Ob eam rem? De. Ob eam, id. ib. 977: ob rem nullam, id. Hec. 800: hanc Epicurus rationem induxit ob eam rem, quod veritus est, ne, etc., Cic. Fat. 10, 23: ob eam causam, quod, etc., id. Rep. 1, 7, 12: quam ob causam venerant, id. de Or. 1, 7, 26: non solum ob eam causam fieri volui, quod, etc., id. Rep. 1, 21, 34: ob hanc causam, quod, id. ib. 2, 1, 3: nec ob aliam causam ullam, etc., id. Lael. 20, 74: ob meas injurias, Ter. Heaut. 137; cf.: quodnam ob facinus? id. ib. 956: ob peccatum hoc. id. ib. 990: ob malefacta haec, id. Ad. 200: ob illam injuriam, Cic. Rep. 2, 25, 46: ob aliquod emolumentum suum, id. Font. 8, 17: (eum) ac Troiam misi ob defendendam Graeciam, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 13, 28 (Trag. v. 362 Vahl.): ob rem judicandam pecuniam adcipere, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 32, § 78; id. Att. 1, 17, 8; id. Mur. 1, 1; id. Verr. 2, 2, 48, § 119; Sall. J. 89, 2; Quint. 5, 10, 87: nec meliores ob eam scientiam nec beatiores esse possumus, on account of, for that knowledge , Cic. Rep. 1, 19, 32: ob eam (amicitiam) summā fide servatam, id. Lael. 7, 25: is igitur dicitur ab Amulio ob labefactandi regni timorem, ad Tiberim exponi jussus esse, id. Rep. 2, 2, 4: unius ob iram Prodimur, Verg. A. 1, 251; cf.: saevae memorem Junonis ob iram, id. ib. 1, 4; cf. also: aut ob avaritiam aut miserā ambitione laborat, Hor. S. 1, 4, 26: barbarus eum quidam palam ob iram interfecti ab eo domini obtruncat, Liv. 21, 2, 6: non noxā neque ob metum, Tac. H. 2, 49: Germanicum mortem ob rem publicam obiisse, for the republic , id. A. 2, 83: cum quibus ob rem pecuniariam disceptabat, id. ib. 6, 5.—
B In partic.
1 In consideration of, in return for, instead of (mostly ante-class.): ob asinos ferre argentum, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 80; id. Ep. 5, 2, 38: quin arrhabonem a me accepisti ob mulierem? id. Rud. 3, 6, 23: ager oppositus est pignori Ob decem minas, Ter. Phorm. 661: talentum magnum ob unam fabulam datum esse, C. Gracch. ap. Gell. 11, 10 fin. : pecuniam ob absolvendum accipere, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 32, § 78: pecuniam ob delicta dare, Tac. A. 14, 14.—
2 Ob rem, like ex re (opp. frustra), to the purpose, with advantage, profitably, usefully (very rare): An. Non pudet Vanitatis? Do. Minime, dum ob rem, Ter. Phorm. 525: verum id frustra an ob rem faciam, in vostrā manu situm est, Sall. J. 31, 5.—
3 Ob industriam, on purpose, intentionally , Plaut. Cas. 4, 3, 6; 2, 3, 58 ( id. ib. 2, 3, 60, de industriā); cf. id. Men. 1, 2, 14.—
4 Quam ob rem, also written in one word, quamobrem, on which account, wherefore, therefore, hence, accordingly; a very freq. particle of transition, esp. in Cic.: quam ob rem id primum videamus, quatenus, etc., Cic. Lael. 11, 36: quam ob rem utrique nostrūm gratum admodum feceris, id. ib. 4, 16; 2, 10; 3, 12; 4, 15; id. Rep. 1, 5, 9; 1, 19, 32 et saep.—
5 Ob id, ob hoc, ob haec, ob ea, ob quae, on that account, therefore (not ante-Aug.).
a Ob id : ignaris hostibus et ob id quietis, Liv. 25, 35; 28, 2; Tac. A. 2, 66; 3, 75; 13, 5: ob id ipsum, Curt. 4, 16, 23.—
b Ob hoc : ob hoc cum omnia neglecta apud hostes essent, Liv. 25, 37; Sen. Q. N. 7, 14, 4; Col. 7, 3, 21; cf.: ob hoc miserior, Sen. Ep. 98, 5. —
c Ob haec : ob haec cum legatos mitti placuisset, Liv. 8, 23; 21, 50; 38, 34; Cels. 1 praef.—
d Ob ea : ob ea consul Albinus senatum de foedere consulebat, Sall. J. 39, 2.—
e Ob quae : ob quae posterum diem reus petivit, Tac. A. 2, 30 fin. ; Suet. Ner. 13.—
III In composition, the b of ob remains unchanged before vowels and most consonants; only before p, f, c, g , is assimilation more common: oppeto, offero, occido, ogganio, etc.—An ancient form obs, analogous to abs, is implied in obs-olesco and os-tendo.—In signification, that of direction towards , or of existence at or before a thing is predominant, although it likewise gives to the simple verb the accessory notion of against : obicere, opponere, obrogare.