altus, a, um, participle from alo., lit.,
I grown or become great , great (altus ab alendo dictus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 7 Müll.; cf. the Germ. gross with the Engl. grow ), a polar word meaning both high and deep.
A Seen from below upwards, high.
I Lit.: IN ALTOD MARID PVCNANDOD, etc., Columna Duilii; so, maria alta, Liv. Andron. ap. Macr. S. 6, 5, 10; id. ib. ap. Prisc. p. 725 P.: aequor, Pac. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 23 Müll.: parietes, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44: sub ramis arboris altae, Lucr. 2, 30: acervus, id. 3, 198 al.: columellam tribus cubitis ne altiorem, Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 66: altior illis Ipsa dea est colloque tenus supereminet omnes, taller , Ov. M. 3, 181: altis de montibus, Verg. E. 1, 83: umbras Altorum nemorum, Ov. M. 1, 591 al.—With the acc. of measure: clausi lateribus pedem altis, a foot high , Sall. H. Fragm. 4, 39 Gerl.; cf. Lind. C. Gr. I. p. 215.—With gen.: triglyphi alti unius et dimidiati moduli, lati in fronte unius moduli, Vitr. 4, 3: majorem turrim altam cubitorum CXX., id. 10, 5: alta novem pedum, Col. 8, 14, 1: singula latera pedum lata tricenum, alta quinquagenum, Plin. 36, 13, 19, § 4.—
II Trop., high , lofty , elevated , great , magnanimous , high-minded , noble , august , etc.: altissimus dignitatis gradus, Cic. Phil. 1, 6, 14; so id. Clu. 55; id. Dom. 37.—Of mind or thought: te natura excelsum quendam videlicet et altum et humana despicientem genuit, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: homo sapiens et altā mente praeditus, highminded , id. Mil. 8: qui altiore animo sunt, id. Fin. 5, 20, 57 al.—So of gods, or persons elevated in birth, rank, etc.; also of things personified: rex aetheris altus Juppiter, Verg. A. 12, 140: Apollo, id. ib. 10, 875: Caesar, Hor. C. 3, 4, 37: Aeneas, i. e. deā natus, id. S. 2, 5, 62: Roma, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 33: Carthago, Prop. 2, 1, 23 al.—Of the voice, high , shrill , loud , clear : Conclamate iterum altiore voce, Cat. 42, 18: haec fatus altā voce, Sen. Troad. 196: altissimus sonus, Quint. 11, 3, 23 (cf.: vox magna, Ov. Tr. 4, 9, 24; Juv. 4, 32).—Subst.: altum , i, n., a height : sic est hic ordo (senatorius) quasi propositus atque editus in altum, on high , Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41, § 98: aedificia in altum edita, Tac. H. 3, 71: quidquid in altum Fortuna tulit, ruitura levat, Sen. Agam. 100.—Esp.
α (Sc. caelum.) The height of heaven , high heaven , the heavens : ex alto volavit avis, Enn. Ann. 1, 108: haec ait, et Maiā genitum demisit ab alto, Verg. A. 1, 297.—Still more freq.,
β (Sc. mare.) The high sea , the deep , the sea : rapit ex alto navīs velivolas, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 224: ubi sumus provecti in altum, capiunt praedones navem illam, ubi vectus fui, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 39; so id. Men. 1, 2, 2; id. Rud. prol. 66; 2, 3, 64: terris jactatus et alto, Verg. A. 1, 3: in altum Vela dabant, id. ib. 1, 34: collectae ex alto nubes, id. G. 1, 324: urget ab alto Notus, id. ib. 1, 443 al.: alto mersā classe, Sil. 6, 665: ab illā parte urbis navibus aditus ex alto est, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 32: in alto jactari, id. Inv. 2, 31, 95: naves nisi in alto constitui non poterant, Caes. B. G. 4, 24: naves in altum provectae, id. ib. 4, 28: scapha in altum navigat, Sall. Fragm.—So in the plur.: alta petens, Verg. A. 7, 362.—Trop.: quam magis te in altum capessis, tam aestus te in portum refert, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 6: imbecillitas ... in altum provehitur imprudens, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42: te quasi quidam aestus ingenii tui in altum abstraxit, id. de Or. 3, 36, 145.—
B Seen from above downwards, deep , profound.
I Lit. (hence sometimes opp. summus): Acherusia templa alta Orci, salvete, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, 2, 81; Cic. Tusc. 1, 21, 48: quom ex alto puteo sursum ad summum escenderis, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 14: altissimae radices, Cic. Phil. 4, 5: altae stirpes, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: altissima flumina, Caes. B. C. 3, 77: altior aqua, id. ib. 1, 25: alta theatri Fundamenta, Verg. A. 1, 427: gurgite in alto, in the deep whirlpool , id. E. 6, 76: altum vulnus, id. A. 10, 857; Petr. 136; Sen. Troad. 48: altum totā metitur cuspide pectus, Sil. 4, 292; so id. 6, 580 al.: unde altior esset Casus, Juv. 10, 106.—With the abl. of measure: faciemus (scrobes) tribus pedibus altas, Pall. Jan. 10, 3.—
II Trop. (more freq. in and after the Aug. per.), deep , profound : somno quibus est opus alto, Hor. S. 2, 1, 8; so Liv. 7, 35: sopor, Verg. A. 8, 27: quies, id. ib. 6, 522: silentium, id. ib. 10, 63; Quint. 10, 3, 22: altissima tranquillitas, Plin. Ep. 2, 1: altissima eruditio, id. ib. 4, 30: altiores artes, Quint. 8, 3, 2.—Subst.: altum , i, n., the depth , i. e. what is deep or far removed : ex alto dissimulare, Ov. Am. 2, 4, 16: non ex alto venire nequitiam, sed summo, quod aiunt, animo inhaerere, Sen. Ira, 1, 19, 5 al.—Hence, ex alto repetere, or petere, in discourse, to bring from far; as P. a., farfetched : quae de nostris officiis scripserim, quoniam ex alto repetita sunt, Cic. Fam. 3, 5: quid causas petis ex alto? Verg. A. 8, 395 (cf.: alte repetere in the same sense, Cic. Sest. 13; id. Rep. 4, 4, and v. al. infra).—
C Poet., in reference to a distant (past) time: cur vetera tam ex alto appetissis discidia, Agamemno? Att. ap. Non. 237, 22 (altum: vetus, antiquum, Non.); cf. Verg. G. 4, 285.—With the access. idea of venerable (cf. antiquus), ancient , old : genus alto a sanguine Teucri, Verg. A. 6, 500: Thebanā de matre nothum Sarpedonis alti, id. ib. 9, 697; genus Clauso referebat ab alto, Ov. F. 4, 305: altā gente satus, Val. Fl. 3, 202: altis inclitum titulis genus, Sen. Herc. Fur. 338.—Adv.: altē , and very rarely altum , high , deep (v. supra, altus, P. a. init. ).
A High , on high , high up , from on high , from above (v. altus, P. a., A.).
I Lit.: alte ex tuto prospectum aucupo, Att. Trag. Rel. p. 188 Rib.: colomen alte geminis aptum cornibus, id. ib. p. 221: alte jubatos angues, Naev. ib. p. 9: jubar erigere alte, Lucr. 4, 404: roseā sol alte lampade lucens, id. 5, 610: in vineā ficos subradito alte, ne eas vitis scandat, Cato R. R. 50: cruentum alte extollens pugionem, Cic. Phil. 2, 12, 28: non animadvertis cetarios escendere in malum alte, ut perspiciant pisces? Varr. ap. Non. 49, 15: (aër) tollit se ac rectis ita faucibus eicit alte, Lucr. 6, 689: dextram Entellus alte extulit, Verg. A. 5, 443: alte suras vincire cothurno, high up , id. ib. 1, 337: puer alte cinctus, Hor. S. 2, 8, 10, and Sen. Ep. 92: unda alte subjectat arenam, Verg. G. 3, 240: Nihil tam alte natura constituit, quo virtus non possit eniti, Curt. 7, 11, 10: alte maesti in terram cecidimus, from on high , Varr. ap. Non. 79, 16: eo calcem cribro succretam indito alte digitos duo, to the height of two fingers , Cato R. R. 18, 7; so Col. R. R. 5, 6, 6.— Comp. : quae sunt humiliora neque se tollere a terrā altius possunt, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37: tollam altius tectum, id. Har. Resp. 15, 33: altius praecincti, Hor. S. 1, 5, 5: pullus in arvis altius ingreditur, Verg. G. 3, 75: caput altius effert, id. ib. 3, 553: altius atque cadant imbres, id. E. 6, 38 ubi v. Forb.: altius aliquid tenere, Sen. Q. N. 1, 5.— Sup. : cum altissime volāsset (aquila), Suet. Aug. 94.—
II Trop.: alte natus, Albin. 1, 379 (cf.: altus Aeneas, supra, P. a., A. II.): alte enim cadere non potest, Cic. Or. 28, 98: video te alte spectare, id. Tusc. 1, 34, 82; id. Rep. 6, 23, 25.— Comp. : altius se efferre, Cic. Rep. 6, 23, 25; 3, 3, 4: altius irae surgunt ductori, Verg. A. 10, 813: altius aliquid agitare, Cels. 1 prooem.: attollitur vox altius, Quint. 11, 3, 65: verbis altius atque altius insurgentibus, id. 8, 4, 27.— Sup. : Ille dies virtutem Catonis altissime illuminavit, Vell. 2, 35: ingenium altissime adsurgit, Plin. Ep. 8, 4.—
B Deep , deeply (v. altus, P. a. B.).
I Lit.: ablaqueato ficus non alte, Cato R. R. 36: ferrum haud alte in corpus descendere, Liv. 1, 41: alte vulnus adactum, Verg. A. 10, 850; Ov. M. 6, 266; Curt. 4, 6, 18; Cels. 5, 26, 30: timidum caput abdidit alte, Verg. G. 3, 422: alte consternunt terram frondes, deeply strew , id. A. 4, 443: ut petivit Suspirium alte! Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 58 (cf.: ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo, Verg. A. 1, 485): inter cupam pertundito alte digitos primorīs tres, Cato R. R. 21, 2: minimum alte pedem, Col. de Arb. 30.— Comp. : ne radices altius agant, Col. 5, 6, 8: terra altius effossa, Quint. 10, 3, 2: cum sulcus altius esset impressus, Cic. Div. 2, 23, 50: frigidus imber Altius ad vivum persedit, Verg. G. 3, 441: tracti altius gemitus, Sen. Ira, 3, 4, 2.— Sup. : (latronibus gladium) altissime demergo, Ap. Met. 2, 32, 15.—
II Trop., deeply , profoundly , far , from afar : privatus ut altum Dormiret, Juv. 1, 16: alte terminus haerens, Lucr. 1, 77: longo et alte petito prooemio respondere, Cic. Clu. 21, 58: ratio alte petita, Quint. 11, 1, 62: alte et a capite repetis, quod quaerimus, Cic. Leg. 1, 6, 18; id. Rep. 4, 4, 4; id. Sest. 13, 31.— Comp. : qui altius perspiciebant, had a deeper insight , Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 19: quae principia sint, repetendum altius videtur, must be sought out more deeply , id. Off. 1, 16: altius repetitae causae, Quint. 11, 1, 62: de quo si paulo altius ordiri ac repetere memoriam religionis videbor, Cic. Verr. 4, 105: Hisce tibi in rebus latest alteque videndum, Lucr. 6, 647: altius supprimere iram, Curt. 6, 7, 35: altius aliquem percellere, Tac. A. 4, 54: altius metuere, id. ib. 4, 41: altius animis maerere, id. ib. 2, 82: cum verbum aliquod altius transfertur, Cic. Or. 25, 82: Altius omnem Expediam primā repetens ab origine famam, Verg. G. 4, 285; so, Tac. H. 4, 12: altius aliquid persequi, Plin. 2, 23, 31, § 35: hinc altius cura serpit, id. 4, 11, 13, § 87.— Sup. : qui vir et quantus esset, altissime inspexi, Plin. Ep. 5, 15, 5.