com-mĭniscor (con-m-), mentus, 3, v. a. dep. [miniscor, whence also reminiscor, stem men, whence mens, memini; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 44] (lit. to ponder carefully, to reflect upon; hence, as a result of reflection; cf. 1. commentor, II.), to devise something by careful thought, to contrive, invent, feign.
I (Class., of something untrue; esp. freq. in Plaut.) Reperi, comminiscere, cedo calidum consilium cito, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 71: fabricare quidvis, quidvis comminiscere, id. As. 1, 1, 89: mendacium, id. Ps. 2, 3, 23: dolum docte, id. ib. 4, 7, 64: maledicta, id. Bacch. 4, 9, 58: quid agam? aut quid comminiscar, Ter. Heaut. 674: nec me hoc commentum putes, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 8: tantum scelus, * Quint. 5, 13, 30.—With relative - clause : neque quo pacto celem probrum queo comminisci, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 30; 1, 1, 37: fac Amphitruonem ab aedibus Ut abigas quovis pacto commentus sies, id. Am. 3, 3, 24 (cf. infra, P. a.).—
B Of philosophic fiction (cf. commenticius), as antith. to actual, real: Epicurus monogrammos deos et nihil agentes commentus est, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 59; so, occurrentia nescio quae, id. Fin. 4, 16, 43: quaedam, id. Fat. 3, 5.—
II In gen., to devise , invent , contrive : nihil adversus tale machinationis genus parare aut comminisci oppidani conabantur, Liv. 37, 5, 5: id vectigal commentum alterum ex censoribus satis credebant, id. 29, 37, 4: novas litteras, Suet. Claud. 41: novum balinearum usum, id. Calig. 37; Flor. 2, 6, 27: Phoenices, litteras et litterarum operas, aliasque etiam artes, maria navibus adire, classe confligere, etc., Mel. 1, 12, 1: excubias nocturnas vigilesque, Suet. Aug. 30; id. Ner. 34; id. Vesp. 23. ☞
1 P. a. : commentus , a, um, in pass. signif., devised , invented , feigned , contrived , fictitious : dat gemitus fictos commentaque funera narrat, Ov. M. 6, 565: sacra, id. ib. 3, 558; 4, 37; id. A. A. 1, 319: crimen, Liv. 26, 27, 8: fraus, Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 8.—Hence,
2 Subst.: commentum , i, n.
A (Class.) An invention , fabrication , fiction , falsehood : ipsis commentum placet, Ter. And. 225: opinionum commenta delet dies, Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 5 (cf. just before: opiniones fictas atque vanas): non sine aliquo commento miraculi, Liv. 1, 19, 5: mixta rumorum, Ov. M. 12, 54: animi, id. ib. 13, 38.—
B Since the Aug. per., sometimes, a contrivance , Liv. 29, 37, 6; Suet. Vesp. 18; Just. 22, 4, 3 al.—
C Nefanda, a project , plan , Just. 21, 4, 3: callidum, Dig. 27, 9, 9. —
D A stratagem , in war, Flor. 1, 11, 2.—
E A rhetorical figure , equiv. to commentatio, = ἐνθύμημα, Vitellius ap. Quint. 9, 2, 107; cf. id. ib. 5, 10, 1.