consē̆cro (written CONSACRO in Monum. Ancyr. 2, 28; 4, 25; Inscr. Orell. 618 al.; v. infra, P. a.), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [sacro], to dedicate, devote something as sacred to a deity (class., esp. in prose).
I Lit.
A In gen.
α With dat.: candelabrum dare, donare, dicare, consecrare Jovi Optimo Maximo, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 29, § 67: manubias Martis Musis, id. Arch. 11, 27: totam Siciliam Cereri et Liberae, id. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 106: aedem Tonanti Jovi, Suet. Aug. 29: tres gladios Marti Ultori, id. Calig. 24: locum castrorum Neptuno ac Marti, id. Aug. 18: barbam Capitolio, id. Ner. 12: hunc lucum tibi (with dedico), * Cat. 18, 1 al.—
β Without dat.: quia consecrabantur aedes, non privatorum domicilia, sed quae sacra nominantur, consecrabantur agri ... ut imperator agros de hostibus captos consecraret, Cic. Dom. 49, 128: aram, id. ib. 55, 140; 53, 137; id. Har. Resp. 5, 9: video etiam consecrata simulacra, id. N. D. 3, 24, 61: locum certis circa terminis, Liv. 1, 44, 4: lucos ac nemora, Tac. G. 9 fin. : agrum Campanum, Suet. Caes. 20: eam partem domūs, id. Aug. 5: simulacrum in parte aedium, id. Galb. 4 al.: locus consecratus, a consecrated, holy place , Caes. B. G. 6, 13; 6, 17 al.; opp. profanus, Cic. Part. Or. 10, 36: tuum caput sanguine hoc, Liv. 3, 48, 6: Gracchi bona, id. 43, 16, 10: veterem Carthaginem nudatam tectis ac moenibus, Cic. Agr. 1, 2, 5.—
B In partic.
1 Of persons, to elevate to the rank of deity, to place among the gods, to deify : Liberum, Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62; 3, 15, 39; id. Leg. 2, 11, 28; Tac. A. 13, 14; Suet. Tib. 51; id. Ner. 9; id. Calig. 35; * Hor. C. 4, 8, 27 al.: Olympiadem matrem immortalitati, Curt. 9, 6, 26; 10, 5, 30.—And of animals: videat ... cujusque generis beluas numero consecratas deorum, Cic. Leg. 3, 9, 14.—
2 To devote or doom to destruction, to execrate , in laws, vows, and oaths, Cic. Balb. 14, 33 (v. consecratio, II.): caput alicujus, Liv. 3, 48, 5; Plin. Pan. 64, 3.—And an old formula in declaring war: Dis pater, Vejovis, manes ... exercitum hostium, urbes agrosque, capita aetatesque eorum devotas consecratasque habeatis, Macr. S. 3, 9, 10. —
3 To surrender to the vengeance of any one: esse (se) jam consecratum Miloni, Cic. Har. Resp. 4, 7.—
II Trop. (most freq. in Cic.).
A In gen., to devote, dedicate, consecrate .
α With dat.: qui certis quibusdam sententiis quasi addicti et consecrati sunt, Cic. Tusc. 2, 2, 5: (corporis curandi) ars deorum immortalium inventioni consecrata, id. ib. 3, 1, 1.—
β Absol. : cui patriae nos totos dedere et in quā nostra omnia ponere et quasi consecrare debemus, to lay upon the altar of one's country , Cic. Leg. 2, 2, 5; cf.: consecrare opinionem in illo sanctissimo Hercule, id. Sest. 68, 143: vocabula, Quint. 1, 6, 41: Herculem modo et Patrem Liberum Consecratae immortalitatis exempla referebas, i. e. adduced as instances of deification , Curt. 8, 5, 16.—
B To hallow, recognize as holy (eccl. Lat.): sit Deus nobis non in templis sed in corde consecratus, Lact. de Ira Dei, 23, 28: secum habeat Deum semper in corde consecratum, quoniam ipse est Dei templum, id. 6, 25, 15: Deum in nostro pectore, Min. Fel. Oct. 32, 2.—
C To make immortal, immortalize : ratio disputandi (sc. Socratis) Platonis memoriā et litteris consecrata, Cic. Tusc. 5, 4, 11: amplissimis monumentis consecrare memoriam nominis tui, id. ad Q. Fr. 1, 1, 15, § 44: orator cum jam secretus et consecratus, liber invidiā, famam in tuto collocarit, Quint. 12, 11, 7: beneficium elegantissimo carmine, Val. Max. 1, 7, ext. 3.
XV —Hence, consē̆crātus ( -sā̆cr- ), a, um, P. a., consecrated, holy; in sup. : CONSACRATISSIMVS, Inscr. ap. Bellerm. Vig. Rom. Laterc. p. 72, n. 283.