mŏdĕror, ātus, 1 (inf. moderarier for moderari, Lucr. 5, 1298), v. dep. [modus], to set a measure, set bounds to a thing (syn.: tempero, rego, guberno).
I Lit., to moderate, mitigate, restrain, allay, temper, qualify; with dat. (class.): moderari linguae, Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 25: moderare animo, ne sis cupidus, id. Mil. 4, 5, 16: dictis, id. Curc. 1, 3, 39: alicui, Cic. Att. 5, 20, 9; cf.: moderari uxoribus, id. Rep. 4, 6, 16 (also ap. Non. 499, 15): quis illi finem statuet aut quis moderabitur, Sall. C. 51, 36: irae, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 59: fortunae suae, Liv. 37, 35, 5: animo et orationi, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 13: cursui, to sail slowly , Tac. A. 2, 70.—
β With acc. (post-Aug.): gaudium moderans, Tac. A. 2, 75: duritiam legum, Suet. Claud. 14: pretia, id. Dom. 7.—
II Transf., to manage, regulate, rule, guide, govern, direct (class. with acc.): senatum servire populo, cui populus ipse moderandi et regendi sui potestatem tradidisset? Cic. de Or. 1, 52, 226: deus, qui regit et moderatur et movet id corpus, id. Rep. 6, 24, 26: linguam, Sall. J. 82, 2: moderari equos ac flectere, Caes. B. G. 4, 33: habenas, Ov. M. 6, 223: hocine fieri, ut inmodestis te hic moderere moribus? i. e. immodeste te geras, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 44: res rusticas, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 98, § 227: officio consilia, id. Fin. 2, 25, 81: fidem blandius Orpheo, to strike more harmoniously , Hor. C. 1, 24, 14: mens quae omnia moderetur, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 37, 119: cantus numerosque, id. Tusc. 5, 36, 104.—With dat.: ego inscitus sum, qui ero me postulem moderarier, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 88: non vinum hominibus moderari, sed homines vino solent, id. Truc. 4, 3, 57: pleni moderari frena theatri, Juv. 10, 128: funiculo navi moderari, Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154.— Absol. : in utroque magis studia partium quam bona aut mala sua moderata (sunt), Sall. J. 73, 4: fortuna, cujus libido gentibus moderatur, id. C. 51, 25.