per-pĕtŭus, a, um, adj. (comp. perpetuior, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 601 P.; sup. perpetuissimus, id. ib.) [peto],
I continuing throughout , continuous , unbroken , uninterrupted; constant , universal , general , entire , whole , perpetual (syn.: continuus, assiduus): sulcos perpetuos ducere, Cato R. R. 33: quin aedes totae perpetuae ruant, Plaut. Most. 1, 2, 67: agmen, Cic. Pis. 22, 51: munitiones, Caes. B. C. 3, 44: palus, id. B. G. 7, 26: milites disposuit perpetuis vigiliisque stationibusque, id. B. C. 1, 21: perpetuis soliti patres considere mensis, Verg. A. 7, 176: vescitur Aeneas ... perpetui tergo bovis, id. ib. 8, 182: Apenninus perpetuis jugis ab Alpibus tendens ad Siculum fretum, Plin. 3, 5, 7, § 48: tractus, id. 6, 20, 23, § 73: oratio perpetua (opp. altercatio), Cic. Att. 1, 16, 8; cf. Liv. 4, 6: disputatio, Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 16; id. Top. 26, 97: quaestiones perpetuae hoc adulescente constitutae sunt, a standing commission , a permanent tribunal for criminal investigation , id. Brut. 27, 105: perpetua historia, a continuous or general history , id. Fam. 5, 12, 2: colere te usque perpetuom diem, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 78: diem perpetuum in laetitiā degere, this whole day , Ter. Ad. 521: triduum, id. ib. 520: biennium, id. Hec. 87: ignis Vestae perpetuus ac sempiternus, Cic. Cat. 4, 9, 18: lex perpetua et aeterna, id. N. D. 1, 15, 40: stellarum perennes cursus atque perpetui, id. ib. 2, 21, 55. stabilis et perpetua permansio, id. Inv. 2, 54, 164: voluntas mea perpetua et constans in rem publicam, id. Phil. 13, 6, 13: formido, Verg. E. 4, 14: assidua et perpetua cura, Cic. Fam. 6, 13, 2: perpetui scrinia Sili, of the immortal Silius , Mart. 6, 64, 10.—As subst.: perpĕtŭum , i, n., the abiding , permanent (opp. temporale), Lact. 2, 8, 68.—Hence: in perpetuum (sc. tempus), for all time , forever , in perpetuity , constantly : mulier repperit odium ocius Suā inmunditiā, quam in perpetuom ut placeat munditia sua. Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 6: serva tibi in perpetuom amicum me, id. Capt. 2, 3, 81: in perpetuum comprimi, Cic. Cat. 1, 12, 30; id. Agr. 2, 21, 55: obtinere aliquid in perpetuum, id. Rosc. Am. 48, 139: non in perpetuum irascetur, Vulg. Psa. 102, 9 et saep.—So, in perpetuum modum = perpetuo, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 5.—
II In partic.
A That holds constantly and universally , universal , general : perpetui juris et universi generis quaestio, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 141: nec arbitror perpetuum quicquam in hoc praecipi posse, Plin. 17, 2, 2, § 19: ne id quidem perpetuum est, does not always hold good , Cels. 2, 10: illud in quo quasi certamen est controversiae ... id ita dici placet, ut traducatur ad perpetuam quaestionem, to a general principle , Cic. Or. 36, 126.—
B In augury: perpetua fulmina, perpetual lightnings , i. e. whose prognostics refer to one's whole life , Sen. Q. N. 2, 47, 1.—
C In gram.: perpetuus modus, the infinitive mood , Diom. p. 331 P. —Hence, adv., in three forms, perpetuo (class.), perpetuum (poet.), and perpetue (late Lat.).
1 perpĕtŭō , constantly , uninterruptedly , perpetually , always , forever , utterly , hopelessly : perpetuon' valuisti? Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 15: metuo ne technae meae perpetuo perierint, id. Most. 3, 1, 23: dico ut perpetuo pereas, id. Pers. 2, 4, 10; so, perpetuo perire, Ter. Eun. 1043: opinionem retinere, Cic. Agr. 3, 1, 2: loquens, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 19, 63: sub imperio esse, Caes. B. G. 1, 31; Ov. M. 10, 97.—
2 perpĕtŭum , constantly , uninterruptedly , perpetually : uti, Stat. S. 1, 1, 99.—
3 perpĕtŭē , constantly , Cassiod. in Psa. 62, 4.