possĭdĕo (archaic orthogr. POSIDET, Epitaphs of the Scipios; Sentent. de Limit. Genuat. Rudorff; in the latter also POSIDENT, POSIDEBVNT, POSIDETO, POSIDERE, as well as POSEDEIT and POSEDET, for possedit), sēdi, sessum, 2, v. a. [old prep. port; Gr. προτί, πρός (v. pono), and sedeo], to have and hold, to be master of, to own, possess (syn.: teneo, habeo).
I Lit.: uti nunc possidetis eum fundum q. d. a. (i. e. quo de agitur), quod nec vi nec clam nec precario alter ab altero possidetis, ita possidentis: adversus ea vim fieri veto, an ancient formula of the praetor, Fest. p. 233 Müll.: qui in alienā potestate sunt, rem peculiarem tenere possunt, habere et possidere non possunt: quia possessio non tantum corporis, sed etiam juris est, Dig. 41, 2, 49: ex edicto bona possidere, Cic. Quint. 6, 25: partem agri, Caes. B. G. 6, 11: solum bello captum, Liv. 26, 11: Galli Italiam maximis plurimisque urbibus possident, Just. 38, 4, 9: uniones, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 119.—
b Absol. , to have possessions , to possess lands , be settled : juxta litora maris possidere, Dig. 47, 9, 7: possidere trans flumen, ib. 43, 14, 1.—
B Transf., for possido, to take possession of , to occupy (very rare except in eccl. and late Lat.): ego possideo plus Pallante, Juv. 1, 108: quot agri jugera? id. 3, 141: ferro septus possidet sedes sacras, Att. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 102; Auct. Her. 1, 11, 19: forum armatis catervis perditorum hominum, Cic. Dom. 42, 110 (dub.): magister, quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo, Vulg. Luc. 10, 25: iniqui regnum Dei non possidebunt, id. 1 Cor. 6, 9 et saep. —
2 To occupy , abide in a place (poet.): victrix possidet umbra nemus, Mart. 6, 76, 6: Zephyri possidet aura nemus, Prop. 1, 19, 2; Luc. 2, 454.—
II Trop., to possess , to have a thing (class.): possidere nomen, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 27: palmam, id. Most. 1, 1, 31: secli mores in se, id. Truc. prol. 13: inverecundum animi ingenium, Poët. ap. Cic. Inv. 1, 45, 83: plus fidei quam artis, plus veritatis quam disciplinae possidet in se, Cic. Rosc. Com. 6, 17; id. Rosc. Am. 24, 66; Ov. F. 1, 586: possedit favorem plebis Clodius, Val. Max. 3, 5, 3.