sublīmis, e (collat. form sublīmus, a, um: ex sublimo vertice, Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 7, 19; Enn. ap. Non. 169; Att. and Sall. ib. 489, 8 sq.; Lucr. 1, 340), adj. [etym. dub.; perh. sub-limen, up to the lintel; cf. sublimen] (sublimem est in altitudinem elatum, Fest. p. 306 Müll.), uplifted, high, lofty, exalted, elevated (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; not in Cic. or Caes.; syn.: editus, arduus, celsus, altus).
I Lit.
A In gen., high , lofty : hic vertex nobis semper sublimis, Verg. G. 1, 242; cf. Hor. C. 1, 1, 36: montis cacumen, Ov. M. 1, 666: tectum, id. ib. 14, 752: columna, id. ib. 2, 1: atrium, Hor. C. 3, 1, 46: arcus (Iridis), Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 151: portae, Verg. A. 12, 133: nemus, Luc. 3, 86 et saep.: os, directed upwards (opp. to pronus), Ov. M. 1, 85; cf. id. ib. 15, 673; Hor. A. P. 457: flagellum, uplifted , id. C. 3, 26, 11: armenta, Col. 3, 8: currus, Liv. 28, 9.— Comp. : quanto sublimior Atlas Omnibus in Libyā sit montibus, Juv. 11, 24.— Sup. : triumphans in illo sublimissimo curru, Tert. Apol. 33.—
B Esp., borne aloft , uplifted , elevated , raised : rapite sublimem foras, Plaut. Mil. 5, 1: sublimem aliquem rapere (arripere, auferre, ferre), id. As. 5, 2, 18; id. Men. 5, 7, 3; 5, 7, 6; 5, 7, 13; 5, 8, 3; Ter. And. 861; id. Ad. 316; Verg. A. 5, 255; 11, 722 (in all these passages others read sublimen, q. v.); Ov. M 4, 363 al.: campi armis sublimibus ardent, borne aloft , lofty , Verg. A. 11, 602: sublimes in equis redeunt, id. ib. 7, 285: apparet liquido sublimis in aëre Nisus, id. G. 1, 404; cf.: ipsa (Venus) Paphum sublimis abit, on high through the air , id. A. 1, 415: sublimis abit, Liv. 1, 16; 1, 34: vehitur, Ov. M. 5, 648 al.—
C On high , lofty , in a high position : tenuem texens sublimis aranea telum, Cat. 68, 49: juvenem sublimem stramine ponunt, Verg. A. 11, 67: sedens solio sublimis avito, Ov. M. 6, 650: Tyrio jaceat sublimis in ostro, id. H. 12, 179.—
D Subst.: sublīme , is, n., height; sometimes to be rendered the air : piro per lusum in sublime jactato, Suet. Claud. 27; so, in sublime, Auct. B. Afr. 84, 1; Plin. 10, 38, 54, § 112; 31, 6, 31, § 57: per sublime volantes grues, id. 18, 35, 87, § 362: in sublimi posita facies Dianae, id. 36, 5, 4, § 13: ex sublimi devoluti, id. 27, 12, 105, § 129.— Plur. : antiquique memor metuit sublimia casus, Ov. M. 8, 259: per maria ac terras sublimaque caeli, Lucr. 1, 340.—
II Trop., lofty , exalted , eminent , distinguished.
A In gen.: antiqui reges ac sublimes viri, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9; cf. Luc. 10, 378: mens, Ov. P. 3, 3, 103: pectora, id. F. 1, 301: nomen, id. Tr. 4, 10, 121: sublimis, cupidusque et amata relinquere pernix, aspiring , Hor. A. P. 165; cf.: nil parvum sapias et adhuc sublimia cures, id. Ep. 1, 12, 15.— Comp. : quā claritate nihil in rebus humanis sublimius duco, Plin. 22, 5, 5, § 10; Juv. 8, 232.— Sup. : sancimus supponi duos sublimissimos judices, Cod. Just. 7, 62, 39.—
B In partic., of language, lofty , elevated , sublime (freq. in Quint.): sublimia carmina, Juv. 7, 28: verbum, Quint. 8, 3, 18: clara et sublimia verba, id. ib.: oratio, id. 8, 3, 74: genus dicendi, id. 11, 1, 3: actio (opp. causae summissae), id. 11, 3, 153: si quis sublimia humilibus misceat, id. 8, 3, 60 et saep.—Transf., of orators, poets, etc.: natura sublimis et acer, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 165: sublimis et gravis et grandiloquus (Aeschylus), Quint. 10, 1, 66: Trachalus plerumque sublimis, id. 10, 1, 119.— Comp. : sublimior gravitas Sophoclis, Quint. 10, 1, 68: sublimius aliquid, id. 8, 3, 14: jam sublimius illud pro Archiā, Saxa atque solitudines voci respondent, id. 8, 3, 75.—Hence, advv.
1 Lit., aloft , loftily , on high.
α Form sub-līmĭter ( rare ): stare, upright , Cato R. R. 70, 2; so id. ib. 71: volitare, Col. 8, 11, 1: munitur locus, id. 8, 15, 1.—
β Form sub-līme ( class. ): Theodori nihil interest, humine an sublime putescat, Cic. Tusc. 1, 43, 102; cf.: scuta, quae fuerant sublime fixa, sunt humi inventa, id. Div. 2, 31, 67: volare, Lucr. 2, 206; 6, 97: ferri, Cic. Tusc. 1, 17, 40; id. N. D. 2, 39, 101; 2, 56, 141 Orell. N. cr. : elati, Liv. 21, 30: expulsa, Verg. G. 1, 320 et saep.—
b Comp. : sublimius altum Attollit caput, Ov. Hal. 69.—
2 Trop., of speech, in a lofty manner , loftily (very rare): alia sublimius, alia gravius esse dicenda, Quint. 9, 4, 130.