sursum (collat. form sursus, Lucr. 2, 188: susum, Cato R. R. 157, 15; Aug. Tract. 8, Ep. 1, Joan. 2; Tract. 10, 5; Lact. Mort. Pers. 19, 4: SVRVORSVM, Inscr. Grut. 204), adv. [contr. from sub-vorsum], from below, i. e. up, upwards, on high (opp. deorsum; class. and very freq.).
I Denoting motion: cum ex alto puteo sursum ad summum escenderis, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 14: ascendere in tectum, id. Am. 3, 4, 25: illuc, id. ib. 3, 4, 17: quid nunc supina sursum in caelum conspicis? id. Cist. 2, 3, 78: subducere susum animam, Cato R. R. 157, 15; cf. infra, II.: flammae expressae sursum (opp. deorsum ferri), Lucr. 2, 204: adspicit nil sursum, Mart. 1, 97, 11: sursum ac deorsum diducere, Tubero ap. Gell. 7 (6), 4, 3; Quint. 11, 3, 105.—
b Pleon. joined with versus (versum, vorsum), Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 123: vineam sursum vorsum semper ducito, Cato R. R. 33, 1; 32, 1: sursus enim vorsus gignuntur et augmina sumunt: Et sursum nitidae fruges arbustaque crescunt, Lucr. 2, 189: cum gradatim sursum versus reditur, Cic. Or. 39, 135; so, sursum versus, id. Part. Or. 7, 24; Lact. 3, 24, 1; Gell. 2, 1, 2; Varr. R. R. 1, 32 fin. —
c Sursum deorsum, up and down , to and fro : sursum deorsum ultro citroque commeantibus, Cic. N. D. 2, 33, 84: ne sursum deorsum cursites, Ter. Eun. 278.—Prov.: omnia ista sursum deorsum fortuna versavit, topsy-turvy , Sen. Ep. 44, 4; cf.: quod sursum est, deorsum faciunt, i. e. they turn every thing upside down , Petr. 65 fin. —
II Denoting situation or locality, high up , above (very rare): qui colunt deorsum, magis aestate laborant; qui sursum, magis hieme ... nec non sursum quam deorsum tardius seruntur ac metuntur, Varr. R. R. 1, 6, 3: praeterito hac rectā plateā sursum, Ter. Ad. 574: nares, quod omnis odor ad supera fertur, recte sursum sunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 56, 141.