tĕnĕo, tĕnŭi, tentum, 2 (perf. subj. tetinerim, Pac. ap. Non. 178, 15: tetinerit, Att. ib. 178, 12: tetinisse, Pac. ib. 178, 11; fut. perf. tetinero, acc. to Fest. p. 252 Müll. Another collat. form of the perf. tenivi, acc. to Charis. p. 220 P.; Diom. pp. 363 and 369 ib.), v. a. and n. [root ten-, tan-; Gr. τάνυμαι, τείνω; Sanscr. tanomi, to stretch, spread; this root appears in many derived meanings; cf. Lat.: tendo, tenuis, tener, tenor, tenus].
I Act. , to hold , keep , have in the hand, in the mouth, etc.
A Lit.
1 In gen.: Eu. Porrige bracchium, prehende: jam tenes? Cha. Teneo. Eu. Tene, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 42; cf. argentum, id. Pers. 3, 3, 9: cum pyxidem teneret in manu, Cic. Cael. 26, 63; for which: aliquid manu, Quint. 10, 7, 31; Ov. M. 11, 560; id. A. A. 1, 320; Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 34: aliquid dextrā, Ov. F. 1, 99: digitis, id. ib. 2, 102; id. M. 9, 86; 9, 522: lacertis, id. ib. 2, 100 al.: radicem ore, Cic. Div. 2, 68, 141: cibum ore, Phaedr. 1, 4, 6; for which: decoctum diu in ore, Plin. 25, 13, 105, § 166: aliquem in sinu, Ov. H. 3, 114; for which: aliquem sinu, id. ib. 13, 157: flabellulum, Ter. Eun. 598: facem, Verg. A. 6, 224: telum, Liv. 2, 19. — Prov.: manu tenere aliquid, to seize , grasp , or comprehend a thing which is palpable or evident: aliter leges, aliter philosophi tollunt astutias: leges, quātenus manu tenere possunt; philosophi, quātenus ratione et intellegentiā, Cic. Off. 3, 17, 68; cf.: cum res non conjecturā, sed oculis ac manibus teneretur, id. Clu. 7, 20. —
2 In partic.
a With the accessory idea of possession, to hold , i. e. to be master of , have in one’s power , possess , etc. (syn.: possideo, habeo): multa hereditatibus, multa emptionibus, multa dotibus tenebantur sine injuriā, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 81: quae tenuit dives Achaemenes, Hor. C. 2, 12, 21: Evander qui multis ante tempestatibus tenuerat loca, Liv. 1, 5: provinciam a praedonibus liberam, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 11, 32: colles praesidiis, Caes. B. C. 3, 43: Formiarum moenia et Lirim, Hor. C. 3, 17, 8: tenente Caesare terras, id. ib. 3, 14, 15: rem publicam, Cic. Mur. 39, 83; id. Sest. 19, 44: summam imperii, Caes. B. G. 3, 22: equitum centurias, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3: alterum cornu, to command , Nep. Pelop. 4, 3: provincias aliaque omnia, Sall. C. 39, 2: scenam, to have sole possession of, rule over , Suet. Tit. 7. — Of the possession of the object of affection: te tenet, Tib. 1, 6, 35; 2, 6, 52; Verg. E. 1, 32; Ov. H. 2, 103 Ruhnk.; 15, 88; id. Am. 3, 7, 3; Phaedr. 2, 2, 4.—In colloq. lang., teneo te, I have you once more , of again seeing the beloved person: teneone te, Antiphila, maxime animo exoptata meo? Ter. Heaut. 407 Ruhnk.; Sen. Ben. 7, 4; Ov. H. 18, 183; cf.: et comitem Aenean juxta natumque tenebat Ingrediens, Verg. A. 8, 308.—Also like our I have you (fast, bound, etc.): teneo te, inquam, nam ista Academiae est propria sententia, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 48, 148; id. Quint. 20, 63.— Absol. : qui tenent (sc. rem publicam), who are in possession of the State , of public affairs : qui tenent, qui potiuntur, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3; 2, 18, 1. —
b With the accessory idea of firmness, persistence, to hold fast , occupy; to watch , guard , defend; to maintain , retain a thing: legio locum non tenuit atque in proximum collem se recepit, Caes. B. C. 1, 44: montes teneri, id. B. G. 3, 2: haec noctu firmis praesidiis tenebantur, id. ib. 7, 69: Capitolia celsa tenebat, Verg. A. 8, 653: quo teneam Protea nodo? Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 90: te neque intra Claustra tenebo, id. C. 3, 11, 44; cf.: in manicis et Compedibus saevo te sub custode tenebo, id. Ep. 1, 16, 77: laqueis (se) sensit teneri ... fugam frustra tentabat; at illam Lenta tenet radix exsultantemque coërcet, Ov. M. 11, 74 sq.; 1, 535: Athenae tuae sempiternam in arce oleam tenere potuerunt, Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 2: agri qui diu aquam tenent, Pall. Apr. 2, 4: classem ibi tenebat, Liv. 31, 46, 8: secundissimo vento cursum tenere, to hold or keep one’s course , Cic. N. D. 3, 34, 83; cf.: vento intermisso cursum non tenuit, Caes. B. G. 5, 8; 4, 28; so, cursum, Cic. Planc. 21, 52; id. Rep. 1, 2, 3 fin. ; Quint. 4, 3, 13: quo iter, Verg. A. 1, 370; Plin. Ep. 6, 16, 10: (lunam) fingunt cursus viam sub sole tenere, Lucr. 5, 714: tenuit tamen vestigia Bucar, Liv. 29, 32, 6.—
c With the accessory idea of reaching the object aimed at, to reach , attain a place: montes effuso cursu Sabini petebant et pauci tenuere, Liv. 1, 37, 4: regionem, id. 30, 25, 11: Tenum, id. 36, 21, 1: terram, id. 37, 16, 4; 37, 11, 5; 37, 13, 4; 26, 29, 4: Hesperiam, Ov. F. 1, 498: portus, id. H. 18, 198; Tac. Agr. 38 fin. : cum quibus (navibus) Cythnum insulam tenuit, id. H. 2, 9.—
d With the accessory idea of movement impeded, to hold fast , hold back , hinder , restrain , detain , check , control , stay , etc.: naves, quae vento tenebantur, Caes. B. G. 4, 22: quid hic agatur, scire poteris ex eo, qui litteras attulit, quem diutius tenui, quia, etc., Cic. Att. 11, 3, 1: si id te non tenet, advola, id. Fam. 16, 19: septimum jam diem Corcyrae tenebamur, id. ib. 16, 7 init. : Marcellum ab gerundis rebus valetudo adversa Nolae tenuit, Liv. 24, 20, 7: non tenebo te pluribus, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3; cf. absol. : ne diutius teneam, id. Verr. 2, 1, 13, § 34: solutum (corpus) tenere, Cels. praef. med. ; cf. ventrem, id. 4, 19 med. : tene linguam, Ov. F. 2, 602: pecus omne tenendum, Verg. G. 2, 371: vix a te videor posse tenere manus, Ov. Am. 1, 4, 10; so, manus, id. M. 13, 203; cf.: manum stomachumque teneto, Hor. S. 2, 7, 44: saeva tene cum Berecyntio Cornu tympana, id. C. 1, 18, 13: et Phoebi tenuere viam, i. e. impeded , closed up , Luc. 5, 136: quo me decet usque teneri? Verg. A. 5, 384: lacrimas, Caes. B. G. 1, 39; so, lacrimas in morte miserā non tenebamus, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 67, § 172: dictator exercitum in stativis tenebat, Liv. 6, 14, 1. —
β Esp.: se tenere, to keep back , remain , stay : Sabinus castris sese tenebat, Caes. B. G. 3, 17; 1, 40; Liv. 2, 45, 2: nullā clade acceptā castris se pavidus tenebat, id. 3, 26, 3: Hasdrubal procul ab hoste intervallo tenebat se, id. 23, 26, 2: se domi a conventu remotum tenere, Nep. Dion, 9, 1: ego tamen teneo ab accusando vix me hercule: sed tamen teneo, restrain myself , refrain , Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 2, 2: nec se tenuit, quin, etc., id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 4, 12; cf. mid.: teneri non potui, quin tibi apertius illud idem his litteris declararem, id. Att. 15, 14, 2; Just. 6, 7, 10; cf.: se intra silentium tenuit, Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8: multum me intra silentium tenui, id. ib. 7, 6, 6.—
B Trop.
1 In gen., to hold , contain in the mind, to conceive , comprehend , know (syn.: percipio, intellego): nunc ego teneo, nunc scio, Quid sit hoc negotii, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 39: tenes Quorsum haec tendant quae loquor, id. Ps. 1, 2, 81: tenes, quid dicam? Ter. Heaut. 700: teneo, I understand , id. And. 86: teneo quid erret, id. ib. 498; Cic. Rep. 1, 23, 37; cf.: quibus capiatur Caesar, tenes, Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 5: quae a Romanis auguribus ignorantur, a Cilicibus ... Lyciis tenentur, Cic. Div. 1, 15, 25: quoniam ea, quae tenebatis ipsi, etiam ex me audire voluistis, id. Rep. 1, 46, 70: alicujus reconditos sensus, id. Sest. 10, 22: quo pacto cuncta tenerem, Hor. S. 2, 4, 8: et teneo melius ista, Mart. 4, 37, 7.—With inf.: nullus frugi esse homo potest, nisi qui et bene facere et male tenet, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 10; Lucr. 3, 647.—
2 In partic.
a To have possession of , have the mastery of , to control any thing: cum rem publicam opes paucorum non virtutes tenere coeperunt, Cic. Rep. 1, 34, 51.—
b To hold fast , guard , preserve , uphold , keep , insist (syn. servo): sin consuetudinem meam, quam in re publicā semper habui, tenuero, Cic. Phil. 1, 11, 27: ordinem, id. ib. 5, 13, 35: portum, id. Fam. 1, 9, 21: statum, id. Rep. 1, 28, 44: non tenebat ornatum suum civitas, id. ib. 1, 27, 43: si jus suum populi teneant, id. ib. 1, 32, 48: nec diutius umquam tenetur idem rei publicae modus, id. ib. 1, 44, 68: est boni viri, haec duo tenere in amicitiā, etc., id. Lael. 18, 65: morem, id. Off. 3, 10, 44; so id. Fl. 7, 15; Verg. A. 3, 408: foedus, Cic. Balb. 15, 34: tenebat non modo auctoritatem, sed etiam imperium in suos, id. Sen. 11, 37: silentium, Liv. 1, 28, 8.—
c To hold fast , maintain , support , defend , uphold , insist : illud arcte tenent accurateque defendunt, voluptatem esse summum bonum, hold fast , maintain , Cic. Par. 1, 3, 14; cf.: illud, quod multos annos tenuisset, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 22, 71; and: quod idem Peripatetici non tenent, id. Fin. 3, 13, 44: propositum tenere, to maintain , Caes. B. C. 3, 42, 1: suas leges, Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 13: causam apud centumviros, id. Caecin. 24, 67: quo causae teste tenentur, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 43: locum quendam cum aliquo, Cic. Brut. 21, 81.— With ne : plebs tenuit, ne consules in proximum annum crearentur, Liv. 4, 30, 16: ne quid ferretur ad populum, patres tenuere, id. 3, 29, 8; 24, 19, 7. — With ut : tenuere patres, ut Fabius consul crearetur, Liv. 2, 42, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.: scripseram tenuisse Varenum ut sibi evocare testes liceret, Plin. Ep. 6, 5, 1.—
d Of memory: alicujus memoriam cum summā benevolentiā tenere, to recollect , preserve a recollection of , Cic. Fam. 6, 2, 1.—Esp.: memoriā tenere: memoriā tenetis, compluris in Capitolio res de caelo esse percussas, you remember , Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19; id. Fam. 1, 9, 12; Caes. B. G. 1, 14; cf.: memoriā teneo, C. Sulpicium Gallum, etc., Cic. Rep. 1, 14, 21; v. memoria; so without memoria, to bear in mind , remember , recollect : satin' haec meministi et tenes? Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 1: numeros memini, si verba tenerem, Verg. E. 9, 45: dicta tenere, Hor. A. P. 336; id. S. 2, 4, 8: quem (Cyrum) omnia militum tenuisse creditum est nomina, Quint. 11, 2, 50; 11, 2, 45.—
e To reach an object striven after, to gain , acquire , obtain , attain (syn. assequor): per cursum rectum regnum tenere, Cic. Agr. 2, 17, 44: Servium Tullium post hunc captivā natum, ingenio virtute regnum tenuisse, Liv. 4, 3, 12: teneri res aliter non potest, Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3: multa tenuisse, Liv. 42, 11, 8: causam, Ov. M. 13, 190.—
f To hold , hold back , repress , restrain , bind , fetter , etc. (syn.: refreno, retineo): iracundiam teneat, avaritiam coërceat, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 33: dolorem, id. Att. 12, 38, 2: cupiditates, id. Verr. 2, 3, 1, § 3: somnum, id. Brut. 80, 278: risum, id. Vatin. 8, 20; Hor. A. P. 5: iram, Curt. 4, 2, 5: ea, quae occurrant, tenere, to hold back , keep to themselves , Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 221.—
g Of laws, etc., to bind , hold , obligate , be binding on , control , etc.: quamquam leges eum non tenent, Cic. Phil. 11, 5, 11; cf.: interdicto non teneri, id. Caecin. 14, 41: voto quodam et promisso teneri, id. Att. 12, 18, 1: ut plebi scita omnes Quirites tenerent, Liv. 8, 12, 14; cf.: olim patricii dicebant se plebi scitis non teneri, Gai. Inst. 1, 3: cum velut in controverso jure esset, tenerenturne patres plebi scitis, legem tulere, ut quod tributim plebis jussisset, populum teneret, Liv. 3, 55, 3: teneri alienis foederibus, id. 24, 29, 11: poenā teneri, to be subject or liable to , Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5: testibus in re perspicuā teneri, to be convicted , id. Caecin. 2, 4; cf.: nemo ita in manifesto peccatu tenebatur, ut, etc., id. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 191: caedis teneri, Quint. 5, 14, 11: teneri repetundarum, Tac. A. 11, 7 fin. : furti, Dig. 6, 1, 4: injuriarum, ib. 47, 10, 11: mandati, ib. 17, 1, 10.—Transf.: nisi illi ipsi, qui eas (libidines) frangere deberent, cupiditatis ejusdem tenerentur, Cic. Leg. 3, 13, 31 Mos. and Orell. N. cr. —
h Of dispositions, desires, etc., to possess , occupy , control : quae te tanta pravitas mentis tenuerit, ut, etc., has had possession of you , Cic. Vatin. 6, 14: summum me eorum (librorum) studium tenet, id. Att. 1, 11, 3: magna me spes tenet, id. Tusc. 1, 41, 97: de triumpho nulla me cupiditas umquam tenuit, id. Att. 7, 2, 6: si consilio pulso libidines iracundiaeve tenerent omnia, id. Rep. 1, 38, 60: nisi forte quem inhonesta et perniciosa libido tenet, Sall. J. 3, 4: neque irā neque gratiā teneri, to be controlled or influenced , Cic. N. D. 1, 17, 45; so, teneri desiderio, id. Sen. 10, 33: studio philosophiae, id. Ac. 1, 2, 4: magno amore, Verg. A. 1, 675: pompā, ludis atque ejusmodi spectaculis teneri, to be enchained, fascinated , Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 48; cf.: ut oculi picturā teneantur, aures cantibus, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 7, 20: is qui audit, ab oratore jam obsessus est ac tenetur, id. Or. 62, 210.—With ne , Ov. M. 7, 146. —
k To take in , comprise , comprehend , include : haec magnos formula reges, Excepto sapiente, tenet, Hor. S. 2, 3, 46.—More freq. pass. : teneri aliquā re, to be contained , comprised , grounded , to consist in a thing: ut homines deorum agnatione et gente teneantur, Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 23: id quod (genus officiorum) teneatur hominum societate, id. Off. 1, 45, 160: quae (causae) familiaritate et consuetudine tenentur, id. Fam. 13, 29, 1: dixi jam antea, ipsam rationem arandi spe magis et jucunditate quadam quam fructu atque emolumento teneri, id. Verr. 2, 3, 98, § 227.
II Neutr. (freq. after the Aug. per.; perh. not in Cic.).
A Lit.
1 To hold a position anywhere, maintain one’s self : quā abscisae rupes erant, statio paucorum armatorum tenebat, Liv. 32, 5, 12: duo extra ordinem milia tenuere, id. 3, 62, 7: tenent Danai, quā deficit ignis, Verg. A. 2, 505.—
2 For cursum tenere, to hold or take one’s way , to sail , steer in any direction: Aeneam ... ab Siciliā classe ad Laurentem agrum tenuisse, Liv. 1, 1, 4: Cassandream petentes, primo ad Mendin tenuere, Liv. 31, 45, 14: ad Mendaeum, id. 21, 49, 2: Diam, Ov. M. 3, 690: Creten, id. ib. 13, 706: Hesperiam, id. F. 1, 498: Ausoniam, id. ib. 4, 290 al.: medio tutissimus ibis ... Inter utrumque tene, Ov. M. 2, 140.—
B Trop., with the accessory idea of continuance (cf. I. A. 2. b. and B. 2. b. supra), to hold out , hold on , last , endure , continue , maintain itself , prevail , etc. (cf. obtineo): imber per noctem totam tenuit, Liv. 23, 44, 6; cf.: incendium per duas noctes ac diem unum tenuit, id. 24, 47, 15: per aliquot dies ea consultatio tenuit, id. 2, 3, 5; 3, 47, 6: tenet fama, lupam, etc., id. 1, 4, 6: quod nunc quoque tenet nomen, id. 1, 17, 6: fama tenuit, haud plus fuisse modio, id. 23, 12, 2; 21, 46, 10: tenuit consuetudo, quae cottidie magis invalescit, ut, etc., Quint. 2, 1, 1 Spald.; so, consuetudo, ut, etc., id. 8, 5, 2: nomen illud tenet, id. 9, 4, 47 Spald.; cf. Ov. M. 1, 712.