verto (vorto), ti, sum, 3 (inf. vortier, Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 48; Lucr. 1, 710; 2, 927; 5, 1199 al.), v. a. and n. [Sanscr. root vart-, to apply one's self, turn; cf. vart-ukas, round].
I Act. , to turn , to turn round or about (syn.: verso, contorqueo).
A Lit.: (luna) eam partem, quaecumque est ignibus aucta, Ad speciem vertit nobis, Lucr. 5, 724: speciem quo, id. 4, 242: ora huc et huc, Hor. Epod. 4, 9: terga, Ov. Tr. 3, 5, 6: gradu discedere verso, id. M. 4, 338: verso pede, id. ib. 8, 869: pennas, i. e. to fly away , Prop. 2, 24, 22 (3, 19, 6): cardinem, Ov. M. 14, 782: fores tacito cardine, Tib. 1, 6, 12: cadum, to turn or tip up , Hor. C. 3, 29, 2: versā pulvis inscribitur hastā, inverted , Verg. A. 1, 478: verte hac te, puere, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 29; cf.: verti me a Minturnis Arpinum versus, Cic. Att. 16, 10, 1: cum haesisset descendenti (virgini) stola, vertit se et recollegit, Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 9: ante tuos quotiens verti me, perfida, postes, Prop. 1, 16, 43: Pompeiani se verterunt et loco cesserunt, turned about , wheeled about , fled , Caes. B. C. 3, 51; cf.: vertere terga, to turn one's back , run away , betake one's self to flight , id. B. G. 1, 53; 3, 21; id. B. C. 1, 47; 3, 63 fin. ; Liv. 1, 14, 9; cf. also: hostem in fugam, to put to flight , rout , id. 30, 33, 16; Auct. B. Afr. 17: iter retro, Liv. 28, 3, 1: hiems (piscis) ad hoc mare, Hor. Epod. 2, 52: fenestrae in viam versae, turned or directed towards , looking towards , Liv. 1, 41, 4; cf.: mare ad occidentem versum, id. 36, 15, 9: Scytharum gens ab oriente ad septentrionem se vertit, Curt. 7, 7, 3: (Maeander) nunc ad fontes, nunc in mare versus, Ov. M. 8, 165: terram aratro, to turn up or over , to plough , etc., Hor. S. 1, 1, 28: ferro terram, Verg. G. 1, 147: glaebas (aratra), Ov. M. 1, 425; 5, 477: solum bidentibus, Col. 4, 5: agros bove, Prop. 3, 7, 43 (4, 6, 43): collem, Col. 3, 13, 8: freta lacertis (in rowing), Verg. A. 5, 141: ex illā pecuniā magnam partem ad se vortit, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 17, 57.—Mid.: vertier ad lapidem, to turn or incline one's self towards , Lucr. 5, 1199: congressi ... ad caedem vertuntur, Liv. 1, 7, 2; so, versi in fugam hostes, Tac. H. 2, 26; cf.: Philippis versa acies retro, Hor. C. 3, 4, 26: sinit hic violentis omnia verti Turbinibus, to whirl themselves about , Lucr. 5, 503: magnus caeli si vortitur orbis, id. 5, 510: vertitur interea caelum, revolves , Verg. A. 2, 250: squamarum serie a caudā ad caput versā, reaching , Plin. 28, 8, 30, § 119.—
B Trop.
1 In gen., to turn : ne ea, quae reipublicae causa egerit, in suam contumeliam vertat, Caes. B. C. 1, 8: in suam rem litem vertendo, Liv. 3, 72, 2: usum ejus (olei) ad luxuriam vertere Graeci, Plin. 15, 4, 5, § 19; cf.: aliquid in rem vertere, turn to account , make profitable , Dig. 15, 3, 1 sqq.: edocere, quo sese vertant sortes, Enn. Trag. v. 64 Vahl.; Verg. A. 1, 671: ne sibi vitio verterent, quod abesset a patriā, Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1: idque omen in Macedonum metum verterunt Tyrii, Curt. 4, 2, 13: in religionem vertentes comitia biennic habita, making a matter of religious scruple , Liv. 5, 14, 2: aquarum insolita magnitudo in religionem versa, id. 30, 38, 10; cf. id. 26, 11, 3: id ipsum quod iter belli esset obstructum, in prodigium et omen imminentium cladium vertebatur, Tac. H. 1, 86 fin. : vertere in se Cotyi data, to appropriate , id. A. 2, 64: perii! quid agam? quo me vertam? Ter. Hec. 516: quo se verteret, non habebat, Cic. Phil. 2, 29, 74; id. Div. 2, 72, 149: Philippus totus in Persea versus, inclined towards him , Liv. 40, 5, 9: toti in impetum atque iram versi, id. 25, 16, 19: si bellum omne eo vertat, id. 26, 12, 13: di vortant bene, Quod agas, cause to turn out well , prosper , Ter. Hec. 196; cf. infra, II. B.; so, in melius somnia, Tib. 3, 4, 95.—
2 In partic.
a To turn , i. e. to change , alter , transform (syn. muto): Juppiter In Amphitruonis vortit sese imaginem, Plaut. Am. prol. 121: in anginam ego nunc me velim vorti, id. Most. 1, 3, 61: omnes natura cibos in corpora viva Vertit, Lucr. 2, 880: vertunt se fluvii frondes et pabula laeta In pecudes; vertunt pecudes in corpora nostra Naturam, id. 2, 875 sq.; cf.: cum terra in aquam se vertit, Cic. N. D. 3, 12, 31: verte omnis tete in facies, Verg. A. 12, 891: ego, quae memet in omnia verti, id. ib. 7, 309: tot sese vertit in ora, id. ib. 7, 328: inque deum de bove versus erat, Ov. F. 5, 616: Auster in Africum se vertit, Caes. B. C. 3, 26 fin. ; cf. Liv. 30, 24, 7: semina malorum in contrarias partes se vertere, Cic. Div. 2, 14, 33: omnia versa et mutata in pejorem partem, id. Rosc. Am. 36, 103: cur nunc tua quisquam Vertere jussa potest, Verg. A. 10, 35: hic continentiam et moderationem in superbiam ac lasciviam vertit, Curt. 6, 6, 1; cf.: fortuna hoc militiae probrum vertit in gloriam, id. 9, 10, 28: versus civitatis status, Tac. A. 1, 4: versis ad prospera fatis, Ov. H. 16, 89: solum, to change one's country , i. e. to emigrate or go into exile , Cic. Balb. 11, 28; Amm. 15, 3, 11 et saep.; v. solum. —With abl. (rare and poet.): nullā tamen alite verti Dignatur, Ov. M. 10, 157; cf. muto.—Prov.: in fumum et cinerem vertere, to turn into smoke , dissipate , Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 39.—Mid.: omnia vertuntur: certe vertuntur amores, Prop. 2, 8, 7 (9): saevus apertam In rabiem coepit verti jocus, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 149.—
b To exchange , interchange : nos divitem istum meminimus adque iste pauperes nos; vorterunt sese memoriae, Plaut. Truc. 2, 1, 11; cf.: vorsis gladiis depugnarier, id. Cas. 2, 5, 36.—
c Of literary productions, to turn into another language , to translate (syn.: transfero, interpretor, reddo): Philemo scripsit, Plautus vortit barbare, Plaut. Trin. prol. 19: si sic verterem Platonem, ut verterunt nostri poëtae fabulas, Cic. Fin. 1, 3, 7: verti etiam multa de Graecis, id. Tusc. 2, 11, 26: annales Acilianos ex Graeco in Latinum sermonem vertit, Liv. 25, 39, 12.—
d To ply : stimulos sub pectore vertit Apollo, i. e. stimulates the fury , Verg. A. 6, 101.—
e In partic., like our to turn upside down, i. e. to overturn , overthrow , subvert , destroy (= everto): Callicratidas cum multa fecisset egregie, vertit ad extremum omnia, Cic. Off. 1, 24, 84: agerent, verterent cuncta, Tac. H. 1, 2; id. A. 2, 42; 3, 36: Cycnum Vi multā, Ov. M. 12, 139: fluxas Phrygiae res fundo, Verg. A. 10, 88; 1, 20; 2, 652: vertere ab imo moenia Trojae, id. ib. 5, 810: Ilion fatalis incestusque judex ... vertit in pulverem, Hor. C. 3, 3, 20: proceras fraxinos, id. ib. 3, 25, 16: ab imo regna, Sen. Hippol. 562: Penates, id. Troad. 91: puppem, Luc. 3, 650: fortunas, Amm. 28, 3, 1.—
f Mid., from the idea of turning round in a place, to be engaged in , to be in a place or condition; also to turn , rest , or depend upon a thing: jam homo in mercaturā vortitur, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 109: res in periculo vortitur, id. Merc. 1, 2, 12; Phaedr. 2, 8, 19; so, res vertitur in majore discrimine, Liv. 6, 36, 7: ipse catervis Vertitur in mediis, Verg. A. 11, 683: omnia in unius potestate ac moderatione vertentur, Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 20; so, spes civitatis in dictatore, Liv. 4, 31, 4: totum id in voluntate Philippi, id. 37, 7, 8: causa in jure, Cic. Brut. 39, 145: hic victoria, Verg. A. 10, 529: cum circa hanc consultationem disceptatio omnis verteretur, Liv. 36, 7, 1: puncto saepe temporis maximarum rerum momenta verti, id. 3, 27, 7.— Impers. : vertebatur, utrum manerent in Achaico concilio Lacedaemonii, an, etc., Liv. 39, 48, 3.—
g To ascribe , refer : quae fuerunt populis magis exitio quam fames morbique, quaeque alia in deum iras velut ultima malorum vertunt, Liv. 4, 9, 3 Weissenb. ad loc.: cum omnium secundorum adversorumque in deos verterent, id. 28, 11, 1.—
h = considero; exercitum majorum more vortere, Sall. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 5, 408 dub. (Sall. H. inc. 51 Dietsch ad loc.).
II Neutr. , to turn one's self , direct one's way , to turn about , to turn.
A Lit.: depulsi aemulatione alio vertunt, Tac. A. 1, 18: eoque audaciae provectum ut verteret, etc., id. ib. 4, 10: utinam mea vocula dominae vertat in auriculas! Prop. 1, 16, 28: versuros extemplo in fugam omnes ratus, Liv. 38, 26, 8 (but in Lucr. 5, 617 the correct read. is cancri se ut vortat).—
B Trop., to turn , change , etc.: jam verterat fortuna, Liv. 5, 49, 5: libertatem aliorum in suam vertisse servitutem conquerebantur, id. 2, 3, 3: totae solidam in glaciem vertere lacunae, Verg. G. 3, 365: verterat pernicies in accusatorem, Tac. A. 11, 37: quod si esset factum, detrimentum in bonum verteret, Caes. B. C. 3, 73 fin. : ea ludificatio veri in verum vertit, Liv. 26, 6, 16: talia incepta, ni in consultorem vertissent, reipublicae pestem factura, against , Sall. H. inc. 89 Dietsch: neque inmerito suum ipsorum exemplum in eos versurum, Liv. 7, 38, 6: si malus est, male res vortunt, quas agit, turn out badly , Plaut. Pers. 4, 1, 5; so, quae res tibi vertat male, Ter. Ad. 191: quod bene vertat, castra Albanos Romanis castris jungere jubet (= cum bonis omnibus), Liv. 1, 28, 1; 3, 62, 5; 3, 35, 8: quod bene verteret, Curt. 5, 4, 12; 7, 11, 14: hos illi (quod nec vertat bene), mittimus haedos, Verg. E. 9, 6.—
b Annus, mensis vertens, the course or space of a year , of a month : anno vertente sine controversiā (petisses), Cic. Quint. 12, 40; so, anno vertente, id. N. D. 2, 20, 53; Nep. Ages. 4, 4; cf.: apparuisse numen deorum intra finem anni vertentis, Cic. Phil. 13, 10, 22: tu si hanc emeris, Numquam hercle hunc mensem vortentem, credo, servibit tibi, Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 76; Macr. S. 1, 14.—
β Pregn.: annus vertens, the great year or cycle of the celestial bodies (a space of 15,000 solar years), Cic. Rep. 6, 22, 24.
XIX —Hence, ver-sus ( vors- ), or (much less freq.) ver-sum ( vors- ), adv., turned in the direction of , towards a thing; usu. after the name of a place to which motion is directed (orig. a part. , turned towards , facing , etc., and so always in Livy; cf. Liv. 1, 18, 6 Weissenb. ad loc.; 1, 41, 4; 9, 2, 15).
A Form versus (vors-).
1 After ad and acc.: T. Labienum ad Oceanum versus ... proficisci jubet, Caes. B. G. 6, 33: ad Alpes versus, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2: ad Cercinam insulam versus, Auct. B. Afr. 8, 3: ad Cordubam versus, Auct. B. Hisp. 11: modo ad Urbem, modo in Galliam versus, Sall. C. 56, 4. —
2 After in and acc.: in agrum versus, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 10: in forum versus, Cic. Lael. 25, 96: in Arvernos versus, Caes. B. G. 7, 8: si in urbem versus venturi erunt, Traj. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 78 (82), 3.—
3 After acc. alone (class. only with names of towns and small islands): verti me a Minturnis Arpinum versus, Cic. Att. 16, 10, 1: Brundisium versus, id. Fam. 11, 27, 3: Ambraciam versus, Caes. B. C. 3, 36: Massiliam versus, id. ib. 2, 3: Narbonem versus, id. B. G. 7, 7.—
4 After other advv. : deorsum versus, Cato R. R. 156, 4: sursum versus, Cic. Or. 39, 135: dimittit quoquo versus legationes, Caes. B. G. 7, 4: ut quaedam vocabula utroque versus dicantur, Gell. 5, 12, 10; cf. the adverbs deorsum, sursum, etc.—
B Form versum (vors-).
1 After ad and acc.: animadvertit fugam ad se versum fieri, Sall. J. 58, 4.—
2 After other advv. : cunas rursum vorsum trahere, Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 60 (63): lumbis deorsum versum pressis, Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 5: vineam sursum vorsum semper ducito, Cato R. R. 33, 1: cum undique versum circumfluat, Gell. 12, 13, 20: utroque vorsum rectum est ingenium meum, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 8.☞ Versus is said by many lexicons to be also a prep., but no ancient authority can be safely cited for this use. The true readings are: in Italiam versus, Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 1: adversus aedem, Liv. 8, 20, 8: in forum versus, Plin. 10, 43, 60, § 121; and perh. in oppidum, Auct. B. Hisp. 21.