unselfishly

* * *

abs-tĭnĕo, ŭi, tentum, 2, v. a and n. [teneo], to keep off or away, to hold back, to hold at a distance. In the comic writers and Cic. this verb is in most cases purely active, hence constr. with aliquem (or se) re or ab re; the neuter signif. first became prevalent in the Aug. per. = se abstinere.

Act.:

dum ted abstineas nuptā, viduā, virgine, etc.,

Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 37:

urbanis rebus te,

id. Cas. 1, 1, 13; id. Men. 5, 6, 20; Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 132: manus a muliere, Lucil. ap. Non. 325, 32; cf.:

manus abstineant,

Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 11:

amor abstinendust (apstandust, R.),

id. ib. 2, 1, 30:

me ostreis et muraenis facile abstinebam,

Cic. Fam. 7, 26:

ab alienis mentes, oculos, manus, de Or. 1, 43: manus animosque ab hoc scelere,

id. Verr. 1, 12 fin.:

se nullo dedecore,

id. Fin. 3, 11, 38:

se cibo,

Caes. B. C. 8, 44:

ne ab obsidibus quidem iram belli hostis abstinuit,

Liv. 2, 16:

aliquos ab legatis violandis,

id. 2, 22:

se armis,

id. 8, 2 al. —Hence:

manum a se,

to abstain from suicide, Cic. Tusc. 4, 37 al.

Neutr.: abstinere, to abstain from a thing; constr. with abl., ab, inf., quin or quominus, the gen., or absol.

With abl.:

haud abstinent culpā,

Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 18 Ritschl:

injuriā,

Cic. Off. 3, 17, 72:

fabā (Pythagorei),

id. Div. 2, 58, 119:

proelio,

Caes. B. G. 1, 22, 3:

pugnā,

Liv. 2, 45, 8:

senatorio ambitu,

Tac. A. 4, 2:

manibus,

id. Hist. 2, 44:

auribus principis,

to spare them, id. Ann. 13, 14:

sermone Graeco,

Suet. Tib. 71:

publico abstinuit,

did not go out, id. Claud. 36 al. — Impers.:

ne a me quidem abstinuit,

Cic. de Or. 3, 43, 171:

ut seditionibus abstineretur,

Liv. 3, 10, 7; so id. 5, 50, 7.—

With ab:

ut ne a mulieribus quidem atque infantibus abstinerent,

Caes. B. G. 7, 47, 5.—

With inf.:

dum mi abstineant invidere,

if they only cease to envy me, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 2; so Suet. Tib. 23.—

With quin or quominus:

aegre abstinent, quin castra oppugnent,

Liv. 2, 45, 10: ut ne clarissimi quidem viri abstinuerint, quominus et ipsi aliquid de eā scriberent, Suet. Gram. 3.—( * e) With the gen. (in Greek construction like the Greek apechesthai tinos):

abstineto irarum calidaeque rixae,

Hor. C. 3, 27, 69 (cf. infra, abstinens).—

Absol.:

te scio facile abstinere posse,

Plaut. Aul. 2, 5, 19:

non tamen abstinuit,

Verg. A. 2, 534.—Esp. in med., to abstain from food:

abstinere debet aeger,

Cels. 2, 12, 2.—Hence, abstĭnens, entis, P. a., abstaining from (that which is unlawful), abstinent, temperate; constr absol. with abl., or poet. with gen.:

esse abstinentem, continere omnes cupiditates praeclarum est,

Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11:

praetorem decet non solum manus, sed etiam oculos abstinentes habere,

id. Off. 1, 40, 144:

impubi aut certe abstinentissime rebus venereis,

Col. 12, 4, 3:

animus abstinens pecuniae,

Hor. C. 4, 9, 37; so,

alieni abstinentissimus,

Plin. Ep. 6, 8, 5; and:

somni et vini sit abstinentissimus,

Col. 11, 1, 3.— Comp., Auson. Grat. Act. 28.— Sup., Col. and Plin. l. l.— Adv.: abstĭnenter, unselfishly, Cic. Sest. 16, 37.— Comp., Augustin. Mor. Manich. 2, 13.