lastingly

firmus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. dhar-, dharā-mi, hold, support; Gr. thra-, thrê-sasthai, to sit down, thrênus, thronos; cf.: frētus, frēnum], firm (in opp. to frail, destructible), steadfast, stable, strong, powerful (freq. and class.; esp. in the trop. sense; syn.: constans, stabilis, solidus).

Lit.:

nos fragili vastum ligno sulcavimus aequor: Quae tulit Aesoniden, firma carina fuit,

Ov. P. 1, 4, 35:

robora,

Verg. A. 2, 481:

arbor,

Ov. A. A. 2, 652:

vincula,

id. F. 1, 370:

janua,

i. e. shut fast, id. Am. 2, 12, 3; cf.

sera,

id. P. 1, 2, 24:

solum,

Curt. 5, 1:

firmioris testae murices,

Plin. 9, 33, 52, § 102: sunt et Amineae vites, firmissima vina. Verg. G. 2, 97:

firmo cibo pasta pecus,

strengthening, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 2:

firmius est triticum quam milium: id ipsum quam hordeum: ex tritico firmissima siligo,

Cels. 2, 18:

effice ut valeas, et ut ad nos firmus ac valens quam primum venias,

Cic. Fam. 16, 8, 1 and 2; cf.:

mihi placebat, si firmior esses, etc.,

id. ib. 16, 5, 1:

nondum satis firmo corpore,

id. ib. 11, 27, 1:

hinc remiges firmissimi, illinc inopia affectissimi,

Vell. 2, 84, 2.—With dat.:

area firma templis sustinendis,

Liv. 2, 5, 4:

testa in structura oneri ferendo firma,

Vitr. 2, 8, 19:

adversis,

Tac. Agr. 35 fin.

Trop., firm in strength or durability, also in opinion, affection, etc., fast, constant, steadfast, immovable, powerful, strong, true, faithful:

quae enim domus tam stabilis, quae tam firma civitas est, quae non odiis et discidiis funditus possit everti?

Cic. Lael. 7, 23:

res publica firma atque robusta,

id. Rep. 2, 1 fin.; cf.:

civitas imprimis firma,

Caes. B. G. 5, 54, 2:

Trinobantes prope firmissima earum regionum civitas,

id. ib. 5, 20, 1; cf.

also: Mutina firmissima et splendidissima colonia,

Cic. Phil. 5, 9, 24:

tres potentissimi ac firmissimi populi,

id. ib. 1, 3 fin.; and:

evocatorum firma manus,

id. Fam. 15, 4, 3: Antonius ab equitatu firmus esse dicebatur, strong in cavalry, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 15, 2.— With ad and acc.: satis firmus ad castra facienda, Pomp. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, 1:

Chrysippi consolatio ad veritatem firmissima est,

Cic. Tusc. 3, 33, 79:

exercitus satis firmus ad tantum bellum,

Liv. 23, 25, 6; cf.:

cohortes minime firmae ad dimicandum,

Caes. B. G. 7, 60, 2; Sall. H. 4, 62, 16.— With contra: Jugurtha nihil satis firmum contra Metellum putat, Sall. J. 80, 1.—With adversus:

firmus adversus militarem largitionem,

Tac. H. 2, 82:

firmior adversus fortuita,

id. ib. 4, 51:

adversus convicia malosque rumores,

Suet. Tib. 28.— Absol.:

cum neque magnas copias neque firmas haberet,

Nep. Eum. 3, 3; Caes. B. G. 1, 3, 8; Sall. J. 56, 2:

concordi populo nihil esse immutabilius, nihil firmius,

Cic. Rep. 1, 32:

praesidia firmissima,

id. Fin. 1, 10, 35:

fundamenta defensionis firmissima,

id. Cael. 2, 7:

firmior fortuna,

id. Rep. 1, 17:

constitutio Romuli,

id. ib. 2, 31 (ap. Non. 526, 10):

illud ratum, firmum, fixum fuisse vis,

Cic. Ac. 2, 46, 141:

officii praecepta firma, stabilia,

id. Off. 1, 2, 6; cf.:

opinio, firma et stabilis,

id. Brut. 30, 114:

firma et constans assensio,

id. Ac. 1, 11, 42:

ne in maximis quidem rebus quicquam adhuc inveni firmius,

id. Or. 71, 237:

spem firmissimam habere,

id. Fam. 6, 5, 4; cf.

, transf.: firmior candidatus,

i. e. who has stronger, greater hopes of being elected, id. Att. 1, 1, 2:

litterae,

i. e. containing news that may be relied upon, id. ib. 7, 25; cf. id. ib. 16, 5:

senatum sua sponte bene firmum firmiorem vestra auctoritate fecistis,

id. Phil. 6, 7, 18; cf.:

vir in suscepta causa firmissimus,

id. Mil. 33, 91:

accusator firmus verusque,

id. Div. in Caecil. 9, 29;

with this cf.: vir pro veritate firmissimus,

Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 19:

sunt fortasse in sententia firmiores,

id. Balb. 27, 61:

firmus in hoc,

Tib. 3, 2, 5:

non firmus rectum defendis et haeres,

Hor. S. 2, 7, 26:

firmus proposito,

Vell. 2, 63 fin.; so,

firmissimus irā,

Ov. M. 7, 457: firmo id constantique animo facias licet, Cic. Fil. ap. Cic. Fam. 16, 21, 2:

nunc opus pectore firmo,

Verg. A. 6, 261:

firmi amici sunt (opp.: amici collabascunt),

Plaut. Stich. 4, 1, 16:

firmi et stabiles et constantes (amici),

Cic. Lael. 17, 62:

ex infidelissimis sociis firmissimos reddere,

id. Fam. 15, 4, 14:

non brevis et suffragatoria, sed firma et perpetua amicitia,

Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 7, 26:

firmissimae amicitiae,

Quint. 1, 2, 20:

fides firma nobis,

Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 6.—

Poet. with inf.:

fundus nec vendibilis nec pascere firmus,

able, capable, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 47. —Hence, adv., firmly, steadily, lastingly, powerfully; in two (equally common) forms: firme and firmĭter.

Form firme, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 24; id. Trin. 2, 2, 54:

insistere,

Suet. Calig. 26:

firme graviterque aliquid comprehendere,

Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 71; cf.:

satis firme aliquid concipere animo,

id. ib. 2, 2, 6:

continere multa,

Quint. 11, 2, 2:

sustinere assensus suos,

Cic. Fin. 3, 9, 31:

graviter et firme respondere,

Plin. Ep. 6, 13, 3.—

Form firmiter: firmiter hoc tuo sit pectore fixum, Lucil. ap. Non. 512, 20:

nisi suffulcis firmiter,

Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 77:

insistere,

Caes. B. G. 4, 26, 1:

in suo gradu collocari,

Cic. Rep. 1, 45 fin.: stabilita matrimonia, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 512, 23 (Rep. 6, 2 ed. Mos.):

promisisse,

Plaut. Ps. 3, 2 111:

meminisse,

Gell. 13, 8, 2.—

Comp.:

firmius durare,

Plin. 35, 12, 46, § 165:

firmius coire,

Ov. H. 19, 67.—

Sup.:

asseverare,

Cic. Att. 10, 14 fin.:

pulvinus quam firmissime statuatur,

Vitr. 5, 12.