the abode of heaven studded with glittering stars

ăpo (or ăpio, Isid. Orig. 19, 30), ĕre, v. a. [cf.: haptô, apiscor, apex].

A.. To fasten, attach, join, bind, tie to (syn.: ligo, adligo, jungo, conjungo, recto): comprehendere antiqui vinculo apere dicebant, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. apex, p. 18 Müll.; cf. apex; used only in part. perf. pass. aptus (the P. a. v. infra):

uteri terrae radicibus apti,

fastened to the earth, Lucr. 5, 808 (Lachm., terram and apti = adepti):

bracchia validis ex apta lacertis,

united with the strong shoulders, id. 4, 829:

gladium e lacunari setā equinā aptum demitti jussit,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 62:

linguam vinclis de pectore imo aptis moveri,

Gell. 1, 15.—

Trop.: ex aliquā re (like pendere ex aliquā re), depending upon, arising from (so only in Cic.):

rerum causae aliae ex aliis aptae et necessitate nexae,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 25, 70:

honestum, ex quo aptum est officium,

id. Off. 1, 18, 60; id. Fin. 2, 14, 47:

ex quā re (sc. virtute) una vita omnis apta sit,

id. Ac. 2, 10, 31:

causa ex aeternis causis apta,

id. Fat. 15, 34:

cui viro ex se apta sunt omnia, etc.,

id. Tusc. 5, 12, 36 (as transl. of Plat. Menex. p. 302: Hotôi gar andri eis heauton anêrtêtai panta, etc.); cf. id. Fam. 5, 13.—Once also with pendere:

non ex verbis aptum pendere jus,

Cic. Caecin. 18.—Also without ex:

vitā modicā et aptā virtute perfrui,

Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 56:

rudentibus apta fortuna,

id. Tusc. 5, 14, [p. 138] 40.—

A.. Joined, bound, or tied together, connected:

aptum conexum et colligatum significat,

Non. p. 234, 32 (so most freq. in Lucr.):

conjugio corporis atque animae consistimus uniter apti,

Lucr. 3, 846; 5, 555; 5, 558:

genus... validis aptum per viscera nervis,

bound together by the strong band of the sinews, id. 5, 928:

quae memorare queam inter se singlariter apta,

id. 6, 1067 al.:

facilius est apta dissolvere quam dissipata conectere,

Cic. Or. 71, 235:

quā ex conjunctione caelum ita aptum est, ut, etc.,

id. Tim. 5:

qui tam certos caeli motus, tamque omnia inter se conexa et apta viderit,

id. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Gell. 6, 2. —

Trop.:

omnia inter se apta et conexa,

Cic. Fin. 4, 19, 53:

apta inter se et cohaerentia,

id. N. D 3, 1, 4:

efficiatur aptum illud, quod fuerit antea diffiuens ac solutum,

id. Or. 70, 233.— Poet., with abl., endowed, furnished, or ornamented with something: fides alma, apta pinnis, furnished with wings, winged, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 3, 29, 105:

stellis fulgentibus apta caeli domus,

the abode of heaven studded with glittering stars, Lucr. 6, 357 (cf. id. 5, 1205: stellis micantibus aethera fixum);

imitated by Verg.: caelum stellis fulgentibus aptum,

Verg. A. 11, 202, and:

axis stellis ardentibus aptus,

id. ib. 4, 482:

veste signis ingentibus aptā,

Lucr. 5, 1428:

magis apta figura,

id. 2, 814: lucus opacus teneris fruticibus aptus, Varr. ap. Non. p. 235, 9:

Tyrio prodeat apta sinu,

Tib. 1, 9, 70.—Hence,

aptus, a, um, P. a., pr., fitted to something; hence, suited, suitable, proper, apposite, fit, appropriate, adapted, conformable to (cf. accommodatus and appositus, 2.).

In gen.: aptus is, qui convenienter alicui junctus est, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. apex, p. 18 Müll. (so most freq. after the Cic. per.); constr. with ad or dat.; of persons always with dat.

With ad:

ossa habent commissuras ad stabilitatem aptas,

Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 139:

in pulmonibus inest raritas quaedam ad hauriendum spiritum aptissima,

id. ib. 2, 55, 136:

locus ad insidias aptior,

id. Mil. 20:

calcei habiles et apti ad pedem,

id. de Or. 1, 54, 231:

castra ad bellum ducendum aptissima,

Caes. B. C. 2, 37; so Vulg. 1 Par. 7, 40; ib. 2 Par. 26, 13:

aptum ad proelium,

ib. 1 Reg. 14, 52:

fornices in muro erant apti ad excurrendum,

Liv. 36, 23, 3 al. —

With dat.:

non omnia rebus sunt omnibus apta,

Lucr. 6, 961:

aliis alias animantibus aptas Res,

id. 6, 773:

initia apta et accommodata naturae,

Cic. Fin. 4, 17, 46:

quod verum, simplex sincerumque sit, id esse naturae hominis aptissimum,

id. Off. 1, 4, 13:

haec genera dicendi aptiora sunt adulescentibus,

id. Brut. 95, 223; so id. ib. 62, 326; id. Tusc. 1, 36, 87; id. Or. 22, 1 al.:

quod aetati tuae esset aptissimum,

id. Off. 1, 2, 4; so Nep. Att. 16, 1:

apta dies sacrificio,

Liv. 1, 45:

venti aptiores Romanae quam suae classi,

id. 25, 37 al.:

notavi portus puppibus aptos,

Ov. M. 3, 596; 4, 160:

armis apta magis tellus,

Prop. 4, 22, 19:

aptum equis Argos,

Hor. C. 1, 7, 9:

apta vinculo conjugali,

Vulg. Ruth, 1, 12; ib. Luc. 9, 62:

aptus amicis,

Hor. S. 2, 5, 43 et saep.— Other constrr.:

With in (cf. Rudd. II. p. 96, n. 60):

in quod (genus pugnae) minime apti sunt,

Liv. 38, 21:

formas deus aptus in omnes,

apt for, easily changed into, Ov. M. 14, 765:

in ceteros apta usus,

Vulg. Deut. 20, 20:

vasa apta in interitum,

ib. Rom. 9, 22.—

With qui (cf. Zumpt, §

568): nulla videbatur aptior persona, quae de illā aetate loqueretur,

Cic. Am. 1, 4:

est mihi, quae lanas molliat, apta manus,

Ov. H. 3, 70.—

Poet., with inf:

(Circe) apta cantu veteres mutare figuras,

Tib. 4, 1, 63:

aetas mollis et apta regi,

Ov. A. A. 1, 10.— Esp. freq.,

Absol., Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 235, 16:

amor,

Prop. 4, 22, 42:

saltus,

Ov. M. 2, 498:

ars,

Tib. 1, 7, 60:

apta oscula,

Tib. 1, 4, 54; Ov. H. 15, 132:

lar aptus,

an extensive, satisfying possession, Hor. C. 1, 12, 43.—So in prose:

aptus exercitus,

an army good in fight, ready for battle, Liv. 10, 25:

tempus aptum,

the right time, id. 35, 19; so Vulg. Eccli. 20, 6 al.—

Esp., in rhet., of the fitness, appropriateness of discourse:

quid aptum sit, hoc est quid maxime decens in oratione,

Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 210; so apta oratio, which has the appropriate rhet. fulness and periodic rounding: numerosa et apta oratio, id. Or. 50, 168; cf. id. ib. 50, 70; so id. Brut. 17, 68:

Thucydides verbis aptus et pressus,

exact and brief in expression, id. de Or. 2, 13, 56.—Hence, aptē, adv., closely, fitly, suitably, nicely, rightly.

Lit.

Absol.:

atque ita apte cohaeret (mundi corpus), ut etc.,

Cic. Tim. 5: altera est nexa cum superiore et inde apteque pendens, id. ap. Non. p. 235, 18:

capiti apte reponere,

Liv. 1, 34, 8.—

With ad:

apte convenire ad pedem,

Cic. Fin. 3, 14, 46.— Sup.,

With inter:

ut inter se quam aptissime cohaereant extrema (verba) cum primis etc.,

Cic. Or. 44, 149.—

Trop., fitly, suitably, properly, duly, rightly.

Absol.:

facile judicabimus, quid eorum apte fiat,

Cic. Off. 1, 41, 146:

quod est oratoris proprium, apte, distincte, ornate dicere,

id. ib. 1, 1, 2:

apte et quiete ferre,

id. ib. 4, 17, 38:

non equite apte locato,

Liv. 4, 37, 8:

Qui doceant, apte quid tibi possit emi,

Ov. Am. 1, 8, 88:

nec aliter imperium apte regi potest,

Curt. 8, 8, 13:

floribus compositis apte et utiliter,

Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 46. — Comp.:

qualia aptius suis referentur locis,

Plin. 2, 62, 62, § 153:

Aptius haec puero, quam tibi, dona dabis,

Mart. 13, 26.—

With dat.:

si quid exierit numeris aptius,

Quint. 10, 12, 26.— Sup.:

seruntur Parilibus tamen aptissime,

Plin. 19, 3, 24, § 69.—

With ad:

(ut) ad rerum dignitatem apte et quasi decore (loquamur),

Cic. de Or. 1, 32, 144:

spolia ducis hostium caesi suspensa fabricato ad id apte ferculo gerens,

Liv. 1, 10, 5.