(verb) : firmo, āvi, ātum, 1, firmus
* To make firm or fast, to strengthen, fortify, support (freq. and class.).
* Lit.: lacertos,Lucr. 6, 397: corpora juvenum firmari labore voluerunt,Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 36: corpora cibo,Liv. 27, 13 fin.: vexatos milites quiete,Curt. 9, 10: praegnantes largo pascuo,Col. 6, 27, 10: bitumen aeramentis illinitur firmatque ea contra ignes,Plin. 35, 15, 51, § 182: remedium ad dentium mobilĭs firmandos,id. 21, 31, 105, § 180: aestuaria aggeribus et pontibus,Tac. A. 4, 73: vestigia,Verg. A. 3, 659: gradum,Quint. 9, 4, 129: alvum solutam,to bind,Cels. 1, 3; Plin. 14, 18, 22, § 117.
* Trop.
* In gen., to fortify, strengthen, secure; to make lasting, durable, permanent: (Romulus) urbem auspicato condere, et firmare dicitur primum cogitavisse rem publicam,Cic. Rep. 2, 3; cf.: urbem colonis firmare,id. ib. 2, 18; so, novam civitatem,id. ib. 2, 7: provinciam pace praesidiisque,id. Fam. 1, 7, 4: locum magnis munitionibus,Caes. B. G. 6, 29, 3: turres praesidiis,Sall. J. 23, 1: aditum urbis,Verg. A. 11, 466: aciem subsidiis,Liv. 9, 17, 15: latronum opes firmare atque augere,Cic. Off. 2, 11, 40; in aliquos imperium,id. Sull. 11, 32: vocem,id. de Or. 3, 61, 227: firmari consuetudine,Quint. 11, 3, 24: quorum (hominum) cum adolescentiae cupiditates defervissent, eximiae virtutes firmata jam aetate exstiterunt,Cic. Cael. 18, 43; cf.: animus adolescentis nondum consilio ac ratione firmatus,id. Clu. 6, 13: firmata stirpe virtutis,id. Cael. 32, 79: pacem amicitiamque,Liv. 9, 3, 10: memoria praecipue firmatur atque alitur exercitatione,Quint. 1, 1, 36; so, memoriam,id. 2, 4, 15: opinio omnium gentium firmata consensu,Cic. Div. 1, 1, 1: non tamen pro firmato stetit magistratus ejus jus,Liv. 4, 7, 3.
* In partic.
* To strengthen in resolution, to encourage, animate: cujus adventus Pompeianos compressit nostrosque firmavit, ut, etc.,Caes. B. C. 3, 65, 2: donec firmaret consilio patres auctor,Hor. C. 3, 5, 46: suos, Just. 2, 11: plebem hinc provocatione, hinc tribunicio auxilio,Liv. 3, 55: cunctos alloquio et cura sibique et proelio,Tac. A. 1, 71: animum exemplis,id. ib. 16, 35: animum praesenti pignore,Verg. A. 3, 611: firmatus animi,Sall. Hist. Fragm. 3, 24, p. 236 ed. Gerl. (ap. Arus. Mess. p. 232 ed. Lindem.).
* In fidelity, to make sure of, secure: civitates obsidibus,Hirt. B. G. 8, 27.
* To confirm, show, prove; to affirm, assert, declare, promise the correctness or truth of a circumstance, statement, etc. (less freq. than confirmo, affirmo): cum intelligat, quam multa firmentur jure jurando,Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 16: si vis et natura fati ex divinationis ratione firmabitur,id. Fat. 5, 11: firmatam dare fidem,Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 45; so, fidem,Ter. And. 3, 1, 4; id. Hec. 4, 2, 5: vix quidquam firmare ausim,Tac. A. 1, 81; 6, 6; id. H. 2, 9: hoc genus in rebus firmandum est multa prius quam Ipsius rei rationem reddere possis,to prove,Lucr. 6, 917: da augurium, atque haec omina firma,Verg. A. 2, 691; so, numina,id. ib. 8, 78.
* With object-clauses: seque et ibi futurum, ubi praescripserit et ea facturum, quae imperarit obsidibus datis firmat,Hirt. B. G. 8, 48, 9; cf.: paratis omnium animis reversuros firmaverunt,Tac. H. 2, 9: firmare necesse est, nil esse in promptu, etc.,Lucr. 6, 940.—In pass. with a subject-clause: sata bene provenire firmantur,Pall. 11, 12.

s. TLL