1. pŏtĭor, ītus, 4 (inf. pres. potirier, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 66.
Acc. to the third conj., potĭtur, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 274 Müll. or Ann. v. 78 Vahl.; Verg. A. 3, 56: capto potĭmur mundo, Manil. 4, 882; Ov. M. 13, 130; Cat. 64, 402.
Potītur. only in Prisc. 881, and Ov. H. 14, 113. So, poti for potiri, Pac. ap. Non. 475, 29; Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 3, 5, acc. to Trag. Rel. p. 56 Rib., and Enn. Trag. v. 260 Vahl.
Act. collat. form pŏtĭo, īre; v. 2. potio), v. dep. n. [potis].
- I. Lit., to become master of, to take possession of, to get, obtain, acquire, receive; constr. with gen., acc., abl., and absol. (class.; syn.: occupo, invado).
- (α) With gen.: illius regni potiri, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 5: urbis potiri, Sall. C. 47, 2: vexilli, Liv. 25, 14: nemini in opinionem veniebat Antonium rerum potiturum, Nep. Att. 9, 6: voti, Sil. 15, 331.
- (β) With acc. (mostly ante- and post-class.; not in Cic.): regnum, Pac. ap. Non. 481, 32: sceptrum, Att. ib. 30; cf.: Homerus sceptra potitus, Lucr. 3, 1038: oppidum, Auct. B. Hisp. 13: summum imperii, to get possession of the supreme dominion, Nep. Eum. 3, 4; cf.: regni Persarum potiundi, id. Ages. 4, 2: spes urbis potiundae, Caes. B. G. 2, 7, 2; 3, 6, 2: in spe urbis hostium potiundae, Liv. 8, 2, 5; Curt. 8, 11, 19.
- (γ) With abl.: ille hodie si illā sit potitus muliere, Plaut. Ps. 4, 6, 9: natura iis potiens, Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 41: si ad decem milia annorum gentem aliquam urbe nostra potituram putem, id. ib. 1, 37, 90 B. and K.: imperio totius Galliae, Caes. B. G. 1, 2: victoriā, id. ib. 3, 24: impedimentis castrisque, id. ib. 1, 21: sceptro, Ov. H. 14, 113: pane, Lucil. ap. Prisc. p. 881 P.: thalamo, Naev. ib.
- (δ) Absol.: libidines ad potiundum incitantur, Cic. Sen. 12, 39: potiendi spe inflammati, id. Fin. 1, 18, 60.
- II. Transf., to be master of, to have, hold, possess, occupy; with gen., acc., abl., and absol. (class.; syn.: fruor, utor).
- (α) With gen.: Cleanthes solem dominari et rerum potiri putat, has the chief power in the universe, Cic. Ac. 2, 41, 126: civitas Atheniensium, dum ea rerum potita est, id. Rosc. Am. 25, 70: potiente rerum patre, Tac. H. 3, 74.
- (β) With acc.: laborem hunc potiri, Plaut. Rud. 1, 3, 5: patria potitur commoda, Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 17: gaudia, id. ib. 22.
- (γ) With abl.: frui iis (voluptatibus), quibus senectus, etiam si non abunde potitur, non omnino caret, Cic. Sen. 14, 48: oppido, Liv. 6, 33: monte, have climbed, Ov. M. 5, 254.
- (δ) Absol.: qui tenent, qui potiuntur, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3.