Lewis & Short

prō-pōno, pŏsŭi, pŏsĭtum, 3, v. a., to put or set forth, to set or lay out, to place before, expose to view, to display (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: proponere vexillum, Caes. B. G. 2, 20: pallentesque manus, sanguineumque caput, Ov. Tr. 3, 9, 30: i puer et citus haec aliquā propone columnā, Prop. 3 (4), 23, 23: aliquid venale, to expose for sale, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 32, § 78; cf. Suet. Ner. 16: geminum pugnae proponit honorem, proposes, offers, Verg. A. 5, 365: singulis diebus ediscendos fastos populo proposuit, Cic. Mur. 11, 25: legem in publicum, id. Agr. 2, 5, 13: in publico epistulam, id. Att. 8, 9, 2; id. Pis. 36, 88: vectigalia, to publish, publicly advertise, Suet. Calig. 41: oppida Romanis proposita ad copiam commeatūs, Caes. B. G. 7, 14: ne quid volucre proponeretur, praeter, etc., should be served up, Plin. 10, 50, 71, § 139 (al. poneretur).
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To set before the eyes, to propose mentally; to imagine, conceive: propone tibi duos reges, Cic. Deiot. 14, 40: aliquid sibi exemplar, id. Univ. 2: sibi aliquem ad imitandum, id. de Or. 2, 22, 93: vos ante oculos animosque vestrosApronii regnum proponite, id. Verr. 2, 3, 23, § 58: eam (vitam) ante oculos vestros proponite, id. Sull. 26, 72: condicio supplicii in bello timiditati militis proposita, id. Clu. 46, 129; 56, 154; 12, 42: vim fortunae animo, Liv. 30, 30: spem libertatis, Cic. Rab. Perd. 5, 15: nihil ad scribendum, id. Att. 5, 10, 4.
    2. B. To expose: omnibus telis fortunae proposita est vita nostra, Cic. Fam. 5, 16, 2: tabernis apertis proposita omnia in medio vidit, Liv. 6, 25, 9.
    3. C. To point out, declare, represent, report, say, relate, set forth, publish, etc. (cf.: indico, denuntio): ut proponat, quid dicturus sit, Cic. Or. 40, 137; id. Brut. 60, 217: extremum illud est de iis, quae proposueram, id. Fam. 15, 14, 6: contione habitā, rem gestam proponit, Caes. B. G. 5, 50: in exemplum proponere, Quint. 7, 1, 41; 12, 2, 27.
      With de: de Galliae Germaniaeque moribus, et quo differant eae nationes inter se, Caes. B. G. 6, 11.
      With object-clause: quod ante tacuerat, proponit, esse nonnullos, quorum, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 17: cui (morbo) remedia celeria faciliaque proponebantur, were proposed, suggested, believed to be efficient, Nep. Att. 21, 2.
    4. D. To offer, propose as a reward: Xerxes praemium proposuit, qui invenisset novam voluptatem, Cic. Tusc. 5, 7, 20: populo congiarium, militi donativum, Suet. Ner. 7.
      1. 2. In a bad sense, to threaten, denounce: cui cum publicatio bonorum, exsilium, mors proponeretur, Cic. Planc. 41, 97: injuriae, quae propositae sunt a Catone, id. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2: contentiones, quae mihi proponuntur, id. Att. 2, 19, 1: improbis poenam, id. Fin. 2, 17, 57: damnationem et mortem sibi proponat ante oculos, Liv. 2, 54, 6; Just. 16, 5, 2.
    5. E. To lay before, to propose for an answer: aliquam quaestionem, Nep Att. 20, 2: aenigma, Vulg. Ezech. 17, 2.
  3. F. To purpose, resolve, intend, design, determine: consecutus id, quod animo proposuerat, Caes. B. G. 7, 47: cum id mihi propositum initio non fuisset, I had not proposed it to myself, had not intended it, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6.
    With inf.: neque propositum nobis est hoc loco (laudare), etc., I am resolved, Cic. Brut. 6, 25.
    With ut: propositum est, non ut eloquentiam meam perspicias, sed ut, the design is, Cic. Brut. 92, 318.
  4. G. To say or mention beforehand (post-Aug.), Col. 8, 17, 8.
      1. 2. To state the first premise of a syllogism: cum proponimus, Cic. Inv. 1, 39, 70; 1, 40, 72.
  5. H. To impose (post-class.): novam mihi propono dicendi legem, Mamert. Genethl. 5.
    Hence, prōpŏsĭtum, i, n.
    1. A. A plan, intention, design, resolution, purpose (class.): quidnam Pompeius propositi aut voluntatis ad dimicandum haberet, Caes. B. C. 3, 84: assequi, to attain, Cic. Fin. 3, 6, 22: est enim propositum, ut iratum efficiat judicem, id. Part. 4, 14: tenere, to keep to one’s purpose, Nep. Eum. 3, 5; Liv. 3, 41, 4; Caes. B. C. 1, 83; 3, 42; 64: propositum peragere, Nep. Att. 22, 2: tenax propositi, Hor. C. 3, 3, 1: in proposito manere. Suet. Gram. 24: reprehendendi habere, Plin. Ep. 9, 19, 7: omne propositum operis a nobis destinati, Quint. 2, 10, 15; 2, 19, 1; 12, 9, 14.
    2. B. The first premise of a syllogism, Cic. de Or. 2, 53, 215; Sen. Q. N. 1, 8, 4.
      1. 2. An argument: nam est in proposito finis fides, Cic. Part. 3, 9.
      2. 3. The main point, principal subject, theme: a proposito declinare aliquantulum, Cic. Or. 40, 137: egredi a proposito ornandi causā, id. Brut. 21, 82: a proposito aberrare, id. Fin. 5, 28, 83: redire ad propositum, id. de Or. 3, 53, 203: ad propositum revertamur, id. Off. 3, 9, 39: a proposito aversus, Liv. 2, 8, 8: propositum totius operis, Sen. Ep. 65, 4 sq.; 65, 8: vitae, Cels. 5, 26, 6: meum, Phaedr. 1, 5, 2: tuum, Sen. Ep. 68, 3.
    3. C. A way, manner, or course of life (poet. and post-Aug.): mutandum tibi propositum est et vitae genus, Phaedr. prol. 3, 15: vir proposito sanctissimus, Vell. 2, 2, 2.