dē-cerno — Lewis & Short
dē-cerno, crēvi, crētum, 3 (the syncop. forms decreram, etc., decrerim, etc., decresse are freq. in Cicero and Liv., also
Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 25; Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 73; 2, 1, 15, but not in Caes., where is only decreverat, B. G. 4, 17; 5, 5I fin.; 5, 53, 2), v. a. and n.
I (acc. to cerno, no. II. 3.) To decide, determine any thing disputed or doubtful. For syn. cf.: scisco, jubeo, statuo, constituo, dico, sancio, consilium capio, destino, obstino, definio, determino.
A Prop., of a judge, magistrate, etc., to pronounce a decision respecting something; to decide, judge, determine, decree; to vote for any thing (very freq. and class.).—Const. with acc., with acc. et inf., a relat. clause, with de, or absol.:
alias (Verres praetor) revocabat eos, inter quos jam decreverat decretumque mutabat, alias, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 46:
si quod est admissum facinus, si caedes facta, idem (Druides) decernunt,Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 5:
consules de consilii sententia decreverunt secundum Buthrotios,Cic. Att. 16, 16, C, § 11: decernere vindicias secundum servitutem, in favor of slavery, i. e. restore the slave to his master, Liv. 3, 47, 5; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 5, 4:
cum senatus triumphum Africano decerneret,id. Fin. 4, 9, 22; cf.
of a single senator: non decrevi solum, sed etiam ut vos decerneretis laboravi,id. Prov. Cons. 11, 28;
so supplicationem decernere,id. Fam. 15, 4, 11;
so also: Crassus tres legatos decernit,id. ib. 1, 1, 3:
D. Junius silanus supplicium sumendum decreverat,Sall. C. 50, 4:
quando id bellum senatus decrevisset, quando id bellum populus R. jussisset?Liv. 41, 7; 42, 36; id. 5, 36; id. 26, 2:
id quod senatus me auctore decrevit,Cic. Phil. 6, 1, 1; Caes. B. C. 1, 2, 2:
qui ordo decrevit invitus,on compulsion, Cic. Phil. 1, 6, 13:
Ligures ambobus consulibus decernuntur,id. Liv. 42, 10; cf.:
provinciam desponsam non decretam habere,Cic. Prov. Cons. 15 (v. the whole passage in connection):
provinciae privatis decernuntur,Caes. B. C. 1, 6, 4 et saep.:
ex annuo sumptu, qui mihi decretus esset,Cic. Att. 7, 1, 6 et saep.:
mea virtute atque diligentia perditorum hominum patefactam esse conjurationem decrevistis,id. Cat. 4, 3: cum pontifices decressent ita;
SI, etc.,id. Att. 4, 2, 3:
senatus decrevit populusque jussit, ut, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 67: in jure dicundo, ita decrevit, ut, etc., Suet. Galb. 7; cf.
of individuals: Hortensii et mea et Luculli sententia ... tibi decernit, ut regem reducas, etc.,Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3.—Impers.:
in parricidas rei publicae decretum esse,Sall. Cat. 51, 25.—Esp. of the emperor, to determine the law by deciding a case:
quodcumque imperator cognoscens decrevit, legem esse constat,Dig. 1, 4, 1, § 1; Just. Inst. 1, 2, 6.
2 Transf., beyond the judicial sphere, to decide, determine, judge: qui nequeas nostrorum uter sit Amphitruo decernere, Plaut. fragm. ap. Non. 285, 26:
rem dubiam decrevit vox opportune emissa,Liv. 5, 55; cf.:
primus clamor atque impetus rem decrevit,id. 25, 41; Plin. 17, 27, 46, § 258:
de his Catonis praecepta decernent,id. 17, 22, 35, § 190:
duo talenta pro re nostra ego esse decrevi satis,Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 67; id. Hec. 4, 1, 27:
quam decrerim me non posse diutius habere,id. ib. 1, 2, 73:
in quo omnia mea posita esse decrevi,Cic. Fam. 2, 6, 3; id. Att. 3, 15, 7:
illum decrerunt dignum, suos cui liberos committerent,Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 15:
in ejus controversiis quid decernas, non a te peto,Cic. Fam. 13, 59: aliquem decernere hostem, to proclaim one an enemy by a formal decree, id. Phil. 11, 7, 16.—Absol.:
nequeo satis decernere,Ter. Ad. 4, 2, 5.
B Milit., to decide by combat; hence (like cernere and certare), in gen., to fight, combat, contend:
castra castris conferamus, et Samnis Romanusne imperio Italiam regant, decernamus,Liv. 8, 23, 9; id. 1, 23, 9:
in ipso illo gladiatorio vitae certamine, quod ferro decernitur,Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:
proelium,id. Fam. 10, 10:
pugnam,Liv. 28, 14; cf. id. ib. 33: de bello decernere, Auct. B. Hisp. 5 fin. Oud. N. cr.:
ne armis decernatur,Cic. Att. 7, 3, 5; cf.:
ferro ancipiti decernunt,Verg. A. 7, 525:
and armis, ferro,id. ib. 11, 218; 12, 282; 695 (cf. et cernere ferro, id. ib. 709):
cursibus et crudo caestu,id. G. 3, 20:
cornibus inter se,id. ib. 218:
lapidibus et subselliorum fragminibus,Suet. Ner. 26 et saep.:
contra magnam vim hostium, artificio magis quam viribus, Auct. B. Afr. 14: acie,Liv. 2, 14; Nep. Milt. 4, 4:
proelio cum proditore,Just. 13, 8, 4:
classe decreturi,Nep. Hann. 10, 4:
integriore exercitu,id. Eum. 9 fin.—Absol.:
decernendi potestatem Pompeio fecit,Caes. B. C. 3, 41; cf. Liv. 21, 41.
2 Transf., beyond the milit. sphere:
decernite criminibus, mox ferro decreturi,Liv. 40, 8 fin.—So of a judicial contest:
uno judicio de fortunis omnibus decernit,Cic. Quint. 2, 6; cf. Quint. 10, 1, 29;
and qui judicio decernent,id. 12, 7, 5:
de salute reipublicae,Cic. Att. 8, 5, 2:
pro mea omni fama fortunisque,id. de Or. 2, 49:
utinam meo solum capite decernerem,id. Att. 10, 9; Caes. B. C. 1, 35, 3.
II With reference to one's own acts, to decide, determine on doing something; to determine, resolve on something (freq. in all periods and styles).—Constr., with inf. and with acc. and inf.:
si tu fluctus e gurgite tollere decreris, Lucil. ap. Rufin. § 26 (p. 238 ed. Frotsch.): quicquid peperisset decreverunt tollere,Ter. Andr. 1, 3, 14:
Caesar his de causis Rhenum transire decreverat,Caes. B. G. 4, 17 et saep.:
eos me decretum est persequi mores patris,Plaut. Asin. 1, 1, 58; id. Stich. 1, 3, 65; Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 56; cf.:
certum atque decretum est non dare signum,Liv. 2, 45:
reliquam aetatem a republica procul habendam decrevi,Sall. C. 4. With ut and subjunct.:
hic decernit ut miser sit,Cic. Tusc. 3, 27, 65.—With accus.:
quicquam decernere,id. ib.—Hence, dē-crētum, i, n.
A (Acc. to no. I. A.) A decree, decision, ordinance of any political or judicial body (for syn. cf.:
scitum, edictum, consilium, jus): senatus Caelium ab rep. removendum censuit. Hoc decreto eum consul senatu prohibuit,Caes. B. C. 3, 21, 3:
si qui eorum (sc. Druidum) decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt,id. B. G. 6, 13, 5; cf. id. ib. §
10: vestra responsa atque decreta evertuntur saepe dicendo,Cic. Mur. 13 fin.; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 48:
decurionum,id. Rosc. Am. 9, 25 et saep.:
Caesaris,Vulg. Act. 17, 7.—Esp. leg. t. t., a decision of the emperor as judge, a precedent (cf. rescriptum), Gai. 1, 5; Just. Inst. 2, 15, 4.—
B Transf., in philos. lang. as a translation of the Gr. do/gma, principle, doctrine, precept, Cic. Ac. 2, 9, 27; id. ib. § 29; cf. Sen. Ep. 94, 2 sq. and 95, 9 sq. (quis philoso, phorum) decretis suis paret? Lact. 3, 15, 3.