obses — Lewis & Short
obses (old orthogr. opses, in the first Epit. of the Scipios;
I v. infra; Inscr. Spec. Epigr. p. 5, 11 Jahn), ĭdis (gen. plur. obsidium, Caes. B. G. 5, 27; 6, 9; Liv. 2, 13, 97), m. and f. ob-sedeo.
I Lit., a hostage:
OPSIDES ABDOVCIT, first Epit. of the Scipios: ut obsides accipere, non dare consueverint,Caes. B. G. 1, 14; Liv. 34, 35:
obsides alicui imperare,Cic. Imp. Pomp. 12, 35:
dedere,Sall. J. 54, 6:
retinere aliquem obsidem,as a hostage, Nep. Them. 7, 2.—Fem.:
me tamen acceptā poterat deponere bellum Obside,Ov. M. 8, 48:
obsides, qui Porsenae mittebantur,Plin. 34, 6, 13, § 29:
inter se dare,to exchange, Caes. B. G. 1, 9.—
II Transf., in gen., a surety, security, bail, pledge (syn.:
sponsor, vindex, vas, praes): Phocion se ejus rei obsidem fore, pollicitus est,to be surety, to answer for it, Nep. Phoc. 2, 4:
accipere aliquem obsidem nuptiarum,Cic. Clu. 66, 188:
conjugii,Ov. H. 2, 34:
rei,Nep. Phoc. 2, 4: dare obsides, with a foll. acc. and inf., to give a surety or guarantee:
tantum modo oratoribus Metellus obsides non dedit, se nullā in re Verri similem futurum,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 53, § 124.—Also of inanim. subjects:
habemus a C. Caesare sententiam tamquam obsidem perpetuae in rem publicam voluntatis,Cic. Cat. 4, 5, 9; id. Cael. 32, 78; id. Clu. 30, 83; Quint. 12, 7, 3:
obsidem enim se animum ejus habere,Liv. 39, 47.