I.perf. sync. divisse, Hor. S. 2, 3, 169), v. a. root vidh-, to part, split; Sanscr. vidhyati, to penetrate, whence vidhava; Lat. vidua.
I. To force asunder, part, separate, divide (very freq. and class.; cf.: distribuo, dispertio; findo, scindo, dirimo, divello, separo, sejungo, segrego, secerno).
A. Lit.: Europam Libyamque rapax ubi dividit unda, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 20; and id. N. D. 3, 10: “discludere mundum membraque dividere,” Lucr. 5, 440; cf.: “si omne animal secari ac dividi potest, nullum est eorum individuum,” Cic. N. D. 3, 12: “crassum aërem,” id. Tusc. 1, 19 fin. (with perrumpere); cf. “nubila,” Hor. C. 1, 34, 6: “muros,” to break through, Verg. A. 2, 234: “marmor cuneis,” to split, Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 14; cf.: “hunc medium securi,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 100: “mediam frontem ferro,” Verg. A. 9, 751; also simply, insulam, for to divide into two parts, Liv. 24, 6.—Poet.: “vagam caelo volucrem,” i. e. to cleave, to shoot, Sil. 2, 90: “sol ... in partes non aequas dividit orbem,” Lucr. 5, 683; “so Galliam in partes tres,” Caes. B. G. 1, 1: “vicum in duas partes flumine,” id. ib. 3, 1, 6: “civitatem Helvetiam in quatuor pagos,” id. ib. 1, 12, 4: “populum unum in duas partes,” Cic. Rep. 1, 19; cf. Caes. B. G. 7, 32, 5; id. B. C. 1, 35, 3: “divisi in factiones,” Suet. Ner. 20 et saep.—
2. Transf.
a. For distribuere, to divide among several, to distribute, apportion: “praedam,” Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 72: “argentum,” id. Aul. 2, 2, 3: “pecudes et agros,” Lucr. 5, 1109; cf. “agros,” Cic. Rep. 2, 18: “agrum viritim,” id. Brut. 14, 57; cf.: “bona viritim,” id. Tusc. 3, 20, 48: “munera, vestem, aurum, etc.,” Suet. Aug. 7 et saep.: “nummos in viros,” Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 30: “Thracia in Rhoemetalcen inque liberos Cotyis dividitur,” Tac. A. 2, 67; cf. id. ib. 3, 38. So of distributing troops in any place: “equitatum in omnes partes,” Caes. B. G. 6, 43, 4: “exercitum omnem passim in civitates,” Liv. 28, 2; cf. id. 6, 3 fin.: “Romanos in custodiam civitatium,” id. 43, 19; cf. id. 37, 45 fin.; cf. “also: conjuratos municipatim,” Suet. Caes. 14: “agros viritim civibus,” Cic. Rep. 2, 14; so with dat. (most freq.): “agrum sordidissimo cuique,” Liv. 1, 47; cf. id. 34, 32; Suet. Caes. 20 et saep.: “tabellas toti Italiae,” Cic. Sull. 15: “praedam militibus,” Sall. J. 91, 6: “loca praefectis,” Liv. 25, 30: “duo praedia natis duobus,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 169: “oscula nulli,” id. C. 1, 36, 6 et saep.; cf. “in double construction: divisit in singulos milites trecenos aeris, duplex centurionibus, triplex equiti,” Liv. 40, 59: “inter participes praedam,” Plaut. Pers. 5, 1, 5; so, “inter se,” id. Poen. 3, 5, 30; Nep. Thras. 1 fin.: “per populum fumantia (liba),” Ov. F. 3, 672; so, “agros per veteranos,” Suet. Dom. 9: “dimidiam partem cum aliquo,” Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 37; so id. Am. 5, 1, 73; id. Stich. 5, 4, 15: “praemia mecum,” Ov. F. 4, 887.—Absol.: “non divides (with dispertire),” Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 4; so Liv. 44, 45; Ov. M. 13, 102 al.—
b. In mercant. lang. like distrahere and divendere, to sell piecemeal, in parcels, to retail, Suet. Caes. 54; id. Ner. 26.—
c. In mal. part., Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 4 Wagner; 7; cf. Petr. 11 Büch.—
B. Trop.
1. In gen.: “bona tripartito,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 13 fin.: “annum ex aequo,” Ov. M. 5, 565: “horas (bucina),” Luc. 2, 689: “tempora curarum remissionumque,” Tac. Agr. 9: “dignitatem ordinum,” id. A. 13, 27: “et explanare ambigua,” Cic. Or. 32 fin.: “idem genus universum in species certas partietur et dividet,” id. ib. 33, 117; cf. “of logical or rhet. division,” id. Fin. 2, 9, 28; Quint. 3, 6, 37 et saep.: verba, to divide at the end of the line, Suet. Aug. 87: “nos alio mentes, alio divisimus aures,” Cat. 62, 15; cf.: “animum nunc huc celerem, nunc dividit illuc,” Verg. A. 4, 285.—
2. In partic.
a. Sententiam, polit. t. t., to divide the question, i. e. to take the vote separately upon the several parts of a motion or proposition: “divisa sententia est postulante nescio quo,” Cic. Mil. 6, 14; id. Fam. 1, 2; Plin. Ep. 8, 14, 15; Sen. Ep. 21; id. Vit. Beat. 3. The expression used in requiring this was DIVIDE, Ascon. Cic. Mil. 6, 14.—
b. (Acc. to A. 2. a.) To distribute, apportion: “sic belli rationem esse divisam, ut, etc.,” Caes. B. C. 3, 17, 3: “haec temporibus,” Ter. And. 3, 1, 18; “Just. Praef. § 3: ea (negotia) divisa hoc modo dicebantur, etc.,” Sall. C. 43, 2.—
c. Pregn., to break up, dissolve, destroy = dissolvere: “nostrum concentum,” Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 31: “ira fuit capitalis ut ultima divideret mors,” id. S. 1, 7, 13: “dividitur ferro regnum,” Luc. 1, 109; cf.: “dividimus muros, et moenia pandimus urbis,” Verg. A. 2, 234.—
d. To accompany, i. e. to share upon an instrument a song sung by a voice: “grata feminis Imbelli cithara carmina divides,” Hor. C. 1, 15, 15.
II. To divide, separate, part from; to remove from (class.).
A. Lit.: “flumen Rhenus agrum Helvetium a Germanis dividit ... flumen Rhodanus provinciam nostram ab Helvetiis dividit,” Caes. B. G. 1, 2, 3; 1, 8, 1; 5, 11, 9: “Macedoniam a Thessalia,” id. B. C. 3, 36, 3: “Gallos ab Aquitanis,” id. B. G. 1, 1, 2 al.: “tota cervice desecta, divisa a corpore capita,” Liv. 31, 34, 4: “populum distribuit in quinque classes, senioresque a junioribus divisit,” Cic. Rep. 2, 22: “tam multa illa meo divisast milia lecto, Quantum, etc.,” Prop. 1, 12, 3; cf.: “dextras miseris complexibus,” Stat. Th. 3, 166: “tuis toto dividor orbe rogis,” Ov. Pont. 1, 9, 48: “dividor (sc.: ab uxore) haud aliter, quam si mea membra relinquam,” Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 73; cf. Prop. 1, 12, 10: “(Italiam) Longa procul longis via dividit invia terris,” separates, keeps distant, Verg. A. 3, 383; cf. id. ib. 12, 45: “discedite a contactu ac dividite turbidos,” Tac. A. 1, 43 fin.—
B. Trop., to separate, distinguish: “legem bonam a mala,” Cic. Leg. 1, 16, 44: “defensionem (opp. se comitem exitii promittebat),” Tac. A. 3, 15. —
2. Transf., for distinguere (II.), to distinguish, decorate, adorn (very rare): “qualis gemma micat, fulvum quae dividit aurum,” Verg. A. 10, 134: “scutulis dividere,” Plin. 8, 48, 74, § 196.—Hence, dīvīsus , a, um, P. a., divided, separated: “divisior,” Lucr. 4, 962.—Adv.
