I.a putting, placing, setting (post-Aug.; in Cic. Fl. 26, 62, possessione is the correct reading).
I. Lit.: “calicis positio,” Front. Aquaed. 36: “surculi,” Col. 3, 17: “linearum,” id. 3, 3 fin.: “brassicae,” id. 11, 3, 24.—
B. Transf., a position of the body or of places, a posture, situation: “corporis nostri positio,” Sen. Q. N. 1, 16, 7: “caeli locique,” Col. 3, 4, 1: “loci,” Quint. 3, 7, 26: “pro situ et positione locorum,” id. 3, 21, 9: “Italiae procurrentis,” Plin. 37, 13, 77, § 201: “uniuscujusque stellarum forma et positio,” Gell. 14, 1.—
II. Trop.
2. In partic., affirmation: “paupertas non per positionem sed per detractionem dicitur,” Sen. Ep. 87, 39.—
B. Transf.
1. In rhet., a proposition, theme, subject, argument, Quint. 2, 10, 15; 7, 4, 40.—
3. In prosody.
a. A downward beat, in marking time: “a sublatione ad positionem,” Quint. 9, 4, 48; so id. 9, 4, 55; Mart. Cap. 9, § 981; so of the voice (opp. elevatio), Isid. 1, 16, 21.—
b. Positio syllabae, the place of a short vowel before two consonants, by which the syllable becomes long, position, Quint. 1, 5, 28; 9, 4, 86; Diom. p. 423 P. et saep.—
5. Positiones, circumstances of a thing, Quint. 7, 4, 40.