I.gen. summai, Lucr. 1, 984; 6, 679) [summus, v. superus].
I. Lit., that which is highest in any thing, the top, summit, surface (postAug. and very rare): “testudines evectae in summā pelagi,” Plin. 9, 10, 12, § 35 (cf. summus, I. s. v. superus).—
II. Transf., that which is most important or prominent in any thing, the main thing, chief point, principal matter; the sum, height, substance, summit, completion, perfection
A. In gen.: “leges a me edentur non perfectae ... sed ipsae summae rerum atque sententiae,” the main points, chief particulars, Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 18: “cujus rei satis erit summam dixisse,” id. Inv. 1, 20, 28: “ex hac infinitā licentiā haec summa cogitur, ut, etc.,” id. Rep. 1, 43, 67: “lectis rerum summis,” Liv. 40, 29, 11: “haec summa est, hic nostri nuntius esto,” Verg. A. 4, 237: “summa est, si curaveris, ut, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 13, 75, 2: “in hoc summa judicii causaque tota consistit,” id. Quint. 9, 32: “eam ignominiam ad summam universi belli pertinere ratus,” to the issue of the whole war, Liv. 32, 17, 3; cf.: “haec belli summa nefandi,” Verg. A. 12, 572: “solus summam habet hic apud nos,” the first place, pre-eminence, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 15: “qui vobis summam ordinis consiliique concedunt,” Cic. Cat. 4, 7, 15: “summam alicui rei dare,” perfection, culmination, Quint. 3, 2, 1: 5, 10, 72; 11, 2, 41; 12, 1, 20: remittendo de summā quisque juris. strict or extreme right, Liv. 4, 43, 11.—
B. In partic.
1. Of a reckoning of numbers, the amount, the sum, sum total, including each of the single items, as if counted: quid, tu, inquam, soles, cum rationem a dispensatore accipis, si aera singula probasti, summam, quae ex his confecta sit, non probare? Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 193, 11: “addendo deducendoque videre, quae reliqui summa fiat,” id. Off. 1, 18, 59: Py. Quanta istaec hominum summa est? Ar. Septem milia, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 46: “equitum magno numero ex omni populi summa separato,” Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 39: “subducamus summam,” id. Att. 5, 21, 11: “summam facere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 53, § 131.—
2. Of money, a sum, amount.
(α).
With pecuniae: “pecuniae summam quantam imperaverit, parum convenit,” Liv. 30, 16, 12: “pecuniae etiam par prope summa fuit,” id. 33, 23, 9: “summa pecuniae signatae fuit talentūm duo milia et sexcenta,” Curt. 3, 13, 16: “accessit ad hanc pecuniae summam sex milia talantum,” id. 5, 6, 10: “pecuniae summa homines movit,” Liv. 22, 61, 1; 38, 11, 8; 40, 46, 16; 42, 62, 14; cf.: “census equestrem Summam nummorum,” Hor. A. P. 384: “ob parvam pecuniae summam erogatam,” Val. Max. 4, 8, 1.—
(β).
Without pecuniae: “de summā nihil decedet,” Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 30: “hac summā redempti,” Liv. 32, 17, 2; 22, 61, 2: “Marcellus decem pondo auri et argenti ad summam sestertii decies in aerarium rettulit,” id. 45, 4, 1: “quācumque summā tradet luxuriae domum,” Phaedr. 4, 4, 44; “creditor totius summae,” Quint. 5, 10, 117: “actor summarum,” Suet. Dom. 11.—
3. Without reference to a count, the sum, the whole: “de summā mali detrahere,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 23, 55: “summa cogitationum mearum omnium,” id. Fam. 1, 9, 10: “meorum maerorum atque amorum summam edictavi tibi,” Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 2: “ergo ex hac infinita licentiā haec summa cogitur,” Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 67: “proposita vitae ejus velut summa,” Suet. Aug. 9: “vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam,” Hor. C. 1, 4, 15: summarum summa est aeterna, the sum of all sums, the sum of all things, i. e. the universe, Lucr. 5, 361; so, “summa summarum,” Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 4; Sen. Ep. 40, 13; and: summa summaï, Lucr 6, 679. —
4. Adverb.
(α).
Ad summam, on the whole, generally, in short, in a word: “ille affirmabat ... ad summam: non posse istaec sic abire,” Cic. Att. 14, 1, 1; so, “ad summam,” id. ib. 7, 7, 7; id. Off. 1, 42, 149; id. Fam. 14, 14, 2; Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 106, Juv. 3, 79.—
(β).
In summā, in all: “Drusus erat de praevaricatione a tribunis aerariis absolutus, in summā quattuor sententiis,” Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 16, 3; Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 6; 2, 11, 25: “in omni summā,” Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 5 —
(γ).
In summā, at last, finally (post-Aug.): “diu colluctatus est: in summā victus occumbit,” Just. 13, 8, 8; 22, 1, 8; 37, 1, 8.—
C. Transf., the whole (opp. a part): “magnam res diligentiam requirebat, non in summā exercitus tuenda, sed in singulis militibus conservandis,” Caes. B. G. 6, 34; cf.: “summa exercitus salva,” the main body of the army, id. B. C. 1, 67: “solet quaedam esse partium brevitas, quae longam tamen efficit summam,” Quint. 4, 2, 41: “quaedam partibus blandiuntur, sed in summam non consentiunt,” id. 4, 2, 90.—
2. That which relates to the whole, as opp. to a part; with gen., the general, supreme: “(Remi dicebant) ad hunc (regem) totius belli summam omnium voluntate deferri,” the command in chief, Caes. B. G. 2, 4: “neque de summā belli suum judicium sed imperatoris esse,” id. ib. 1, 41: “cum penes unum est omnium summa rerum, regem illum unum vocamus,” authority over all affairs, the supreme power, Cic. Rep. 1, 26, 42: “is, qui summam rerum administrabat,” id. Rosc. Am. 32, 91: “ad te summa solum, Phormio, rerum redit,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 3: “ad summam rerum consulere,” for the general interest, Caes. B. C. 3, 51: “ad discrimen summa rerum adducta,” to a general engagement, Liv. 10, 27: “discrimen summae rerum,” id. 10, 14: “quos penes summam consilii voluit esse, cum imperii summam rex teneret,” the sole command, Cic. Rep. 2, 28, 51; cf.: “qui vobis summam ordinis consiliique concedunt,” id. Cat. 4, 7, 15: “imperii,” Caes. B. G. 2, 23; id. B. C. 3, 5: “quod penes eos (Bituriges), si id oppidum retinuissent, summam victoriae constare intellegebant,” the whole credit of the victory, id. B. G. 7, 21; so, victoriae, id. B. C. 1, 82.—Poet.: “summa ducum, Atri des,” Ov. Am. 1, 9, 37.