H. P. Grice, "The implicaturum of the sublime"

sublīmis , e (collat. form sublīmus , a, um: ex sublimo vertice, Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 7, 19; Enn. ap. Non. 169; Att. and Sall. ib. 489, 8 sq.; Lucr. 1, 340), adj. etym. dub.; perh. sub-limen, up to the lintel; cf. sublimen (sublimem est in altitudinem elatum, Fest. p. 306 Müll.), I.uplifted, high, lofty, exalted, elevated (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; not in Cic. or Cæs.; syn.: editus, arduus, celsus, altus). I. Lit. A. In gen., high, lofty: “hic vertex nobis semper sublimis,” Verg. G. 1, 242; cf. Hor. C. 1, 1, 36: “montis cacumen,” Ov. M. 1, 666: “tectum,” id. ib. 14, 752: “columna,” id. ib. 2, 1: “atrium,” Hor. C. 3, 1, 46: “arcus (Iridis),” Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 151: “portae,” Verg. A. 12, 133: “nemus,” Luc. 3, 86 et saep.: os, directed upwards (opp. to pronus), Ov. M. 1, 85; cf. id. ib. 15, 673; Hor. A. P. 457: “flagellum,” uplifted, id. C. 3, 26, 11: “armenta,” Col. 3, 8: “currus,” Liv. 28, 9.—Comp.: “quanto sublimior Atlas Omnibus in Libyā sit montibus,” Juv. 11, 24.—Sup.: “triumphans in illo sublimissimo curru,” Tert. Apol. 33.— B. Esp., borne aloft, uplifted, elevated, raised: “rapite sublimem foras,” Plaut. Mil. 5, 1: “sublimem aliquem rapere (arripere, auferre, ferre),” id. As. 5, 2, 18; id. Men. 5, 7, 3; 5, 7, 6; 5, 7, 13; 5, 8, 3; Ter. And. 5, 2, 20; id. Ad. 3, 2, 18; Verg. A. 5, 255; 11, 722 (in all these passages others read sublimen, q. v.); Ov. M 4, 363 al.: “campi armis sublimibus ardent,” borne aloft, lofty, Verg. A. 11, 602: sublimes in equis redeunt, id. ib. 7, 285: “apparet liquido sublimis in aëre Nisus,” id. G. 1, 404; cf.: “ipsa (Venus) Paphum sublimis abit,” on high through the air, id. A. 1, 415: “sublimis abit,” Liv. 1, 16; 1, 34: “vehitur,” Ov. M. 5, 648 al.— C. On high, lofty, in a high position: “tenuem texens sublimis aranea telum,” Cat. 68, 49: “juvenem sublimem stramine ponunt,” Verg. A. 11, 67: “sedens solio sublimis avito,” Ov. M. 6, 650: “Tyrio jaceat sublimis in ostro,” id. H. 12, 179.— D. Subst.: sublīme , is, n., height; sometimes to be rendered the air: “piro per lusum in sublime jactato,” Suet. Claud. 27; so, in sublime, Auct. B. Afr. 84, 1; Plin. 10, 38, 54, § 112; 31, 6, 31, § 57: “per sublime volantes grues,” id. 18, 35, 87, § 362: “in sublimi posita facies Dianae,” id. 36, 5, 4, § 13: “ex sublimi devoluti,” id. 27, 12, 105, § 129.—Plur.: “antiquique memor metuit sublimia casus,” Ov. M. 8, 259: “per maria ac terras sublimaque caeli,” Lucr. 1, 340.— II. Trop., lofty, exalted, eminent, distinguished. A. In gen.: “antiqui reges ac sublimes viri,” Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9; cf. Luc. 10, 378: “mens,” Ov. P. 3, 3, 103: “pectora,” id. F. 1, 301: “nomen,” id. Tr. 4, 10, 121: “sublimis, cupidusque et amata relinquere pernix,” aspiring, Hor. A. P. 165; cf.: “nil parvum sapias et adhuc sublimia cures,” id. Ep. 1, 12, 15.—Comp.: “quā claritate nihil in rebus humanis sublimius duco,” Plin. 22, 5, 5, § 10; Juv. 8, 232.—Sup.: “sancimus supponi duos sublimissimos judices,” Cod. Just. 7, 62, 39.— B. In partic., of language, lofty, elevated, sublime (freq. in Quint.): “sublimia carmina,” Juv. 7, 28: “verbum,” Quint. 8, 3, 18: “clara et sublimia verba,” id. ib.: “oratio,” id. 8, 3, 74: “genus dicendi,” id. 11, 1, 3: “actio (opp. causae summissae),” id. 11, 3, 153: “si quis sublimia humilibus misceat,” id. 8, 3, 60 et saep.—Transf., of orators, poets, etc.: “natura sublimis et acer,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 165: “sublimis et gravis et grandiloquus (Aeschylus),” Quint. 10, 1, 66: “Trachalus plerumque sublimis,” id. 10, 1, 119.—Comp.: “sublimior gravitas Sophoclis,” Quint. 10, 1, 68: “sublimius aliquid,” id. 8, 3, 14: “jam sublimius illud pro Archiā, Saxa atque solitudines voci respondent,” id. 8, 3, 75.—Hence, advv. 1. Lit., aloft, loftily, on high. (α). Form sub-līmĭter (rare ): “stare,” upright, Cato, R. R. 70, 2; so id. ib. 71: “volitare,” Col. 8, 11, 1: “munitur locus,” id. 8, 15, 1.— (β). Form sub-līme (class. ): “Theodori nihil interest, humine an sublime putescat,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 43, 102; cf.: “scuta, quae fuerant sublime fixa, sunt humi inventa,” id. Div. 2, 31, 67: “volare,” Lucr. 2, 206; 6, 97: “ferri,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 17, 40; id. N. D. 2, 39, 101; 2, 56, 141 Orell. N. cr.: “elati,” Liv. 21, 30: “expulsa,” Verg. G. 1, 320 et saep.— b. Comp.: “sublimius altum Attollit caput,” Ov. Hal. 69.— 2. Trop., of speech, in a lofty manner, loftily (very rare): “alia sublimius, alia gravius esse dicenda,” Quint. 9, 4, 130.