mollio
Έγ', ὦ ταλαίπωρ', αὐτὸς ὧν χρείᾳ πάρει. Τὰ πολλὰ γάρ τοι ῥήματ' ἢ τέρψαντά τι, ἢ δυσχεράναντ', ἢ κατοικτίσαντά πως, παρέσχε φωνὴν τοῖς ἀφωνήτοις τινά –> Wretched brother, tell him what you need. A multitude of words can be pleasurable, burdensome, or they can arouse pity somehow — they give a kind of voice to the voiceless.
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
mollĭo: īvi and ii, ītum, 4 (mollibat for molliebat, Att. ap. Non. 347, 16; Ov. M. 6, 21:
I mollirier for molliri, Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 27), v. a. mollis, to make soft, pliant, flexible, or supple, to soften (class.).
I Lit.: frigoribus durescit umor, et idem vicissim mollitur tepefactus, Cic. N. D. 2, 10, 26: lanam trahendo, by spinning, Ov. M. 2, 411: artus oleo, Liv. 21, 55: dum ferrum molliat ignis, Hor. S. 1, 4, 20: ceram, Ov. M. 8, 198: semina, id. ib. 7, 123: humum foliis, id. ib. 4, 741: glebas, id. ib. 6, 220: ventrem, to relax, purge moderately, Plin. 20, 5, 20, § 43: duritias, id. 28, 17, 70, § 34: agri molliti, softened, loosened, Cic. N. D. 2, 50, 130.—
II Trop.
A To soften, moderate, mitigate; to tame, restrain, check; to render easier, lighter, pleasanter, or less disagreeable: Hannibalem juveniliter exsultantem patientiā suā molliebat, Cic. Sen. 4, 10: quā mons mollibat mare, broke the violence of the sea, Att. ap. Non. 347, 16: iras, Liv. 1, 9: impetum, id. 3, 35: indocili numero cum grave mollit opus, Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 6: poenam, id. ib. 3, 5, 53: clivum, to make the ascent of a hill easier, Caes. B. G. 7, 46: clivos, Liv. 21, 37, 3: verba usu, Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 95: translationem, id. de Or. 3, 41, 165: fructus feros colendo, to render milder, Verg. G. 2, 36: caelum, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 124: lacrimae meorum me interdum molliunt, overcome me, Cic. Att. 10, 9, 2: Deus mollivit cor meum, softened, Vulg. Job, 23, 16.—
B To soften, render effeminate or unmanly: legionem, Cic. Phil. 12, 3, 8: animos, id. Tusc. 2, 11, 27: vocem, to make soft or womanish, Quint. 11, 3, 24: puerum, to unman, Stat. S. 3, 4, 68.
Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)
mollĭō,¹⁰ īvī ou ĭī, ītum, īre (mollis), tr.,
1 rendre souple, flexible, assouplir, amollir, artus oleo Liv. 21, 55, 1, assouplir les membres en les frottant d’huile ; frigoribus durescit umor et mollitur tepefactus Cic. Nat. 2, 26, l’eau sous l’action du froid se durcit, puis se fond à la chaleur ; humum foliis Ov. M. 4, 741, atténuer la dureté du sol par un lit de feuillage ; glebas Ov. M. 6, 220, ameublir les glèbes ; agri molliti Cic. Nat. 2, 130, champs ameublis
2 [fig.] adoucir, atténuer : clivum Cæs. G. 7, 46, 2, adoucir une pente, cf. Liv. 21, 37, 3 ; Hannibalem exsultantem Cic. CM 10, amortir la fougue d’Hannibal ; translationem Cic. de Or. 3, 165, adoucir une métaphore, cf. Cic. Nat. 1, 95
