Potestas est

Latin Construction

potestas est.

1. ‘To be [in someone's] power,’ to have control over.
2. ‘There is an opportunity.’

Constructions

Adverb constructions

• potestas non est — Cic. [αʹ], [γʹ], [ιʹ]

Pronoun constructions

• mihi potestas est — Cic. [ιαʹ], [ια²]

Verb constructions

• velle potestatem esse — Cic. [ζʹ], [ηʹ]

Loci

• αʹ adv. Cicero, Ad Atticum 11.2:

tardius ad te remisi tabellarium quod potestas mittendi non fuit.

I was slower in sending your courier back, because there was no opportunity to send him.

• βʹ Cicero, Ad Atticum 12.49:

rescripsi patrono illi nihil opus esse, quoniam Caesaris propinqui eius omnis potestas esset

I wrote back that he didn't need an advocate, because all the power belonged to Caesar, his relative.

• γʹ adv. Cicero, Ad Atticum 13.9:

et vereor ne exeundi potestas non sit cum Caesar venerit

and I'm afraid that there will be no opportunity to leave once Caesar has come

• δʹ Cicero, Ad Atticum 14.13:

qua re quoniam hoc a me sic petis ut, quae tua potestas est, ea neges te me invito usurum, puero quoque hoc a me dabis

For since you are asking this of me, denying yourself to do what is in your power with me being unwilling, you will grant it to the boy as well on my part.

• εʹ Cicero, Ad Atticum 16.16:

cum tota potestas eius rei tua sit

as the situation is wholly under your control

• στʹ Cicero, Ad Atticum 2.5:

si enim deferetur, erit quaedam nostra potestas et tum deliberabimus.

For if it is offered, it will be somewhat under our control, and then we will consider it.

• ζʹ v. Cicero, Ad Atticum 3.24:

praesertim cum ita dicant, se nostra causa voluisse suam potestatem esse de consulibus ornandis

in particular as they say it was for our sake that they wanted to have control over outfitting the consuls

• ηʹ v. Cicero, Ad Atticum 4.2:

sed volui meam potestatem esse vel petendi vel ineunte aestate exeundi

But I wanted control over whether I ran for office, or left at the beginning of summer.

• θʹ Cicero, Ad Atticum 6.1:

illud quidem fatebitur Scaptius, me ius dicente sibi omnem pecuniam ex edicto meo auferendi potestatem fuisse.

Indeed, Scaptius will say this much, that he had the opportunity when I was judge to carry off all the money my edict allowed.

• ιʹ adv. Cicero, Ad Atticum 8.3:

maximis et miserrimis rebus perturbatus, cum coram tecum mihi potestas deliberandi non esset, uti tamen tuo consilio volui.

Troubled by the gravest and most saddening matters when I have no opportunity to go over them with you in person, I nevertheless wanted to make use of your advice.

• ιαʹ pron. Cicero, Ad Familiares 1.7:

quotiens mihi certorum hominum potestas erit, quibus recte dem, non praetermittam.

Whenever I get ahold of reliable people that I can send them by directly, I won't neglect to do so.

• ια² pron. Cicero, Ad Familiares 1.9:

quocumque tempore mihi potestas praesentis tui fuerit, tu eris omnium moderator consiliorum meorum

Whenever I get the opportunity to have you with me, you will be the moderator of all my plans.

• ιβʹ Cicero, Ad Familiares 13.7:

etsi non sum nescius, et quae temporum ratio et quae tua potestas sit, tibique negotium datum esse a C. Caesare, non iudicium, praeclare intellego

I am not unaware, though, both of the circumstances and of what you have control over, and I very clearly understand that the business that was given to you by Gaius Caesar is not that of a judge.

• ιγʹ Cicero, Ad Familiares 4.7:

sic enim intellexi, nihil aliud esse, quod dubitationem afferret ei, penes quem est potestas, nisi quod vereretur, ne tu illud beneficium omnino non putares

For I understood there to be nothing else that can bring any hesitation to him in whose possession is power, unless because he feared that you entirely failed to consider it a favor.