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In partic., to stand against or in the way of a person or thing; to withstand, thwart, hinder, oppose, obstruct (the class. signif. of the word; syn.: obsisto, adversor, officio).—Constr. with dat., absol., with quin, quominus, cur, or ne. With dat.: quae tardis mora noctibus obstet, Verg. A. 1, 746: alicui, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 6: cur mihi te offers ac meis commodis officis et obstas? Cic. Rosc. Am. 38, 112; cf. id. ib. 2, 6: vita cetera eorum huic sceleri obstat, their former life stands opposed to this crime, secures them against the suspicion of this crime, Sall. C. 52, 31: di omnes quibus obstitit Ilium, was an offence to, Verg. A. 6, 64: nam sic labentibus (aedibus) obstat vilicus, i. e. keeps from falling, Juv. 3, 194; cf. v. 243.—For the dat. in with acc. is found: in laudem vetustorum invidia non obstat, Sen. Ben. 7, 8, 2.
Absol.: me obstare, illos obsequi, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 31, 66: restitant, occurrunt, obstant, id. ap. Non. 147, 9 (Sat. v. 5 ib.): obstando magis quam pugnando castra tutabantur, Liv. 40 25: exercitus hostium duo obstant, block up the way, Sall. C. 58, 6; Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 15: si omnia removentur, quae obstant et impediunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 19.
With quin: quibus non humana ulla, neque divina obstant, quin socios amicos trahant, exscindant, Sall. H. 4, 61, 17 Dietsch.
With quominus: quid obstat, quominus sit beatus? Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 95: ne quid divini humanive obstet, quominus justum piumque de integro ineatur bellum, Liv. 9, 8, 6.—( ε ) With cur: quid obstat, cur non (verae nuptiae) fiant? Ter. And. 1, 1, 76.
( ζ ) With ne: Histiaeus Milesius, ne res conficeretur, obstitit, Nep. Milt. 3, 5: cum ibi quoque religio obstaret, ne non posset nisi ab consule dici dictator, Liv. 4, 31, 4: ne id, quod placebat, decerneret in tantae nobilitatis viris, ambitio obstabat, id. 5, 36, 9.
Impers. pass.: nec, si non obstatur, propterea etiam permittitur, Cic. Phil. 13, 6, 14: indignatur amans Obstari animae, Ov. M. 11, 788.
Part. pres. in plur. as subst.: obstantia, ĭum, n.: obstantia silvarum amoliri, hinderances, obstructions, Tac. A. 1, 50.