A proverbial image, 'to push someone off the stop,' to throw him into consternation, to disturb the balance of his mind. Cicero De officiis, book 1: 'But it takes a brave and resolute spirit not to be perturbed in times of difficulty and thrown off the step, as the saying is, in agitation, but to keep one's presence of mind and act with deliberation.' There is the same image in the phrase in gradum reponere, to settle someone back again, as it were to restore him to his previous place. Quintilian, Institutions, book 4: 'Or if they should falter at all they may be restored to their place, as it were, by the opportune questioning of the person who has introduced them.' To the same class belong movere loco, 'to move from its place,' deturbare gradu, 'to disturb from its position,' restituere in locum, 'to restore to its place.'