bacchor, ātus (
I part. pres. gen. plur. bacchantum; v. I. fin. infra), 1, v. dep. Bacchus.
I Lit., to celebrate the festival of Bacchus:
Baccha bacchans,Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 71:
saxea ut effigies bacchantis prospicit Evoe,i. e. which cries Evoe in the orgies, Cat. 64, 61; 64, 255:
cum aliquo,Plin. 3, 1, 3, § 8.—Hence, P. a. as subst.: bacchan-tes, um, f., Bacchae, the Bacchantes: passis Medea capillis Bacchantum ritu, Ov.M. 7, 258; 3, 703; Curt. 8, 10, 15; gen. Bacchantium, id. 9, 10, 24.—
B Pass. (as in later Gr. bakxeu/esqai, bakxeuqh=nai) of the place in which the orgies of Bacchus were celebrated:
virginibus bacchata Lacaenis Taygeta,Verg. G. 2, 487 Heyn.:
bacchata jugis Naxos,id. A. 3, 125:
Dindyma sanguineis famulum bacchata lacertis,Val. Fl. 3, 20: ita obsoletum sono furenter ab omni parti bacchatur nemus, Santra ap. Non. p. 78, 28:
ululatibus Ide bacchatur,Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 206.—
II Transf., in gen., to revel, rave, rant, like the Bacchœ (of every species of mental excitement, love, hatred, joy, etc.; mostly poet. and in more elevated prose):
quibus gaudiis exsultabis? quantā in voluptate bacchabere?Cic. Cat. 1, 10, 26:
furor in vestrā caede bacchantis,id. ib. 4, 6, 11; id. Har. Resp. 18, 39:
non ego sanius Bacchabor Edonis,Hor. C. 2, 7, 26; Col. poët. 10, 198; * Suet. Calig. 56; Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 213; id. VI. Cons. Hon. 192.—Of murderous fury:
tantā in illos caede bacchati sunt,Vulg. Judic. 20, 25.—So of poet. inspiration, Stat. S. 1, 2, 258;
and with carmen as object: grande Sophocleo carmen bacchamur hiatu,Juv. 6, 636; cf.:
furebant Euhoe bacchantes,raving to the cry of Euhoe, Cat. 64, 255; 64, 61.—Also, to go or run about in a wanton, wild, raving, or furious manner: animans Omne, quod in magnis bacchatur montibu' passim, * Lucr. 5, 822:
saevit inops animi, totamque incensa per urbem Bacchatur,Verg. A. 4, 301 ( = discursitat, Heyne):
immanis in antro Bacchatur vates,raves, is inspired, id. ib. 6, 78;
7, 385: infelix virgo totā bacchatur in urbe,id. Cir. 166.—Hence,
B Transf. to inanimate things, to be furious, rage with fury, etc., to be impetuous, etc.
1 So of a vessel of wine that is filled very often:
ubi bacchabatur aula, casabant cadi,Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 41 Lorenz ad loc.—
2 Of winds:
Thracio bacchante magis sub interlunia vento,Hor. C. 1, 25, 11; Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 29.—Of violent rain, Val. Fl. 6, 632.—
3 Of a rumor: concussam bacchatur fama per urbem, spreads rapidly, Verg A. 4, 666.—
4 Of enthusiastic, raging discourse:
quod eos, quorum altior oratio actioque esset ardentior furere et bacchari arbitraretur,Cic. Brut. 80, 276:
vitiosum dicendi genus, quod inanibus locis bacchatur, etc.,Quint. 12, 10, 73.