impĕtus — Lewis & Short
impĕtus (inp-), ūs (
dat. impetu, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 24, 3; noI gen. plur.; abl. impetibus, Lucr. 1, 293; v. also impes), m. impeto, an attack, assault, onset (freq. and class.; in sing. and plur. equally common).
I Lit.
A In gen.:
incursio atque impetus armatorum,Cic. Caecin. 15, 44:
gladiis destrictis in eos impetum fecerunt,Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 2:
impetum facere in aliquem,id. ib. 1, 46 fin.; Hirt. B. G. 8, 18, 4:
in agros,Liv. 1, 5, 4:
ad regem,id. 1, 5, 7; cf.:
in hostes,Caes. B. G. 1, 22, 3:
dare impetum in aliquem,Liv. 4, 28, 1; 2, 19, 7:
capere impetum in aliquem,Plin. 9, 30, 48, § 91:
hostes impetu facto celeriter nostros perturbaverunt,Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 1:
oppidum magno impetu oppugnare,id. ib. 2, 6:
primo hostium impetu pulsi,id. ib. 2, 24, 1:
impetus gladiorum excipere,id. ib. 1, 52, 4:
impetum sustinere,id. ib. 3, 2, 4:
ferre impetum,id. ib. 3, 19, 3:
fracto impetu levissimi hominis,Cic. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2:
impetum propulsare,id. Mur. 1, 2:
nec primum quidem impetum, nec secundum, nec tertium, sustinere potuerunt,Flor. 3, 3, 4; Liv. 33, 36, 11:
uno impetu,Curt. 8, 14, 18; Lact. 3, 26, 10; 5, 4, 1:
coërcere,Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 180:
aquarum domare,id. 31, 6, 31, § 58:
nec tantum (cupiditates) in alios caeco impetu incurrunt, etc.,Cic. Fin. 1, 13, 44.— Poet.: biformato impetu Centaurus, with double - shaped attack, Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 8 fin.; v. biformatus.—
B In partic.
1 In medic. lang., an attack of a disease, a fit, paroxysm:
febris,Cels. 2, 15:
pituitae,Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 183:
coeliacorum,id. 20, 14, 53, § 148: oculorum, i. e. inflammation, id. 20, 3, 8, § 16:
thymum e vino tumores et impetus tollit,id. 21, 21, 89, § 157; so absol., id. 22, 25, 58, § 122. —
2 In mechanics, the pressure of a load, Vitr. 6, 3.—
II Transf., in gen. (without reference to an object), violent impulse, violent or rapid motion, impetus, impetuosity, violence, fury, vehemence, vigor, force.
A Physical: labitur uncta carina, volat super impetus undas, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 379 Vahl.):
in magno impetu maris atque aperto,Caes. B. G. 3, 8, 1:
Hebri,Phaedr. 3, prol. 59:
impetus caeli,i. e. rapid motion, Cic. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Lucr. 5, 200. — Hence also poet.: quieti corpus nocturno impetu Dedi, in the nocturnal revolution, i. e. in the night, Att. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 22, 44:
impetus ipse animaï Et fera vis venti,Lucr. 6, 591; cf.:
tantos impetus ventorum sustinere,Caes. B. G. 3, 13, 6.—
B Mental, impulse, vehemence, ardor, passion, etc.
(a) Sing.:
repentino quodam impetu animi incitatus,internal pressure, impulse, Cic. Off. 1, 15, 49; cf.:
ut tota mente omnique animi impetu in rem publicam incumbas,id. Fam. 10, 5, 2; id. Att. 11, 5, 1:
impetu magis quam consilio,Liv. 42, 29, 11:
aliter in oratione nec impetus ullus nec vis esse potest,Cic. Or. 68, 229; cf.:
ad omnem impetum dicendi,id. Deiot. 2, 5:
actiones quae recitantur impetum omnem caloremque perdunt,Plin. Ep. 2, 19, 2:
resumere impetum fractum omissumque,id. ib. 7, 9, 6:
adulescens impetus ad bella maximi,Vell. 2, 55, 2:
est prudentis, sustinere ut currum sic impetum benevolentiae,Cic. Lael. 17, 63:
divinus impetus,id. Div. 1, 49, 111:
si ex hoc impetu rerum nihil prolatando remittitur,Liv. 37, 19, 5:
donec impetus famae et favor exercitus languesceret,Tac. Agr. 39 fin.:
est mihi per saevas impetus ire feras,I feel an impulse, Ov. H. 4, 38:
Bessus occidendi protinus regis impetum ceperat,had formed a sudden purpose, Curt. 5, 12, 1:
statim moriendi impetum cepit,Suet. Oth. 9.—
Prov.: Da spatium tenuemque moram, male cuncta ministrat impetus,haste makes waste, Stat. Th. 10, 704 sq.—
(b) Plur.:
animalia, quae habent suos impetus et rerum appetitus,impulses, instincts, Cic. Off. 2, 3, 11:
an fortitudo, nisi insanire coeperit, impetus suos non habebit?id. Tusc. 4, 22, 50:
temperantia est rationis in libidinem atque in alios non rectos impetus animi firma et moderata dominatio,id. Inv. 2, 54, 164:
insanos atque indomitos impetus vulgi cohibere,id. Rep. 1, 5.