Lewis & Short

invīto, āvi, ātum, 1 (invitassitis for invitaveritis, Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 31), v. a. [perh. for invicito; root vec-; Sanscr. vak-, speak; vak’as, word; cf.: vox, convicium; Gr. ϝεπ- in εἶπον, ὄψ], to invite, treat, feast, entertain (cf. illicio; class.).

  1. I. Lit., constr. with ad or in and acc., with simple acc. or abl., or with ut.
          1. (α) With ad: aliquem ad prandium, Cic. Mur. 35, 73: ad cenam, Val. Max. 2, 1, 2; Cic. Fam. 7, 9, 2; Suet. Aug. 34; ad consulem, Liv. 45, 8 fin.
          2. (β) With in and acc.: aliquem in hospitium, Liv. 28, 18; cf. Val. Max. 2, 10, ext. 1: ad cenam in hortos in posterum diem, Cic. Off. 3, 14, 58.
          3. (γ) With simple acc.: aliquem domum suam ut animum ejus in Sthenium inflammarent (cf. ε infra), Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 36, § 89; Liv. 3, 14: alius alium domos suas invitant, Sall. J. 66. 3; Nep. Att. 13, 6.
          4. (δ) With abl.: aliquem tecto ac domo, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 11, § 25; cf.: hospitio invitabit, id. Phil. 12, 9, 23.
            (ε) With ut: invito eum, ut apud me diversetur, Cic. Att. 13, 2; ut cenem invitor? Mart. 4, 68, 2.
            Absol., to entertain: alii suos in castra, invitandi causā adducunt, Caes. B. C. 1, 74: aliquem poculis, to challenge to drink, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 31.
            With se, to treat one’s self, drink one’s own health: sese in cena plusculum, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 127: se cibo vinoque largius, Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. 321, 25 (Hist. 4, 4 Dietsch).
            Comic.: gladio, to treat to the sword, i. e. to want to kill, Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 21; cf.: aliquem clavā, id. Rud. 3, 5, 31.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. To invite, summon, challenge: a Caesare liberaliter invitor in legationem illam, Cic. Att. 2, 18, 3: Cosconio mortuo, in ejus locum invitor, id. ib. 1, 19, 4: hostes ad deditionem, Hirt. B. G. 8, 19: aliquem ad audiendum, Suet. Calig. 53: ad spectaculum, id. Ner. 12: praemiis ad quippiam agendum, Cic. Lig. 4: in libidinem, Suet. Calig. 41.
    2. B. To incite, allure, attract: ni id me invitet ut faciam fides, Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 5: invitat hiemps curasque resolvit, Verg. G. 1, 302: invitent croceis halantes floribus horti, id. ib. 4, 109: ad agrum fruendum invitat atque allectat senectus, Cic. de Sen. 16; so, assentationem, to encourage flattery, id. Lael. 26: invitare et allicere appetitum animi, id. Fin. 5, 6: somnos, to attract, Ov. M. 11, 604: culpam, to allure to transgression, id. H. 17, 183: invitatur vino appetentia ciborum, Plin. 23, 1, 22, § 38: fossis invitavit mare, i. e. conducted, Sol. 2.
      Trop., of things: invitat somnos crepitantibus unda lapillis, Ov. M. 11, 604; cf. Hor. Epod. 2, 28.
      With inf.: vicina invitet decedere ripa calori, Verg. G. 4, 23.
    3. C. To ask, request, urge: Germanos, uti ab Rheno discederent, Caes. B. G. 4, 6: benignis verbis, ut, etc., Val. Max. 4, 3, 5 al.