Lewis & Short

regno, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [regnum].

  1. I. Neutr., to have royal power, to be king, to rule, reign: ubi Pterela rex regnavit, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 257: Romulus cum septem et triginta regnavisset annos, Cic. Rep. 2, 10, 17; cf. id. ib. 2, 14, 27; 2, 18, 33; 2, 20, 36: Servius injussu populi regnavisse traditur, id. ib. 2, 21, 37: (Mithridates) annum jam tertium et vicesimum regnat, et ita regnat, ut, etc., id. Imp. Pomp. 3, 7: tertium jam nunc annum regnans, Caes. B. G. 5, 25: regnante Romulo, Cic. Rep. 1, 16, 25: (Camers) tacitis regnavit Amyclis, Verg. A. 10, 564: quālibet exules In parte regnanto beati, Hor. C. 3, 3, 39: Latio regnans, Verg. A. 1, 265: regnandi dira cupido, id. G. 1, 37: Albae regnare, Liv. 1, 3: Romae, id. 1, 17 fin.; 1, 40: Tusco profundo, Ov. M. 14, 223: Graias per urbes, Verg. A. 3, 295: in Colchis, Plin. 33, 3, 15, § 52: advenae in nos regnaverunt, Tac. A. 11, 24.
    Once poet., like βασιλεύω, with gen.: quā Daunus agrestium Regnavit populorum, Hor. C. 3, 30, 12.
    Impers. pass.: hic jam ter centum totos regnabitur annos Gente sub Hectoreā, Verg. A. 1, 272: quia post Tatii mortem ab suā parte non erat regnandum … in variis voluntatibus regnari tamen omnes volebant, Liv. 1, 17 Drak. N. cr.: regnatum Romae ab conditā urbe ad liberatam annos ducentos quadraginta quattuor, id. 1, 60 fin.: hinc Cytherea tuis longo regnabitur aevo, Sil. 3, 592.
    1. B. In gen., to be lord, to rule, reign, govern, be supreme (syn. dominor); in a good sense: quoniam equitum centurias tenes, in quibus regnas, Cic. Fam. 11, 16 fin.; cf.: regnare in judiciis, Quint. 10, 1, 112: vivo et regno, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 8.
      Esp., of the gods: caelo tonantem credimus Jovem Regnare, Hor. C. 3, 5, 2: Saturno regnante, Ov. F. 1, 193: secundo Caesare regnes, Hor. C. 1, 12, 52.
      In a bad sense (very freq.), to lord it, tyrannize, domineer, Cic. Sull. 7, 21: regnavit is paucos menses, id. Lael. 12, 41: quin se ille interfecto Milone regnaturum putaret, id. Mil. 16, 43: Timarchidem fugitivum omnibus oppidis per triennium scitote regnasse, id. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 136: nec jam libertate contentos esse, nisi etiam regnent ac dominentur, Liv. 24, 29, 7 Drak.; cf. so with dominari, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21; Flor. 3, 12, 9.
        1. b. Of things, to reign, rule, hold sway (mostly poet.): umor regnavit in arvis, Lucr. 5, 395: (ignis) per ramos victor regnat, Verg. G. 2, 307: in totum regnaret Sirius annum, Stat. Th. 1, 635: cum regnat rosa (i. e. at a banquet, where the guests were crowned with roses), Mart. 10, 19, 20: quid faciant leges, ubi sola pecunia regnat? Petr. poët. 14; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 74.
      1. 2. Trop., to rule, have the mastery, prevail, predominate: Παθητικόν, in quo uno regnat oratio, Cic. Or. 37, 128; cf.: (eloquentia) hic regnat, hic imperat, hic sola vincit, Quint. 7, 4, 24; 11, 3, 181: ardor edendi per avidas fauces regnat, Ov. M. 8, 829; cf.: ebrietas geminata libidine regnat, id. ib. 12, 221: regnat nequitiā, Sen. Ben. 1, 10: morbus regnans, Grat. Cyn. 462.
  2. II. Act., to rule, sway, govern (only in pass., and poet. and in postAug. prose); part. perf. with dat. of agent: terra acri quondam regnata Lycurgo, Verg. A. 3, 14: Latio regnata per arva Saturno quondam, id. ib. 6, 794; Ov. M. 8, 623; 13, 720; id. H. 10, 69; Hor. C. 2, 6, 11; 3, 29, 27; Sil. 14, 7: si unquam regnandam acceperit Albam, Verg. A. 6, 770: trans Lugios Gotones regnantur, paulo jam adductius quam ceterae Germanorum gentes, Tac. G. 44: exceptis iis gentibus quae regnantur, id. ib 25; cf. id. A. 13, 54: quae (gentes) regnan tur, id. H. 1, 16 fin.; Mel. 2, 2, 24: gens reg. nata feminis, Plin. 6, 20, 23, § 76.