Lewis & Short

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impello (inp-), pŭli, pulsum, 3 (archaic inf. pres. pass. inpellier, Lucr. 6, 1060), v. a. [in-pello], to push, drive, or strike against a thing; to strike, reach.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (mostly poet.): cavum conversa cuspide montem Impulit in latus, Verg. A. 1, 82: vocales impellere pollice chordas, to strike, Tib. 2, 5, 3; cf. Ov. M. 10, 145: aequora remis, id. ib. 3, 657; cf.: infidum remis marmor, Verg. G. 1, 254: impellunt animae lintea Thraciae, swell, Hor. C. 4, 12, 2: auras mugitibus, Ov. M. 3, 21; cf.: maternas aures Luctus, Verg. G. 4, 349: sensus, Lucr. 1, 303: colles canoris plausibus, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr. 175: cui patuere Alpes saxa impellentia caelum, Sil. 11, 217: cum fretum non impulit Ister, does not strike, i. e. does not empty into, Luc. 5, 437: impulsum ab eo dextri pedis pollice, Suet. Calig. 57: subitus antennas impulit ignis, Juv. 12, 19.
    2. B. In partic., with the access. idea of motion, to drive forward, set in motion, urge on, impel (class.): biremes subjectis scutulis impulsas vectibus in interiorem partem transduxit, Caes. B. C. 3, 40, 4: (navem) triplici versu (remorum), Verg. A. 5, 119: puppim remis velisque, Sil. 1, 568: ratem (levis aura), Ov. M. 15, 697: currum, Val. Fl. 6, 6: equum calce, Sil. 7, 697; cf.: cornipedem planta, id. 2, 71: Zephyris primum impellentibus undas, Verg. G. 4, 305: fluctus (ventus), Petr. 114: aequor velis, Tac. A. 2, 23: praemissus eques postremos ac latera impulit, id. ib. 2, 17: utque impulit arma, i. e. brandished, flourished, Verg. A. 8, 3: remos, id. ib. 4, 594: sagittam nervo, to shoot, discharge, Ov. M. 11, 325: semen vehementius urinam impellit, drives down, promotes the discharge of, Plin. 24, 19, 118, § 180: praecipitantem igitur impellamus et perditum prosternamus, give a push to, Cic. Clu. 26, 70; Tac. A. 4, 22: procumbunt orni, nodosa impellitur ilex, is overthrown, thrown down, Luc. 3, 440: impulit aciem, forced to give way, broke, Liv. 9, 40, 9; cf.: hostem primo impetu impulit, id. 9, 27, 9: impulsis hostibus castra cepit, Vell. 2, 70, 1: impulit Vitellianos modica caede, Tac. H. 3, 16: quem (hostem) si inpellere maturasset, id. ib. 4, 34; 78 al.
      Designating the limit: in fugam atque in latebras impellere, Cic. Rab. Perd. 8, 22: se in vulnus, Vell. 2, 70 fin.: inque meos ferrum flammasque Penates Impulit, Ov. M. 12, 552: ferrum capulo tenus, Sil. 9, 382: (Aufidus) in aequora fluctus, id. 7, 482; 14, 429: jamque diem ad metas defessis Phoebus Olympo Impellebat equis, id. 11, 270.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To move to a thing; to impel, incite, urge; esp., to instigate, stimulate, persuade (the predom. signif. in good prose); constr. usu. with aliquem in or ad aliquid and ut; less freq. with a terminal adverb, the inf., the simple acc., or absol.
          1. (α) Aliquem in aliquid: nisi eum di immortales in eam mentem impulissent, ut, etc., Cic. Mil. 33, 89: hic in fraudem homines impulit, id. Pis. 1, 1; id. Lael. 24, 89; and: in fraudem impulsus, id. Deiot. 12, 32: in sermonem, id. de Or. 2, 89, 363: in plurimas animum audientium species impellere, Quint. 12, 10, 43.
          2. (β) Aliquem ad aliquid (so most freq.): ad quam quemque artem putabat esse aptum, ad eam impellere atque hortari solebat, Cic. de Or. 1, 28, 126: ad veterum annalium memoriam comprehendendam impulsi atque incensi, id. Brut. 5, 19: facile ad credendum, id. Rep. 2, 10: aliquos ad omne facinus, id. ib. 6, 1: ad maleficium, Auct. Her. 2, 21, 34: ad injuriam faciendam, Cic. Fl. 34, 85: ad scelus, id. Rosc. Am. 14, 39: ad bellum, id. Sull. 13, 36: ad crudelitatem, Quint. 8, 3, 85: ad metum, cupiditatem, odium, conciliationem, id. 3, 8, 12 et saep.
          3. (γ) With ut: quae causa nos impulerit, ut haec tam sero litteris mandaremus, Cic. N. D. 1, 4, 7; cf. id. de Sen. 21, 77: Germanos tam facile impelli, ut in Galliam venirent, Caes. B. G. 4, 16, 1; Cic. N. D. 2, 66, 166; id. Rep. 3, 2; id. Fin. 3, 20, 65; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 51 et saep.
          4. (δ) With a terminal adv.: dum in dubio est animus, paulo momento huc illuc impellitur, Ter. And. 1, 5, 31: impulit huc animos, Luc. 8, 454: voluntates impellere quo velit, Cic. de Or. 1, 8, 30.
            (ε) With inf.: fuerunt quos pavor nando capessere fugam impulerit, Liv. 22, 6, 7: quae mens tam dira Impulit his cingi telis? Verg. A. 2, 520; Tac. A. 6, 45; 13, 10: quendam impulit servilem ei amorem obicere, id. ib. 14, 60; Hor. C. 3, 7, 14; Stat. Th. 10, 737; Just. 3, 1, 3; 5, 1, 4; 29, 4, 5.
            (ζ) With the simple acc.: ut forte legentem Aut tacitum impellat quovis sermone, to arouse, address, Hor. S. 1, 3, 65; Val. Fl. 4, 486: cum praetor lictorem impellat, Juv. 3, 128: quis modo casus impulit hos, id. 15, 120: vernacula multitudo, lasciviae sueta, impellere ceterorum rudes animos, to instigate, stimulate, Tac. A. 1, 31 Ritter. (Nipperd. implere).
            In pass.: (ut) qui audiunt aut impellantur aut reflectantur, Cic. de Or. 2, 77, 312: Bellovacos impulsos ab suis principibus ab Aeduis defecisse, Caes. B. G. 2, 14, 3: vel iratum vel impulsum ab aliis, Quint. 11, 1, 71: hac fama impulsus Chremes ultro ad me venit, Ter. And. 1, 1, 72: impulsus irā … Quibus iris impulsus, id. Hec. 3, 5, 35: furore atque amentia impulsus, Caes. B. G. 1, 40, 4: hac impulsi occasione, id. ib. 7, 1, 3: Induciomari nuntiis impulsi, id. ib. 5, 26, 2: Cassandrae impulsus furiis, Verg. A. 10, 68 et saep.: quia et initio movendus sit judex et summo impellendus, Quint. 7, 1, 10: cum simul terra, simul mari bellum impelleretur, Tac. Agr. 25; cf.: impulsum bellum, Luc. 7, 5; 7, 330.
            (η) Absol.: cui (δαιμονίῳ) sempel ipse paruerit, numquam impellenti, saepe revocanti, Cic. Div. 1, 54, 122: qui nullo impellente fallebant, id. Fl. 8, 20: uno ictu frequenter impellunt (sententiae), Quint. 12, 10, 48.
    2. B. To overthrow, subdue, destroy (rare): praecipitantem igitur impellamus, et perditum prosternamus, Cic. Clu. 26, 70: miseri post fata Sychaei … Solus hic (Aeneas) inflexit sensus animumque labantem Impulit, i. e. has completely subdued, Verg. A. 4, 23: impellere ruentem, to destroy completely, Tac. H. 2, 63 fin.: inpulsas Vitellii res audietis, id. ib. 3, 2: inmenso Achaicae victoriae momento ad impellendos mores, Plin. 33, 11, 53, § 149: impulsum bellum, i. e. brought near to a close, Luc. 5, 330: impellens quidquid sibi, summa petenti, obstaret, id. 1, 149: tum leviter est temptatum, … et nunc maximo temporum nostrorum auctore prope inpulsum, Quint. 3, 4, 2 Spald. N. cr.