I.abl. sing. and in plur.; gen. sing. very rare; Tac. Or. 26; Dig. 4, 2, 1; Paul. Sent. 5, 30; dat. sing. vi, Auct. B. Afr. 69, 2; C. I. L. 5, 837; collat. form of the nom. and acc. plur. vis, Lucr. 3, 265; 2, 586; Sall. ap. Prisc. p. 707, or H. 3, 62 Dietsch; Messala ap. Macr. S. 1, 9, 14) [Gr. ἴς, ϝις, sinew, force; ἶφι, with might], strength, physical or mental; force, vigor, power, energy, virtue (cf. robur).
I. Lit.
1. In gen.
(α).
Sing.: “celeritas et vis equorum,” Cic. Div. 1, 70, 144: “magna vis eorum (urorum) et magna velocitas,” Caes. B. G. 6, 28: “contra vim atque impetum fluminis,” id. ib. 4, 17: “tempestatis,” id. B. C. 2, 14: “venti,” Lucr. 1, 271: “solis,” id. 4, 326 (301): “horrida teli,” id. 3, 170: “acris vini,” id. 3, 476: “ferri aerisque,” id. 5, 1286: “veneni,” Cic. Cael. 24, 58 et saep.—
(β).
Plur. (most freq. of physical strength): “non viribus aut velocitatibus aut celeritate corporum res magnae geruntur,” Cic. Sen. 6, 17: “nec nunc vires desidero adulescentis, non plus quam adulescens tauri aut elephanti desiderabam,” id. ib. 9, 27: “hoc ali vires nervosque confirmari putant,” Caes. B. G. 6, 21: “me jam sanguis viresque deficiunt,” id. ib. 7, 50 fin.: “perpauci viribus confisi transnatare contenderunt,” id. ib. 1, 53: “nostri integris viribus fortiter repugnare,” id. ib. 3, 4: “lacertis et viribus pugnare,” Cic. Fam. 4, 7, 2: “omnibus viribus atque opibus repugnare,” id. Tusc. 3, 11, 25: “non animi solum vigore sed etiam corporis viribus excellens,” Liv. 9, 16, 12: “validis viribus hastam contorquere,” Verg. A. 2, 50: “quicquid agas, decet agere pro viribus,” with all your might, Cic. Sen. 9, 27; so, “supra vires,” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 22: “et neglecta solent incendia sumere vires,” id. ib. 1, 18, 85: “seu virium vi seu exercitatione multā cibi vinique capacissimus,” Liv. 9, 16, 13; cf.: “in proelii concursu abit res a Consilio ad vires vimque pugnantium,” Nep. Thras. 1, 4 dub. (Siebel. vires usumque).—Poet., with inf.: “nec mihi sunt vires inimicos pellere tectis,” Ov. H. 1, 109.—
2. In partic.
a. Energy, virtue, potency (of herbs, drugs, etc.): “in radices vires oleae abibunt,” Cato, R. R. 61, 1: “vires habet herba?” Ov. M. 13, 942: “egregius fons Viribus occultis adjuvat,” Juv. 12, 42. —
b. Vis, personified, the same as Juno, Aus. Idyll. de Deis; cf. Verg. A. 7, 432 Serv. —
c. Hostile strength, force, violence, = βία: EA POENA, QVAE EST DE VI, S. C. ap. Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5: “cum vi vis illata defenditur,” Cic. Mil. 4, 9; cf.: “celeri rumore dilato Dioni vim allatam,” Nep. Dion, 10, 1: “ne vim facias ullam in illam,” Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 37: “sine vi facere,” id. ib. 4, 7, 20: “vim afferre alicui,” Cic. Caecin. 21, 61; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 24, § 62; 2, 4, 66, § 148: “adhibere,” id. Off. 3, 30, 110; id. Cat. 1, 8, 19: “praesidio tam valido et armato vim adferre,” Liv. 9, 16, 4: “iter per vim tentare,” by force, forcibly, Caes. B. G. 1, 14; so, “per vim,” id. B. C. 2, 13; Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: “ne id quidem satis est, nisi docet, ita se possedisse nec vi nec clam nec precario possederit,” id. Caecin. 32, 92; so the jurid. formula in Lex Thoria ap. Grut. 202, 18; Dig. 41, 1, 22; Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28: “vis haec quidem hercle est, et trahi et trudi simul,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 92; Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 20: “naves totae factae ex robore ad quamvis vim et contumeliam perferendam (shortly afterwards: tantas tempestates Oceani tantosque impetus ventorum sustineri),” violence, shock, Caes. B. G. 3, 13: “caeli,” a storm, tempest, Plin. 18, 28, 69, § 278.—To avoid the gen. form (v. supra): “de vi condemnati sunt,” Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 4: de vi reus; id. Sest. 35, 75; id. Vatin. 17, 41: “ei qui de vi itemque ei qui majestatis damnatus sit,” id. Phil. 1, 9, 23; cf. id. ib. 1, 9, 21 sq. Halm ad loc.; Tac. A. 4, 13.—
d. In mal. part., force, violence: pudicitiam cum eriperet militi tribunus militaris ... interfectus ab eo est, cui vim adferebat, Cic. Mil. 4, 9: “matribus familias vim attulisse,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 24, § 62: “vis allata sorori,” Ov. A. A. 1, 679: “victa nitore dei vim passa est,” id. M. 4, 233: “vim passa est Phoebe,” id. A. A. 1, 679.—
B. Transf., concr.
1. Quantity, number, abundance (cf.: copia, multitudo); with gen.: “quasi retruderet hominum me vis invitum,” Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 66: “innumerabilis servorum,” Cic. Har. Resp. 11, 22: “in pompā cum magna vis auri argentique ferretur,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 91: “vis magna pulveris,” Caes. B. C. 2, 26: “vis maxima ranunculorum,” Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 3: “argenti,” id. Prov. Cons. 2, 4: “vim lacrimarum profudi,” id. Rep. 6, 14, 14: “odora canum vis,” Verg. A. 4, 132; cf. absol.: “et nescio quomodo is, qui auctoritatem minimam habet, maximam vim, populus cum illis facit,” Cic. Fin. 2, 14, 44.—
2. Vires, military forces, troops: “praeesse exercitui, ut praeter auctoritatem vires quoque ad coërcendum haberet,” Caes. B. C. 3, 57: “satis virium ad certamen,” Liv. 3, 60, 4: “undique contractis viribus signa cum Papirio conferre,” id. 9, 13, 12: “robur omne virium ejus regni,” the flower, id. 33, 4, 4: “concitet et vires Graecia magna suas,” Ov. H. 15 (16), 340.—
3. Vires, the virile forces or organs, Arn. 5, 158; 5, 163; Inscr. Orell. 2322; 2332: “veluti castratis viribus,” Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 60; cf.: “vis (= vires) multas possidere in se,” Lucr. 2, 586.—Rarely sing.: “vis genitalis,” Tac. A. 6, 18.—
II. Trop.
A. Mental strength, power, force, vigor: “vis illa divina et virtus oratoris,” Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 120: “vis ac facultas oratoris,” id. ib. 1, 31, 142: “suavitatem Isocrates ... sonitum Aeschines, vim Demosthenes habuit,” id. ib. 3, 7, 28: “summa ingenii,” id. Phil. 5, 18, 49: “magna vis est conscientiae in utramque partem,” id. Mil. 23, 61: “magna vis est in fortunā in utramque partem,” id. Off. 2, 6, 19: “patriae,” id. de Or. 1, 44, 196: “quod ostentum habuit hanc vim, ut, etc.,” power, effect, id. Div. 1, 33, 73: “qui indignitate suā vim ac jus magistratui quem gerebat dempsisset,” Liv. 26, 12, 8: “hujus conventionis,” Dig. 43, 25, 12.—Plur. (post-Aug.): “eloquentiae,” Quint. 5, 1, 2: “facilitatis,” id. 12, 9, 20: “ingenii,” id. 1, 2, 23; 12, 1, 32: “orationis,” id. 8, 3, 87.—
B. Transf., of abstr. things, force, notion, meaning, sense, import, nature, essence (cf. significatio): “id, in quo est omnis vis amicitiae,” Cic. Lael. 4, 15: “eloquentiae vis et natura,” id. Or. 31, 112: “vis honesti (with natura),” id. Off. 1, 6, 18; cf. id. Fin. 1, 16, 50: “virtutis,” id. Fam. 9, 16, 5: “quae est alia vis legis?” id. Dom. 20, 53: “vis, natura, genera verborum et simplicium et copulatorum,” i.e. the sense, signification, id. Or. 32, 115: “vis verbi,” id. Inv. 1, 13, 17; id. Balb. 8, 21: “quae vis insit in his paucis verbis, si attendes, si attendes, intelleges,” id. Fam. 6, 2, 3: “quae vis subjecta sit vocibus,” id. Fin. 2, 2, 6: “nominis,” id. Top. 8, 35: μετωνυμία, cujus vis est, pro eo, quod dicitur, causam, propter quam dicitur, ponere, Quint. 8, 6, 23.
