I.inf. pres. pass. inpellier, Lucr. 6, 1060), v. a. in-pello, to push, drive, or strike against a thing; to strike, reach.
I. Lit.
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.—
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.
II. Trop.
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.
(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.—
(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.—
(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.—
(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.—
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.