I.without reverence or respect for God, one's parents, or one's country; irreverent, ungodly, undutiful, unpatriotic; abandoned, wicked, impious (rare but class.; cf.: nefarius, sacrilegus).
I. Lit.: “me fugerat, deorum immortalium has esse in impios et consceleratos poenas certissimas constitutas,” Cic. Pis. 20, 46: “numero impiorum et sceleratorum haberi,” Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 7; cf.: “scelerosus atque impius,” Ter. Eun. 4, 3, 1: “(deos) piorum et impiorum habere rationem,” Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 15: “impius ne audeto placare donis iram deorum,” id. ib. 2, 9, 22: “dixerunt impium pro parricida,” Quint. 8, 6, 30; 7, 1, 52: “impius erga parentes,” Suet. Rhet. 6: “impium, qui dividere nolit cum fratre,” Quint. 7, 1, 45: “necesse est, iste, qui affinem fortunis spoliare conatus est, impium se esse fateatur,” Cic. Quint. 6, 26: “(Danaides) Impiae sponsos potuere duro Perdere ferro!” Hor. C. 3, 11, 31: “Titanes,” id. ib. 3, 4, 42; cf.: “cohors Gigantum,” id. ib. 2, 19, 22: “Saturnus,” id. ib. 2, 17, 22: “miles,” Verg. E. 1, 71: “Carthago,” Hor. C. 4, 8, 17: “gens,” Verg. G. 2, 537: “di,” invoked in imprecations, Tac. A. 16, 31: “poëtae,” i. e. accursed, Cat. 14, 7: “expiari impium non posse,” Varr. L. L. 6, § 30 Müll.—Sup.: “impiissimus filius,” Dig. 28, 5, 46, § 1; Aus. Grat. Act. 17.—
II. Transf., of inanim. or abstr. things (mostly poet.): “si impias propinquorum manus effugeris,” Cic. Rep. 6, 12; so, “manus,” Hor. Epod. 3, 1: “cervix,” id. C. 3, 1, 17: “pectora Thracum,” id. Epod. 5, 13: “ratis,” id. C. 1, 3, 23; id. Epod. 10, 14: “ensis,” Ov. M. 14, 802: “tura,” id. H. 14, 26: “Tartara,” Verg. A. 5, 733: “bellum injustum atque impium,” Cic. Rep. 2, 17: “caedes,” Hor. C. 3, 24, 25: “proelia,” id. ib. 2, 1, 30: “furor,” Verg. A. 1, 294: “facta,” Ov. H. 10, 100: “verba,” Tib. 1, 3, 52: “tumultus,” Hor. C. 4, 4, 46: “clamor,” id. ib. 1, 27, 6: “fama,” Verg. A. 4, 298: “vivacitas,” Quint. 6 praef. § 3. — Prov.: “Impia sub dulci melle venena latent,” Ov. Am. 1, 8, 104.— Plur. as substt.
(β).
impĭa , ōrum, n., profane words, impious sayings: “impia et illicita dicere,” Gell. 1, 15, 17. —
B. In partic., impia herba, a plant, perh. the French everlasting, Gnaphalium Gallicum, Plin. 24, 19, 113, § 173.—Adv.: im-pĭē , irreligiously, undutifully, wickedly: “quae (astra) qui videat, non solum indocte, sed etiam impie faciat, si deos esse neget,” Cic. N. D. 2, 16, 44: “impie commissum,” id. Leg. 2, 9, 22: “impie ingratus esse,” id. Tusc. 5, 2, 6: “fecisti,” Quint. 7, 1, 53: “loqui,” i. e. treasonably, Suet. Dom. 10: “deserere regem,” Curt. 5, 12.—Sup.: “impiissime,” Salv. de Avar. 3.