I.to invite, treat, feast, entertain (cf. illicio; class.).
I. Lit., constr. with ad or in and acc., with simple acc. or abl., or with ut.
(α).
With ad: “aliquem ad prandium,” Cic. Mur. 35, 73: “ad cenam,” Val. Max. 2, 1, 2; Cic. Fam. 7, 9, 2; Suet. Aug. 34; “ad consulem,” Liv. 45, 8 fin.—
(β).
With in and acc.: “aliquem in hospitium,” Liv. 28, 18; cf. Val. Max. 2, 10, ext. 1: “ad cenam in hortos in posterum diem,” Cic. Off. 3, 14, 58. —
(γ).
With simple acc.: aliquem domum suam ut animum ejus in Sthenium inflammarent (cf. ε infra), Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 36, § 89; Liv. 3, 14: “alius alium domos suas invitant,” Sall. J. 66. 3; Nep. Att. 13, 6.—
(δ).
With abl.: “aliquem tecto ac domo,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 11, § 25; cf.: “hospitio invitabit,” id. Phil. 12, 9, 23.— (ε) With ut: “invito eum, ut apud me diversetur,” Cic. Att. 13, 2; “ut cenem invitor?” Mart. 4, 68, 2.— Absol., to entertain: “alii suos in castra, invitandi causā adducunt,” Caes. B. C. 1, 74: “aliquem poculis,” to challenge to drink, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 31. — With se, to treat one's self, drink one's own health: “sese in cena plusculum,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 127: se cibo vinoque largius, Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. 321, 25 (Hist. 4, 4 Dietsch). —Comic.: gladio, to treat to the sword, i. e. to want to kill, Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 21; cf.: “aliquem clavā,” id. Rud. 3, 5, 31.—
II. Transf.
A. To invite, summon, challenge: “a Caesare liberaliter invitor in legationem illam,” Cic. Att. 2, 18, 3: “Cosconio mortuo, in ejus locum invitor,” id. ib. 1, 19, 4: “hostes ad deditionem,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 19: “aliquem ad audiendum,” Suet. Calig. 53: “ad spectaculum,” id. Ner. 12: “praemiis ad quippiam agendum,” Cic. Lig. 4: “in libidinem,” Suet. Calig. 41.—
B. To incite, allure, attract: “ni id me invitet ut faciam fides,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 5: “invitat hiemps curasque resolvit,” Verg. G. 1, 302: “invitent croceis halantes floribus horti,” id. ib. 4, 109: “ad agrum fruendum invitat atque allectat senectus,” Cic. de Sen. 16; so, “assentationem,” to encourage flattery, id. Lael. 26: “invitare et allicere appetitum animi,” id. Fin. 5, 6: “somnos,” to attract, Ov. M. 11, 604: “culpam,” to allure to transgression, id. H. 17, 183: “invitatur vino appetentia ciborum,” Plin. 23, 1, 22, § 38: “fossis invitavit mare,” i. e. conducted, Sol. 2. — Trop., of things: “invitat somnos crepitantibus unda lapillis,” Ov. M. 11, 604; cf. Hor. Epod. 2, 28. — With inf.: “vicina invitet decedere ripa calori,” Verg. G. 4, 23.—
C. To ask, request, urge: “Germanos, uti ab Rheno discederent,” Caes. B. G. 4, 6: “benignis verbis, ut, etc.,” Val. Max. 4, 3, 5 al.