obruo

ob-rŭo, ŭi, ŭtum, 3 ( inf. pres. pass. OBRI for obrui, Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 341; v. in the foll. I. B. 1.), v. a. (n. Lucr. 3, 775; v. infra), to overwhelm, overthrow, strike down; to cover, cover over with any thing; also to hide in the ground, bury by heaping over (class.; cf.: opprimo, subruo).

I.

Lit.

A.

In gen.:

aliquem caestu,

Stat. Achill. 1, 191:

concidit, et totis fratrem gravis obruit armis,

id. Th. 11, 573; Verg. A. 5, 692:

confossus undique obruitur,

Curt. 8, 11:

ranae marinae dicuntur obruere sese harenā solere,

bury themselves in the sand, Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 125:

thesaurum,

to bury, id. Sen. 7, 21:

ova,

to hide in the earth, id. N. D. 2, 52, 129:

aegros veste,

to cover, Plin. 26, 3, 8, § 16: oceanum rubra tractim obruit aethra, covered, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Ann. v. 418 Vahl.); so,

terram nox obruit umbris,

Lucr. 6, 864.—

B.

In partic., to bury, inter a dead body (perh. only post-Aug.), Tac. A. 1, 29 fin.:

cadaver levi caespite obrutum est,

Suet. Calig. 59: cujus ossa in Vulcanali obruta sunt, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. statua, p. 290 Müll.: QVOD SE VOLVIT OBRI. Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 341.—

2.

To sink in the sea, cover with water:

puppes,

Verg. A. 1, 69:

quos Obruit Auster,

overwhelmed, sunk, id. ib. 6, 336:

navem,

Dig. 9, 2, 29:

obrutus adulter aquis,

Ov. Her. 1, 6:

obruerit cum tot deus aequoris undis,

id. P. 3, 6, 29:

vultus,

id. Tr. 1, 2, 34:

Aegyptum Nilus,

Cic. N. D. 2, 52.—

C.

To sow seed; cover with earth:

semina terrā,

Ov. R. Am. 173:

milium,

Col. 11, 2, 72:

lupinum,

id. 11, 2, 81:

betam,

id. 11, 3, 42.—

D.

To overload, surfeit with any thing:

se vino,

Cic. Deiot. 9. —

II.

Trop.

A.

To overwhelm, bury, conceal, put out of sight, abolish, consign to oblivion:

ut adversā quasi perpetuā oblivione obruamus,

Cic. Fin. 1, 17, 57; cf.:

ea quae umquam vetustas obruet aut quae tanta delebit oblivio?

id. Deiot. 13, 37; and:

(sermo) nec umquam de ullo perennis fuit, et obruitur hominum interitu,

id. Rep. 6, 23, 25:

talis viri interitu sex suos obruere consulatus,

to dim, cloud, destroy the glory of six consulships, id. Tusc. 5, 19, 56.—

2.

Neutr.:

et domus aetatis spatio ne fessa vetusto obruat,

i. e. fall to ruin, Lucr. 3, 775.—

B.

To overwhelm, overload, weigh down, oppress with any thing:

criminibus obrutus atque oppressus,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 7, § 20; so,

copiā sententiarum atque verborum,

id. Tusc. 2, 1, 3:

ambitione, et foro,

id. de Or. 1, 21, 94:

aere alieno,

id. Att. 2, 1, 11; cf.

faenore,

Liv. 6, 14; 35, 7:

magnitudine negotii,

Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 4.—

C.

To overcome, overpower, surpass, eclipse, obscure:

famam alicujus,

Tac. Agr. 17:

obruimur numero,

are outnumbered, Verg. A. 2, 424:

obruit Idaeam quantum tuba Martia buxum,

Val. Fl. 1, 320:

M. Brutus Vatinium dignatione obruerat,

Vell. 2, 69:

Venus Nymphas obruit,

Stat. Achill. 1, 293.