stimulo

stĭmŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [id.], to prick with a goad, to prick or goad on, to urge on (syn. pungo).

I.

Lit. (post-Aug. and rare):

quadrijugos flagello,

Sil. 4, 439:

equos calcaribus,

Val. Max. 3, 2, 9; for which, poet. transf.:

turbatos currus,

Luc. 7, 570; Sil. 16, 367:

aries stimulatus,

Col. 7, 3, 5.—

II.

Trop., to goad, torment, vex, trouble, disquiet, disturb (class. and freq.;

syn. agito): jactor, crucior, agitor, stimulor, vorsor in amoris rota miser,

Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 4:

hunc sibi ex animo scrupulum, qui se dies noctesque stimulat ac pungit, ut evellatis, postulat,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 2, 6:

larvae stimulant virum,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 66:

te conscientiae stimulant maleficiorum tuorum,

Cic. Par. 2, 18:

me nunc et congressus hujus (Caesaris) stimulat,

id. Att. 9, 15, 2:

me haec solitudo minus stimulat quam ista celebritas,

id. ib. 12, 13, 1:

consulem cura de minore filio stimulabat,

Liv. 44, 44:

stimulatus furenti rabie,

Cat. 63, 4:

curis animum stimulantibus,

Claud. in Ruf. 2, 326.—

B.

In gen., to rouse up, set in motion; to spur on, incite, stimulate to any action (syn. cieo, excio).

(α).

With simple acc.:

Phrygio stimulat numero cava tibia mentes,

Lucr. 2, 620:

aliquem,

Liv. 3, 68, 10:

avita gloria animum stimulabat,

id. 1, 22, 2:

irā stimulante animos,

id. 1, 12, 1; 30, 11:

cupido animum stimulabat,

Curt. 4, 7, 8; 6, 5, 19:

stimulata pellicis irā,

Ov. M. 4, 235.—With inanim. objects:

jurgia praecipue vino stimulata,

Ov. A. A. 1, 591:

Persicorum sucus sitim stimulat,

Plin. 23, 7, 67, § 132; so,

venerem,

id. 20, 5, 15, § 32; cf.

conceptus,

id. 2, 8, 6, § 38:

fugam hostium,

id. 9, 8, 9, § 32:

iras functas,

to revive, arouse, Stat. Th. 12, 437. —

(β).

With ad:

ad alicujus salutem defendendam stimulari atque excitari,

Cic. Planc. 28, 69:

ad perturbandam rempublicam,

Sall. C. 18, 4:

ad arma,

Liv. 1, 23, 7:

ad iram,

Tac. H. 2, 44.—

(γ).

With in:

injuriae dolor in Tarquinium eos stimulabat,

Liv. 1, 40, 4:

animos eorum irā in hostes stimulando,

id. 21, 11, 3; cf.

in a mixed construction: ad iram saepius quam in formidinem stimulabantur,

Tac. H. 2, 44 fin. —

(δ).

With ut or ne:

vetus nostra simultas antea stimulabat me, ut caverem, etc.,

Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 4:

rubore stimulabantur, ne clientulorum loco numerarentur,

Tac. Or. 37; Curt. 7, 7, 26.—

(ε).

Poet., with inf.:

festinare fugam... iterum stimulat,

Verg. A. 4, 576:

stimulante metu fati praenoscere cursus,

Luc. 6, 423:

juvencos jactare accensis stimulavi cornibus ignes,

Sil. 12, 504.—

(ζ).

Absol.:

stimulante fame,

Ov. Tr. 1, 6, 9:

stimulante conscientiā,

Curt. 5, 11, 7:

metu stimulante,

id. 7, 7, 26.