ăgĭto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [ago], as if the supine were agitu; cf.: quaero quaerito.
I Lit., to put a thing in motion , to drive or impel (mostly poet., or in more elevated prose; from poetry it passed, after the Aug. per., into common prose).
A Of cattle, to drive , conduct (cf. ago): calcari quadrupedem agitabo advorsum clivom, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 118: stimulo boves agitat, Vulg. Eccli. 38, 26: hanc in curru bijugos agitare leones, drives her span of lions , Lucr. 2, 602: agitantur quadrigae, Varr. L. L. 6, § 41 Müll.: ad flumina currus, Verg. G. 3, 18: jussit agitari currum suum, Vulg. 2 Macc. 9, 4: lanigeros greges hirtasque capellas, to drive , poet. for to tend , Verg. G. 3, 287: sacros jugales (dracones), Ov. M. 5, 661: quadrigas bigasque et equos desultorios, Suet. Caes. 39.—
B Of the motion of other things, to move , impel , shake : triremem in portu, Nep. Dion, 9, 2: alas, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 21: manibusque leves agitavit habenas, id. M. 7, 221: hastam, id. ib. 3, 667: caput, to move the head ( in token of assent = annuere), id. ib. 1, 567: arundinem vento agitatam, Vulg. Matt. 11, 7.—Esp., of animals, to hunt , chase , pursue : etiamsi excitaturus non sis nec agitaturus feras, Cic. Off. 3, 17: aquila insectans alias aves atque agitans, id. Div. 2, 70: trepidas columbas, Ov. M. 5, 606; 11, 300: damas, id. ib. 10, 539: cursu timidos onagros, Verg. G. 3, 409 al.—
C Of the motion caused by the wind, to drive to and fro , toss about , agitate , disturb : ventus enim fit, ubi est agitando percitus aër, when the air is violently agitated and driven , Lucr. 6, 686: mare ventorum vi agitari atque turbari, Cic. Clu. 49 fin. ; id. Univ. 3, 7: freta ponti Incipiunt agitata tumescere, Verg. G. 1, 357: aristas, Ov. A. A. 1, 553: Zephyris agitata Tempe, Hor. C. 3, 1, 24: ventis agitatur pinus, id. ib. 2, 10, 9: veteres agitantur orni, id. ib. 1, 9, 12: agitaret aura capillos, id. Epod. 15, 9.—
D Of the motion caused by the water: agitata numina Trojae, tossed or driven about upon the sea , Verg. A. 6, 68; Prop. 3, 21, 5.—
E In gen., of the motion caused by other things: magnes (lapis) agitat (ferri ramenta) per aes, Lucr. 6, 1054: agitari inter se concursu, Cic. N. D. 1, 39: pulsu externo agitari, Macr Somn. Scip. 9.—Poet. of mist, to produce it by motion or agitation : dejectuque (Peneus) gravi tenues agitantia fumos Nubila conducit, and by its impetuous descent (into the valley) raises clouds producing mist , Ov. M. 1, 571—
II Trop.
A To rouse up , excite , move , urge , drive , impel one to something: aliquem , sometimes in aliquid (so in Florus very freq.): in furias agitantur equae, are excited to fury , Ov. A. A. 2, 487: agitare plebem, to stir up , rouse , Liv. 3, 11: populum, Flor. 2, 12, 2; so id. 11, 6, 2 al.: agitatus cupiditate regni, id. 3, 1: gens sacratis legibus agitata in exitium urbis, id. 1, 16, 7.—
B To disquiet , disturb , to drive hither and thither , to vex , trouble , torment (the fig. taken from the sea agitated by storm; cf. Gernh. and Beier upon Cic. Off. 1, 24, 82): dii deaeque te agitant irati, Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 115: atra bilis agitat hominem, id. Capt. 3, 4, 64; so id. Curc. 1, 1, 92; 2, 1, 24: ut eos agitent furiae, neque usquam consistere patiantur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 24, 66 (cf. Verg. A. 3, 331: scelerum furiis agitatus Orestes, id. ib. 4, 471): suum quemque scelus agitat amentiaque afficit, Cic. Rosc. Am. 24, 67: agitare et insequi poëtas, Tac. Or. 4; 25 and 41: multis injuriis jactata atque agita ta, Cic. Quint. 2: est magni viri, rebus agitatis (= perturbatis, Beier) punire sontes, id. Off. 1, 24, 82: agitabatur animus inopiā rei familiaris et conscientiā scelerum, Sall. C. 5, 7: quos conscientia defectionis agitabat, Tac. Agr. 16: commotus metu atque libidine diversus agitabatur, was drawn in different directions , Sall. J. 25, 6; Liv. 22, 12. ne te semper inops agitet vexetque cupido, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 98: quos agitabat timor, Tac. Agr. 16: timore et metu agitati, Vulg. Judith, 15, 1: injuriis agitatus, Flor. 1, 8, 7: seditionibus, Just. 12, 4, 12.—
C To assail with reproach , derision , insult; to reprove , blame , scoff , deride , insult , mock : agitat rem militarem, insectatur totam legationem, attacks , ridicules , Cic. Mur. 9, 21; id. Brut. 28, 109: mea saevis agitat fastidia verbis, Hor. Epod. 12, 13; without verbis : agitant expertia frugis, id. A. P. 341: vesanum poëtam agitant pueri, id. ib. 456.—
D In gen., to drive or urge on a thing, to accomplish or do , to drive at , to be employed in , be engaged in , to have , hold , keep , to celebrate; v. ago, II. D. (in the historians, esp. Sallust, very freq.): Haec ego non agitem? should I not drive at? Juv. 1, 52: vigilias, to keep , Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 27; so, custodiam, id. Rud. 3, 6, 20; so Tac. A. 11, 18: hoc agitemus convivium vino et sermone suavi, let us celebrate , Plaut. As. 5, 1, 7: Dionysia, Ter. Heaut. 733; so id. Hec. 93: convivia, Ov. M. 7, 431; Suet. Claud. 32 festa gaudia, Sil. 15, 423: meum natalem, Plaut. Pers. 5, 1, 16; so festos dies, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 51 (63 print not found): jocos, Ov. M. 3, 319: agraria lex a Flavio tribuno plebis vehementer agitabatur, was powerfully urged , supported , Cic. Att. 1, 19: quae cum praecepta parentis mei agitarem, was striving to comply with , Sall. J. 14, 2 (modestius dictum pro: studere, ut agerem, Cort.): laeti pacem agitabamus, were at peace , enjoyed the delights of peace , id. ib. 14, 10: dicit se missum a consule venisse quaesitum ab eo, pacem an bellum agitaturus foret, id. ib. 109, 2: quoniam deditionis morā induciae agitabantur, there was a truce , id. ib. 29, 4; id. C. 24, 2.— Poet.: ceu primas agitant acies, certamina miscent, as if they formed the front rank , Sil. 9, 330.—Hence of time, esp. life, to pass , spend (cf. ago, II. D 5.): vita hominum sine cupiditate agitabatur, Sall. C. 2, 1: agitare aevum, Verg. G. 4, 154; id. A. 10, 235: festos dies, Tac. H. 3, 78.—In Sall., Tac., Flor., et al., agitare absol. , to live , dwell , abide , sojourn , be : hi propius mare Africum agitabant, Sall. J. 18, 9; cf id. ib. 19, 5; id. Fragm. H. 3, 11; so id. J. 54, 2; 59, 1; 94, 4: laeti Germant agitabant, Tac. A. 1, 50: secretus agitat, id. ib. 11, 21: montium editis sine cultu atque eo ferocius agitabant, id. ib. 4, 46; Flor. 4, 12, 48.—
E Of the mind: agitare aliquid or de aliquā re (in corde, in mente, animo, cum animo, secum, etc.), to drive at a thing in the mind , i. e. to turn over , revolve , to weigh , consider , meditate upon , and with the idea of action to be performed or a conclusion to be made, to deliberate upon , to devise , contrive , plot , to be occupied with , to design , intend , etc.: id ego semper mecum sic agito et comparo, Att ap. Non. 256, 20: quom eam rem in corde agito, Plaut. Truc. 2, 5, 3: id agitans mecum, Ter. Phorm. 615; so Sall. J. 113, 3: habet nihil aliud quod agitet in mente, Cic. N. D. 1, 41: est tuum sic agitare animo, ut, etc., id. Fam. 6, 1: quae omnes animo agitabant, Tac. A. 6, 9: provincias secretis imaginationibus agitans, id. ib. 15, 36 in animo bellum, Liv. 21, 2; Vell. 1, 16; Quint. 12, 2, 28.—With inf., as object : ut mente agitaret bellum renovare, Nep. Ham. 1, 4.—Poet.: aliquid jamdudum invadere magnum Mens agitat mihi, Verg. A. 9, 187. —Sometimes also without mente, animo, and the like, agitare aliquid , in the same signif: quodsi ille hoc unum agitare coeperit, esse, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 96: rem a me saepe deliberatam et multum agitatam requiris, id. Ac. 1, 2: oratori omnia quaesita, disputata, tractata, agitata ( well considered or weighed ) esse debent, id. de Or. 3, 14: fugam, Verg. A. 2, 640.—So esp. freq. in Tac. : Britanni agitare inter se mala servitutis, Agr. 15: bellum adversus patrem agitare, id. H. 4, 86, id. A. 1, 5; 1, 12.—With de : de bello, Tac. H. 2, 1: agitanti de Claudio, id. A. 6, 46: de tempore ac loco caedis agitabant, id. ib. 15, 50; 1, 12; id. H. 4, 59.—With num : agitavere, num Messalinam depellerent amore Silli, Tac. A. 11, 29; id. H. 1, 19.— With - ne : agitavere placeretne, etc., Tac. H. 3, 1.—With an : an Artaxata pergeret, agitavit, Tac. A. 13, 41—With quomodo , Tac. A. 2, 12.—With ut (of purpose): ut Neronem pudor caperet, insita spe agitari, Tac. A. 16, 26.—
F To treat or speak of or concerning a thing , to confer about , deliberate upon. Romae per omnīs locos et conventus de facto consulis agitart ( impers. , for agitabatur), discussions were had , Sall. J. 30, 1; cum de foedere victor agitaret, Liv. 9, 5; 30, 3.—*
G Sat agitare, with gen., in Plaut. , = sat agere, to have enough to do , to have trouble with : nunc agitas sat tute tuarum rerum, Bacch. 4, 3, 23.