stĭmŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [stimulus], 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.