urgeo (less correctly urgueo), ursi (perf. rare; past part. not found), 2, v. a. [Gr. ϝεργ-, εἵργνυμι, to shut in; Sanscr. varg-, vargami, prevent; Germ. Merk; Engl. work], to press, push, force, drive, impel, urge.
I Lit. (mostly poet.; syn.: pello, trudo): unda impellitur undā Urgeturque eadem veniens urgetque priorem, Ov. M. 15, 182: urgeris turbā circum te stante, Hor. S. 1, 3, 135: angustoque vagos pisces urgere catino, id. ib. 2, 4, 77: trepidique pedem pede fervidus urget, Verg. A. 12, 748; cf. Cic. Rep. 6, 20, 21: aut petis aut urges ruiturum, Sisyphe, saxum, i. e. roll up , Ov. M. 4, 460: versaque in obnixos urguentur cornua vasto Cum gemitu, Verg. G. 3, 222: tres (naves) Eurus ab alto In brevia et Syrtes urget, id. A. 1, 111: miserum tenues in jecur urget acus, Ov. H. 6, 92: equites in oppidum, Auct. B. Afr. 6, 3: (Mars) aetherias currus urgebat ad arces, Stat. Th. 3, 222.—
B Transf.
1 To press upon (as something burdensome or compulsory).
a To bear hard or close upon; press hard , beset (class.): Caesar cum septimam legionem, quae juxta constiterat, urgeri ab hoste vidisset, Caes. B. G. 2, 26; 2, 25; Sall. J. 56, 6; cf.: hinc Pallas instat et urget Hinc contra Lausus, Verg. A. 10, 433: urgent impavidi te Salaminius Teucer, te Sthenelus, Hor. C. 1, 15, 23: hac urget lupus, hac canis angit, id. S. 2, 2, 64. —
b To weigh or bear down , to burden , oppress : at onus urget, Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 35; cf.: onus aut jam urgentis aut certe adventantis senectutis, Cic. Sen. 1, 2: quod latus mundi nebulae malusque Juppiter urget, Hor. C. 1, 22, 20: quem scabies aut morbus urget, id. A. P. 453; cf.: ergo Quintilium perpetuus sopor Urget, id. C. 1, 24, 5: omnes illacrimabiles Urgentur ignotique longa Nocte, id. ib. 4, 9, 27: populus militiā atque inopiā urguebatur, Sall. J. 41, 7: praesens atque urgens malum, Cic. Tusc. 3, 25, 61.—
c To urge , press , stimulate , drive , solicit (syn. insto): quod te urget, scelus, Qui huic sis molestus? Plaut. Men. 2, 2, 47: etiam atque etiam insto atque urgeo, Cic. Planc. 19, 48: quamobrem, ut facis, urge, insta, perfice, id. Att. 13, 32, 1: Lepidus ursit me et suis et Antonii litteris, ut, etc., Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 4: nihil urget, is pressing , Cic. Att. 13, 27, 2: cur patrem non urserit ad exsolutionem, Dig. 23, 3, 33.—
2 To press , strain , exert in excess , etc.: vox autem ultra vires urgenda non est, Quint. 11, 3, 51; cf. orationem, id. 11, 3, 102.—
3 To press upon (by too great nearness), to crowd , hem in , confine : ne urbem hanc urbe aliā premere atque urgere possitis, Cic. Agr. 1, 5, 16: vallis, quam densis frondibus atrum Urget utrimque latus, Verg. A. 11, 524; 7, 566: quāque pharetratae vicinia Persidis urget, id. G. 4, 290.—
II Trop.
A To press , ply , urge with argument (a favorite expression of Cic.): urgerent praeterea philosophorum greges ... instaret Academia, Cic. de Or. 1, 10, 42: illum neque ursi, neque levavi, id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 1: sed urges me meis versibus, id. Div. 2, 20, 45: urguebat Arcesilas Zenonem, cum ipse falsa omnia diceret, etc., id. N. D. 1, 25, 70.—With acc. and inf.: sed urguetis identidem hominum esse istam culpam non deorum, Cic. N. D. 3, 31, 76: illud urgeam, non intellegere eum, quid, etc., id. Fin. 5, 27, 80.— Absol. : ut interrogando urgeat, Cic. Or. 40, 137: urgent tamen et nihil remittunt, id. Fin. 4, 28, 77; id. Off. 3, 9, 39; id. Lig. 3, 9 (also ap. Quint. 9, 2, 57).—
B To follow up , keep to , stick to , ply hard , push forward , urge on any thing: eundem locum diutius, Cic. N. D. 1, 35, 97: quin tu urges istam occasionem et facultatem, id. Fam. 7, 8, 2: jus, aequitatem, id. Off. 3, 16, 67: idem illud de provinciis, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 5, 3: propositum, Hor. S. 2, 7, 6: et durum terrae rusticus urget opus, Tib. 1, 9, 8; Ov. M. 4, 390; cf.: non tacta ligonibus arva, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 26: vestem, Verg. A. 9, 489: iter, Ov. F. 6, 520: vestigia ad manes, Sil. 12, 419: Romae cum sum et urgeo forum, am often in the Forum , Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 4; cf. altum, to force or plunge into , Hor. C. 2, 10, 2.— Urgeri, with gen., to be hard pressed , prosecuted for any thing: male administratae provinciae aliorumque criminum, Tac. A. 6, 29.—Poet., with inf.: marisque Baiis obstrepentis urges Summovere litora, Hor. C. 2, 18, 20.
XII —Hence, urgens , entis, P. a. (acc. to I.B.1.), pressing , cogent , urgent (postclass. and very rare): urgentior causa, Tert. Res. Carn. 2 med. : urgentissima ratio, Cod. Just. 3, 11, 1.—Adv.: urgenter , pressingly (late Lat.), Cypr. Ep. 30, 1.