vis

vis consilii expers
senseless violence vis divina oratoris
the godlike force of the orator Romani pulveris vim magnam animadverterunt
the Romans noticed the great force of the dust

vīs, vīs, pl., vīrēs, vīrium: strength, force; persistence, industry, force, power, 2.452; keenness of scent, 4.132; might, 7.432; violence, fury, 1.69; hurt, injury, 3.242; pl., vīrēs, ium, physical power, strength, 2.639; military strength, power, resources, 2.170; natural power, 7.258; personal power, influence, 8.404.

vīs, vis, f., plur. vīres, ĭum (class. only in nom., acc. and abl. sing. and in plur.; gen. sing. very rare; Tac. Or. 26; Dig. 4, 2, 1; Paul. Sent. 5, 30; dat. sing. vi, Auct. B. Afr. 69, 2; C. I. L. 5, 837; collat. form of the nom. and acc. plur. vis, Lucr. 3, 265; 2, 586; Sall. ap. Prisc. p. 707, or H. 3, 62 Dietsch; Messala ap. Macr. S. 1, 9, 14) [Gr. ἴς, ϝις, sinew, force; ἶφι, with might], strength, physical or mental; force, vigor, power, energy, virtue (cf. robur).

• I Lit.
• • • 1 In gen.
    • • • α Sing.: celeritas et vis equorum, Cic. Div. 1, 70, 144: magna vis eorum (urorum) et magna velocitas, Caes. B. G. 6, 28: contra vim atque impetum fluminis, id. ib. 4, 17: tempestatis, id. B. C. 2, 14: venti, Lucr. 1, 271: solis, id. 4, 326 (301): horrida teli, id. 3, 170: acris vini, id. 3, 476: ferri aerisque, id. 5, 1286: veneni, Cic. Cael. 24, 58 et saep.—
        • β Plur. (most freq. of physical strength): non viribus aut velocitatibus aut celeritate corporum res magnae geruntur, Cic. Sen. 6, 17: nec nunc vires desidero adulescentis, non plus quam adulescens tauri aut elephanti desiderabam, id. ib. 9, 27: hoc ali vires nervosque confirmari putant, Caes. B. G. 6, 21: me jam sanguis viresque deficiunt, id. ib. 7, 50 fin.: perpauci viribus confisi transnatare contenderunt, id. ib. 1, 53: nostri integris viribus fortiter repugnare, id. ib. 3, 4: lacertis et viribus pugnare, Cic. Fam. 4, 7, 2: omnibus viribus atque opibus repugnare, id. Tusc. 3, 11, 25: non animi solum vigore sed etiam corporis viribus excellens, Liv. 9, 16, 12: validis viribus hastam contorquere, Verg. A. 2, 50: quicquid agas, decet agere pro viribus, with all your might, Cic. Sen. 9, 27; so, supra vires, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 22: et neglecta solent incendia sumere vires, id. ib. 1, 18, 85: seu virium vi seu exercitatione multā cibi vinique capacissimus, Liv. 9, 16, 13; cf.: in proelii concursu abit res a Consilio ad vires vimque pugnantium, Nep. Thras. 1, 4 dub. (Siebel. vires usumque).—Poet., with inf.: nec mihi sunt vires inimicos pellere tectis, Ov. H. 1, 109.—
    • 2 In partic.
    • • a Energy, virtue, potency (of herbs, drugs, etc.): in radices vires oleae abibunt, Cato R. R. 61, 1: vires habet herba? Ov. M. 13, 942: egregius fons Viribus occultis adjuvat, Juv. 12, 42. —
      • b Vis, personified, the same as Juno, Aus. Idyll. de Deis; cf. Verg. A. 7, 432 Serv. —
      • c Hostile strength, force, violence, = βία: EA POENA, QVAE EST DE VI, S. C. ap. Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5: cum vi vis illata defenditur, Cic. Mil. 4, 9; cf.: celeri rumore dilato Dioni vim allatam, Nep. Dion, 10, 1: ne vim facias ullam in illam, Ter. Eun. 807: sine vi facere, id. ib. 790: vim afferre alicui, Cic. Caecin. 21, 61; id. Verr. 2, 1, 24, § 62; 2, 4, 66, § 148: adhibere, id. Off. 3, 30, 110; id. Cat. 1, 8, 19: praesidio tam valido et armato vim adferre, Liv. 9, 16, 4: iter per vim tentare, by force, forcibly, Caes. B. G. 1, 14; so, per vim, id. B. C. 2, 13; Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: ne id quidem satis est, nisi docet, ita se possedisse nec vi nec clam nec precario possederit, id. Caecin. 32, 92; so the jurid. formula in Lex Thoria ap. Grut. 202, 18; Dig. 41, 1, 22; Ter. Eun. 319: vis haec quidem hercle est, et trahi et trudi simul, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 92 (750); Ter. Ad. 943: naves totae factae ex robore ad quamvis vim et contumeliam perferendam (shortly afterwards: tantas tempestates Oceani tantosque impetus ventorum sustineri), violence, shock, Caes. B. G. 3, 13: caeli, a storm, tempest, Plin. 18, 28, 69, § 278.—To avoid the gen. form (v. supra): de vi condemnati sunt, Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 4: de vi reus; id. Sest. 35, 75; id. Vatin. 17, 41: ei qui de vi itemque ei qui majestatis damnatus sit, id. Phil. 1, 9, 23; cf. id. ib. 1, 9, 21 sq. Halm ad loc.; Tac. A. 4, 13.—
      • d In mal. part., force, violence: pudicitiam cum eriperet militi tribunus militaris ... interfectus ab eo est, cui vim adferebat, Cic. Mil. 4, 9: matribus familias vim attulisse, id. Verr. 2, 1, 24, § 62: vis allata sorori, Ov. A. A. 1, 679: victa nitore dei vim passa est, id. M. 4, 233: vim passa est Phoebe, id. A. A. 1, 679.—
  • B Transf., concr.
  • • 1 Quantity, number, abundance (cf.: copia, multitudo); with gen.: quasi retruderet hominum me vis invitum, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 66 (246): innumerabilis servorum, Cic. Har. Resp. 11, 22: in pompā cum magna vis auri argentique ferretur, Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 91: vis magna pulveris, Caes. B. C. 2, 26: vis maxima ranunculorum, Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 3: argenti, id. Prov. Cons. 2, 4: vim lacrimarum profudi, id. Rep. 6, 14, 14: odora canum vis, Verg. A. 4, 132; cf. absol.: et nescio quomodo is, qui auctoritatem minimam habet, maximam vim, populus cum illis facit, Cic. Fin. 2, 14, 44.—
    • 2 Vires, military forces, troops: praeesse exercitui, ut praeter auctoritatem vires quoque ad coërcendum haberet, Caes. B. C. 3, 57: satis virium ad certamen, Liv. 3, 60, 4: undique contractis viribus signa cum Papirio conferre, id. 9, 13, 12: robur omne virium ejus regni, the flower, id. 33, 4, 4: concitet et vires Graecia magna suas, Ov. H. 15 (16), 340.—
    • 3 Vires, the virile forces or organs, Arn. 5, 158; 5, 163; Inscr. Orell. 2322; 2332: veluti castratis viribus, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 60; cf.: vis (= vires) multas possidere in se, Lucr. 2, 586.—Rarely sing.: vis genitalis, Tac. A. 6, 18.—
• II Trop.
• • A Mental strength, power, force, vigor: vis illa divina et virtus oratoris, Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 120: vis ac facultas oratoris, id. ib. 1, 31, 142: suavitatem Isocrates ... sonitum Aeschines, vim Demosthenes habuit, id. ib. 3, 7, 28: summa ingenii, id. Phil. 5, 18, 49: magna vis est conscientiae in utramque partem, id. Mil. 23, 61: magna vis est in fortunā in utramque partem, id. Off. 2, 6, 19: patriae, id. de Or. 1, 44, 196: quod ostentum habuit hanc vim, ut, etc., power, effect, id. Div. 1, 33, 73: qui indignitate suā vim ac jus magistratui quem gerebat dempsisset, Liv. 26, 12, 8: hujus conventionis, Dig. 43, 25, 12.—Plur. (post-Aug.): eloquentiae, Quint. 5, 1, 2: facilitatis, id. 12, 9, 20: ingenii, id. 1, 2, 23; 12, 1, 32: orationis, id. 8, 3, 87.—
  • B Transf., of abstr. things, force, notion, meaning, sense, import, nature, essence (cf. significatio): id, in quo est omnis vis amicitiae, Cic. Lael. 4, 15: eloquentiae vis et natura, id. Or. 31, 112: vis honesti (with natura), id. Off. 1, 6, 18; cf. id. Fin. 1, 16, 50: virtutis, id. Fam. 9, 16, 5: quae est alia vis legis? id. Dom. 20, 53: vis, natura, genera verborum et simplicium et copulatorum, i.e. the sense, signification, id. Or. 32, 115: vis verbi, id. Inv. 1, 13, 17; id. Balb. 8, 21: quae vis insit in his paucis verbis, si attendes, si attendes, intelleges, id. Fam. 6, 2, 3: quae vis subjecta sit vocibus, id. Fin. 2, 2, 6: nominis, id. Top. 8, 35: μετωνυμία, cujus vis est, pro eo, quod dicitur, causam, propter quam dicitur, ponere, Quint. 8, 6, 23.

vīs, Akk. vim Abl. vī; Plur. vīrēs, ium, f. (v. ἴς, Ϝίς), die Kraft, Stärke, Gewalt, I) eig. u. meton.: A) eig.: 1) im allg.: a) Sing.: celeritas et v. equorum, Cic.: magna v. eorum (urorum) et magna velocitas, Caes. – v. Lebl., v. atque impetus fluminis, Caes.: v. vini, Cic.: v. flammae, Nep.: v. frigorum, Cic.: v. morbi, Nep.: nec ideo ferrum secandi vim perdidit, Sen. – b) Plur. (in der Bedeutung »Körperkraft« vorherrschend, Ggstz. lassitudo, Augustin. de civ. dei 19, 4, 2), vires nervique, sanguis viresque, Cic.: vires adulescentis, Cic.: dare alci vires, Prop. u. Ov.: lacertis et viribus pugnare, Cic.: validis viribus hastam contorquere, Verg.: pro viribus, Cic.: supra vires, Hor. – v. Lebl.: vires oleae, Cato: vires herbae, Ov.: neglecta solent incendia sumere vires, Hor. – poet. m. folg. Infin., nec mihi sunt vires inimicos pellere tectis, Ov. her. 1, 109. – 2) insbes., die gegen jmd. od. etw. feindlich gerichtete Gewalt, der Zwang, die Gewalttätigkeit, Gewalttat, der Gewaltakt, a) übh.: cum vi vis illata defenditur, Cic.: vim facere, Caes.: vim facere in alqm, Ter., alci, Cic.: vim facere per fauces portus, gewaltsam durchbrechen durch usw., Liv.: vim adhibere, Cic.: alci vim afferre, Cic.: alci vim inferre, Liv. epit. u. Suet.: alci vim et manus inferre, Cic.: vitae suae vim inferre, Vell.: per vim, Cic. u.a.: vi, malo, plagis, Cic.: manu ac vi (durch Mord u. Gewalttat), Sall.: vi (durch Gewalt = gezwungen) aut voluntate (freiwillig), Liv. – v. Lebl., naves totae factae ad quamvis vim perferendam, Gewalt, Stoß, Caes.: v. caeli, Unwetter, Plin. – vis est m. Infin., vis est experirier, der Versuch wird zur Gewalt, Plaut. truc. 753. – b) die gegen jmds. Keuschheit gerichtete Gewalt, alci vim afferre, Cic. u. Ov.: vim pati, Ov. – B) meton.: 1) die Menge, piscium magna atque altilium vis, Lucil. fr.: v. auri argentique, Cic.: v. maxima ranunculorum, Cic.: magna v. pulveris, Caes.: odora canum vis, Verg.: profundere vim lacrimarum, einen Strom v. Tr., Cic. – 2) Plur. vires, als milit. t.t., die Wehrkraft, Streitkräfte, Truppen, praeesse exercitui, ut praeter auctoritatem vires quoque ad coërcendum haberet, Caes.: satis virium ad certamen, Liv.: undique contractis viribus signa cum Papirio conferre, Liv. – 3) v. der Zeugungskraft, a) Sing.: vis genitalis = der männl. Samen, Tac. ann. 6, 28. – b) Plur. vires, die Zeugungskräfte = die Hoden, Arnob. 5, 6. Corp. inscr. Lat. 13, 1751 u.a. – II) übtr.: 1) im allg., geistige u. moralische Kraft, Macht, Gewalt, Wirkung, der Nachdruck, der Einfluß, v. illa divina et virtus orationis, Cic.: v. ac facultas oratoris, Cic.: v. summa ingenii, Cic.: v. patriae, Cic.: v. magna est conscientiae, Cic.: v. magna est in fortuna in utramque partem, Cic.: quod ostentum habuit hanc vim, ut etc., Cic. – 2) insbes., der einem geistigen Ggstde. inwohnende Gehalt, der Inhalt, die Natur, das Wesen, die Bedeutung, a) übh.: in quo est omnis vis amicitiae, Cic.: v. virtutis, Cic.: vim formamque villaticae pastionis exponere, Varro. – oft verb. natura atque vis (Natur u. Wesen) animi, Cic.: vis et natura divina, Cic. – b) insbes., die Bedeutung, der Sinn eines Wortes usw., verbi, nominis, Cic.: vis, natura, genera verborum et simplicium et copulatorum, Cic.: quae vis insit in his paucis verbis, si attendes, intelleges, Cic. – ➳ Genet. Sing. vis, Ulp. dig. 4, 2, 1. Paul. sent. 5, 30 u.a. ICt.: Dat. Sing. vi, Auct. b. Afr. 69, 2. Corp. inscr. Lat. 5, 837. – Archaist. Nom. Plur. vis, Lucr. 3, 265, u. Akk. Plur. vis, Lucr. 2, 586. Sall. hist. fr. 3, 62 (84). Messala bei Macr. sat. 1, 9, 14.

vis [CL] 1 (also pl.) application of physical strength, force (also w. ref. to unlawful use); b (vi et armis). c (vim facere) to use force (on). d (leg., vis recens, perh. w. ref. to writ of ‘fresh force’, cf. fortia). in captivitatem per vim ducta Theod. Pen. II 12. 20; ad repellendam vim hostium Bede HE I 5 p. 16; nec dentibus austera virtus / est mihi, sed mea vim violentem cauda tenebit Hwætberht Aen. 42 (Draco) 9; Heraldus vi construxit eam [piscariam] DB I 31ra; summa vi certatur ab utrisque Ord. Vit. III 14 p. 147; muros penatesque suos magna vi defensare Ib. IX 7 p. 501; arma non sumunt ‥ sed pacem moribus non viribus confirmant Gros. Hexaem. proem. 33; 1266 fecerunt ipsum vi ducere eos ad domum R. SelCCoron 8; 1275 vi et violencia abstulit a manibus S. mercatoris ‥ j pellem lanicam SelPlMan 143; preceptum fuit ‥ Gilberto et aliis quod deponerent vim illam et quod se reddidissent ad pacem ‥ regis State Tri. Ed. I 54.  b 1250 Johannes ‥ attachiatus fuit ad respondendum Andree ‥ de placito quare vi et armis piscatus fuit in libera piscaria ipsius A. CurR XX 1853; plures vi et armis quam sanguine successerunt Otterb. 8.  c 739 nec vim ei faciatis sculptilia adorare (Lit. Papae) Ep. Bonif. 21; 1159 remanent in respectu pro vi facta Pipe 10; nolo cuiquam vestrum mecum morandi vim facere Devizes f. 30.  d 1260 optulit se versus ‥ Henricum forestarium per breve de vi recenti de libera communa sua in bosco suo PlRChester 1 m. 3. 2 vital strength, vigour (of mind or body). coeperunt et illi paulatim vires animosque resumere Bede HE I 16 p. 33; in excellenti vi animorum et crudo robore brachiorum W. Malm. GR IV 374; vires dico interiores quibus contra tentationum bella exercitatione cotidiana confligat; vires exteriores quibus corporalium laborum onera infatigabili longanimitate toleret Ailr. Spec. Car. III 24. 607D; propter sensum non Catoni, / propter vires non Sampsoni / ‥ parcitur Walt. Wimb. Van. 146; sicut volo deambulare propter sanitatem, ad quam ‥ deambulationem sequitur fatigatio si excedat vires animales R. Marston QD 405; quantumcumque moveatur Socrates ex se aliquo modo applicat vires suas, et non potest sine medio non applicare vires suas Kilvington Soph. 29n. 3 powerful action, force (of natural phenomenon); b (of disease); c (of sensation or emotion). Circius et Boreas quamvis et flamina Cauri / viribus horrendis studeant deglobere frontem Aldh. Aen. 69 (Taxus) 4; non venit ad montem sed repulsum vi ventorum Bern. Comm. Aen. 85; quod ‥ canelle ‥ efflarent lapides vi pulverum ignitorum G. Hen. V 6; vi ventorum a sociis segregata [navis] ‥ in Calesiam portum propellitur Ib. 24.  b mox vim morbi gravem persensit W. Malm. GP I 48.  c vi doloris pressus W. Malm. GR I 61; Turchi extremam vim furoris ‥ effuderunt Ib. IV 384. 4 body or force, large number. b body of persons (in quot. as party in dispute); c (assoc. w. principal, esp. in vi, in vi et auxilio, or sim., w. ref. to aiding and abetting). piscatores ‥ magnam vim ‥ piscium corbibus evehentes W. Malm. GR II 121; tanta fuit peditum, tam barbara vis equitantum Ib. II 135.  b 1203 abbas Ebor' debet l m. et j palefridum pro removenda laica vi de ecclesia Hist. Exch. 338; 1264 tibi precipimus quod omnem vim laicam que se tenet in ecclesia ‥ amoveri facias Cl 388.  c 1202 ipse cum vi sua portavit eum in domum ‥ et postquam ita demembratus fuit SelPlCrown 15; 1218 Robertus ‥ appellat R. Ruffum quod ipse fuit in vi cum Ricardo S. ‥ quando ipse ‥ vulneravit eum Eyre Yorks 345; 1222 mandamus vobis quod cum tota vi vestra ad pacem nostram secure veniatis Pat 367; 1271 eadem A. appellat N. de B. ‥ de vi et auxilio eo quod idem N. ‥ tenuit filium suum ‥ dum interfectus fuit et quod non interfectus esset nisi ipsum tenuisset SelCCoron 19; J. C. junior fuit ibidem in vi et auxilio cum ‥ Thoma ad interficiendum ‥ J. L. Ib. 97; 1297 similiter appellavit ‥ R. de precepto, vi, et auxilio Eyre Kent I 110. 5 power to produce some effect, potency. b (phil.) power, potentiality, faculty. c (pro viribus or sim.) to the best of one's ability. d (ultra vires) beyond one's abilities or strength, (also) excessively. e (transf.) amount, capacity (w. ref. to resources), (also) resources, assets. tantam vim ejus venenum habere arbitrantur ut eo licet ferri acies intincta liquescat Lib. Monstr. II 23; omnes intendens eloquentie vires, causam regis perorabat W. Malm. GP I 58; flaura ‥ habet vim dissolvendi Alph. 63; smirinion ‥ vires habet acres et sudorem provocat Ib. 174.  b quae est haec vis? vis tentationis. haec vis non eam avertit a rectitudine, si ipsa non vult quod suggerit tentatio Anselm (Lib. Arb. 6) I 217; cum ‥ percipimus nos videre, nos tangere, hoc est per aliquam aliam vim quam sit aliqua vis sensuum exteriorum J. Blund An. 238; recolendum est ‥ quod in tertia parte hujus operis tactum est, quod essentia, substantia, natura, potestas, potentia, virtus, vis, significant eandem rem, sed differunt sola comparatione Bacon MS 3; opinio est quod solus pater habet rationem activi, et mater rationem passivi, ita quod ipsa tantum ministrat materiam prolis, et in solo semine patris est vis activa et formativa prolis Duns Ord. IX 201.  c hec ego dum recolo pro viribus otia vito L. Durh. Hypog. 67; s1412 parati sunt ‥ terras ‥ tradere in manu sua [sc. regis] quas possunt et residuas pro viribus conquestant [? l. conquerunt] Wals. YN 436.  d vide ‥ ne in ea plus sapere appetas quam oportet sapere, ne dum summa intelligere ultra vires quaeris, etiam quae bene intellexeris amittas Bede Sam. 1031D; me compellit ut non solum pro posse velim fraternis necessitatibus succurrere sed etiam ultra vires velle Abbo QG 1 (3); ultra natales nostros et vires superbos nisus suscepimus Ord. Vit. XI 24 p. 241; humiliter se excusat, indignum se tanta legatione et imparem tanto negotio, quod ultra vires suas esse cernebat, judicans Andr. S. Vict. Hept. 99; ultra vires tuas est negotium, non poteris solus sustinere Gir. GE II 31 p. 318.  e 1242 ad inquisicionem faciendam de viribus nostris que in ‥ episcopatu nobis sunt alienate RGasc I 92a; 1281 illud ‥ quod debebat solvere, dupplicetur et ‥ regis viribus applicatur Ib. II 121a; 1420 quod ‥ omnia ‥ juxta vires et possibilitatem bonorum meorum post mortem meam remanencium impleantur Reg. Cant. II 233. 6 (vis divina) divine power, the power of God. 1167 quod littere ipse exprimunt, quoniam vis divina, usa ai (aita ai), hoc est, cum sit semper, usia dicitur, unius littere mutato ordine propter sonum et competentiam decoremque sermonis J. Sal. Ep. 169 (194); meritis sancti istius locum illum vis divina mundavit Gir. TH II 31; quoniam, ut ait Boethius, nature descriptionem satis eleganter emittens, ‘natura est vis divina creatoris a creatore insita, similia ex similibus procreans’ Id. Spec. II 7 p. 166. 7 significance, power, authority, force. b meaning, import, purport. vis argumenti Balsh. AD 42; benedictionis virtus provenire solet ex vi verborum, ut in sacramento altaris, vel ex vi ordinis vel ex merito benedicti P. Blois Ep. Sup. 58. 7; carta ‥ vel aliquid aliud instrumentum ‥ quod nullas vires habeat nec alicujus valoris sit Feod. Durh. 204n.  b dixit Mahomet, laus Deo ‥ qui homini contulit scientiam inveniendi vim numerorum Rob. Angl. (I) Alg. 66; vis enim verbi sensus est J. Sal. Met. 860D; hec est vis carte ‥ Roberti le Porter per inspectionem Willelmi Burdon ‥ sed non de verbo ad verbum Cart. Blyth A 38; 1468 contra vim, formam, et tenorem concessionum earumdem libertatum Mem. York II 125. 8 (in vi or sim., cf. virtus 12): a by virtue (of). b despite. a dominus ‥ papa ‥ in vi obedientie hec nobis injunxit Feod. Durh. lxxv; 1425 promisit in vim juramenti sui ‥ eam [recantationem] ‥ publice perlegere Reg. Cant. III 128; 1438 in vim compromissi hujusmodi Bekynton I 199.  b s1402 unionum ‥ revocantur ‥ excessus. in vim dicte unionis revocacionum, presencium compilatori archidiaconatum B. cum ecclesiis de K., T. et D. ‥ papa sibi contulit Ad. Usk 76. 9 f. l. si comedantur absque †vire [l. jure] malaxata cum cocleari Beleth RDO 11. 25C.

1 vīs, 2^e pers. sing. ind. prés. de volo.

2 vīs, (5) acc. vim, abl. vī, pl. vīrēs, vīrĭum, f.

I sing., ¶ 1 force, vigueur : celeritas et vis equorum Cic. Div. 2, 144, la vitesse et la vigueur des chevaux, cf. Cæs. G. 6, 28 || vis fluminis Cæs. G. 4, 17 ; tempestatis Cæs. C. 2, 14, la force du courant, de la tempête ; veneni Cic. Cæl. 58, force dʼun poison ¶ 2 [fig.] puissance, force : suavitatem Isocrates..., vim Demosthenes habuit Cic. de Or. 3, 28, Isocrate avait en partage la douceur..., Démosthène la force, cf. Cic. Br. 40 ; magna vis est conscientiæ Cic. Mil. 61, la conscience a une grande force || action efficace : Cic. Br. 209 ; specie magis quam vi Tac. Ann. 13, 31, en apparence plus quʼen réalité (en effet) || influence, importance : oratio vim magnam habet Cic. Br. 39, la parole a une grande influence ; vis et loci et temporis Cic. Off. 1, 144, importance à la fois du lieu et du temps ; vis in re publica temporum Cic. Fam. 2, 7, 2, lʼimportance des circonstances en politique ¶ 3 violence, emploi de la force, voies de fait : vi victa vis est Cic. Mil. 30, la force a été battue par la force ; vim adhibere, adferre alicui Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 116 ; 4, 148, faire violence à qqn ; eam vim imponere alicui, ut Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 148, faire subir à qqn une violence telle que ; per vim Cæs. G. 1, 14, 3, par force, de force, de vive force, ou vi Cic. Cæc. 92 || naves factæ ad quamvis vim et contumeliam perferendam Cæs. G. 3, 13, 3, navires construits en vue de supporter victorieusement nʼimporte quelle violence ou insulte des éléments || de vi reus Cic. Sest. 75 ; de vi condemnati Cic. Phil. 2, 4, accusé, condamnés du chef de violence, cf. Cic. Phil. 1, 23 ; de vi publica damnatus Tac. Ann. 4, 13, condamné pour violences exercées dans une fonction officielle || manières violentes, esprit de violence, animosité : accusatoris vim suscipere Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 69, prendre le ton violent, lʼanimosité dʼun accusateur || [en part.] vim adferre Cic. Mil. 9, faire violence, déshonorer, cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 62 ¶ 4 force des armes, attaque de vive force, assaut : vim hostium sustinere Cæs. G. 4, 4, soutenir lʼeffort des ennemis ; finitimorum vim reprimere Cic. de Or. 1, 37, repousser les attaques des peuplades voisines || [fig.] vis omnis belli versa in Capuam erat Liv. 26, 4, 1, (toute lʼardeur violente) tout lʼeffort de la guerre était concentré sur Capoue ¶ 5 sens dʼun mot : vis verborum Cic. Fin. 2, 15, sens des mots ; vis subjecta vocibus Cic. Fin. 2, 6, lʼidée abritée sous les mots ; vim verborum tenere Cic. Fin. 2, 15, connaître la valeur exacte des mots ¶ 6 essence, caractère essentiel : id, in quo est omnis vis amicitiæ Cic. Læl. 15, ce qui caractérise essentiellement lʼamitié ; est natura sic generata vis hominis ut Cic. Fin. 5, 43, la nature a donné à lʼhomme dès sa naissance un caractère essentiel de telle nature que ; universi generis vis et natura Cic. de Or. 2, 133, les idées essentielles et fondamentales dʼune thèse générale ; honesti naturam vimque dividere Cic. Off. 1, 18, faire des divisions dans la nature et lʼessence de lʼhonnête, dans lʼhonnête en soi ¶ 7 quantité, multitude, abondance : vis maxima vasorum Corinthiorum Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 131, une immense quantité de vases corinthiens ; magna vis eboris Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 103, une grande quantité dʼivoire, cf. Cic. Tusc. 5, 91 ; Prov. 4 ; vis magna pulveris Cæs. C. 2, 26, une grande quantité de poussière ; vim lacrimarum profundere Cic. Rep. 6, 14, répandre des larmes en abondance.

II pl., ¶ 1 la force physique, les forces : vires adulescentis Cic. CM 27, les forces de la jeunesse, cf. Cic. CM 17 ; Cæs. G. 6, 21 ; 7, 50, etc. ; integris viribus Cæs. G. 3, 4, 2, ayant des forces intactes ; agere aliquid pro viribus Cic. CM 27, faire qqch. dans la mesure de ses forces ; tauri, elephanti Cic. CM 27, les forces dʼun taureau, dʼun éléphant || [poét. avec inf.] nec mihi sunt vires pellere... Ov. H. 1, 109, et je nʼai pas la force de chasser... || [métaph^t ] eloquentiæ Quint. 5, 1, 2 ; ingenii Quint. 1, 2, 23, la force de lʼéloquence, de lʼesprit ; ferri Cic. Sest. 24, force du fer [dʼune épée] ¶ 2 [fig.] force, puissance, vertu, propriétés : [dʼune plante] Ov. M. 13, 942 ; [dʼune eau] Juv. 12, 42 || force virile, organes virils : Plin. 11, 60 ; Arn. 5, 6 ¶ 3 forces armées, troupes, soldats : Cæs. C. 3, 57, 3 ; undique contractis viribus Liv. 9, 13, 12, ayant concentré leurs forces, cf. Liv. 3, 60, 4 ; 33, 4, 4.

➳ gén. et dat. sing. très rares : gén. Tac. D. 26 ; Ulp. Dig. 4, 2, 1 ; Ps. Paul. Sent. 5, 30, etc. ; dat. B. Afr. 69, 2 || nom. acc. pl. vis Lucr. 3, 265 ; 2, 586.

vis , vis. f. acc. vim. abl. vi. vires, ium. plur.
力。强。冒犯人。本性之效。勢力。威儀災。荒。本質。豐盛。— verborum 言之本義。— ingenii 明悟之力。— radicum 各草根之效。— siderum 各星之廢力。— frumenti 豐盛之糧。— militum 衆名兵丁。— lacrymarum 涙不勝多。Odora canum vis 狗之尖鼻。Magna — aquae 豐盛之水。Per vim vel vi 强。Vim asserere vel parare vel pati vel inferre vim vitae suae 自刎。自戕。

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vīs (gen.vīs, late), —, acc.vim, abl.vī, f plur.vīrēs, ium

• cf. ἴς, strength, force, vigor, power, energy, virtue: celeritas et vis equorum: plus vis habeat quam sanguinis, Ta.: contra vim atque impetum fluminis, Cs.: veneni.—Plur.(usu. of bodily strength): non viribus corporum res magnae geruntur: me iam sanguis viresque deficiunt, Cs.: corporis viribus excellens, L.: validis viribus hastam Contorsit, V.: agere pro viribus, with all your might: supra vires, H.: seu virium vi seu exercitatione multā cibi vinique capacissimus, L.: Nec mihi sunt vires inimicos pellere tectis, O.— Hostile strength, force, violence, compulsion: vis est haec quidem, T.: cum vi vis inlata defenditur: celeri rumore dilato Dioni vim adlatam, N.: sine vi facere, T.: matribus familias vim adferre: iter per vim tentare, by force, Cs.: civem domum vi et armis compulit: de vi condemnati sunt: quaestiones vel de caede vel de vi.—Energy, virtue, potency: vires habet herba?O.: egregius fons Viribus occultis adiuvat, Iu.—A quantity, number, abundance: mellis maxima: magna auri argentique: pulveris, Cs.—Plur, military forces, troops: praeesse exercitui, ut vires ad coërcendum haberet, Cs.: robur omne virium eius regni, the flower, L.: Concitet et vires Graecia magna suas, O.—Fig., mental strength, power, force, energy, vigor, influence: oratoris: conscientiae: quod ostentum habuit hanc vim, ut, etc., effect: qui indignitate suā vim ac ius magistratui quem gerebat dempsisset, L.—Force, notion, meaning, sense, import, nature, essence: id, in quo est omnis vis amicitiae: verborum, i. e. the signification: quae vis insit in his paucis verbis, si attendes, intelleges.

VIS

VISLaws were passed at Rome for the purpose of making various acts of violence criminal. The LEX PLOTIA or PLAUTIA, perhaps named after M. Plautius Silvanus, B.C. 89, appears to have first made vis the subject of a special judicium publicum, crimes of violence having previously only been punished when they could be brought under the head of majestas or of the crimen de sicariis et veneficis. The Lex Plautia was enacted against those who devastated houses, or who occupied public places and carried arms, or who attempted to influence the magistrates and senate by assembling bodies of armed men (Cic. ad Att. 2.2. 4; de harusp. Resp. 8, 15; pro Cael. 1, 1; the dissertation of Waechter, Neues Archiv des Criminalrechts,, vol. xiii., reprinted in Orellii Onomasticon).

Besides other subsidiary laws under the Republic on the subject of vis, the nature of which is doubtful, there was a Lex Julia of the dictator Caesar, which made certain kinds of vis subject to aquae et ignis interdictio (Cic. Phil. 1.9, 21). Under Augustus the law concerning vis was the subject of two Juliae leges, which consolidated previous enactments and became the basis of subsequent laws. These leges were respectively entitled de vi publica and de vi privata. There has been considerable difference of opinion as to the meaning of the distinction thus made between vis publica and vis privata. The explanation of some writers is that vis publica was vis exercised by public persons, as by magistrates, while vis privata was that of private individuals. Another view is that vis was publica when deadly weapons were employed, privata when they were not. The most probable explanation is that originally vis publica meant such vis as was an open violation of a right of the state; vis privata, on the other hand, would be vis which seemed mainly to affect an individual right, though it was made criminal as interfering with the function of the state in maintaining public order (cf. Rein, cit. infr.). It is to be remembered, however, that various acts of vis which under the Julian laws were treated as vis privata, were subsequently made vis publica, in order to punish them with greater severity. Hence we find acts mentioned by Paulus (cit. infr.) as vis privata included in the Digest under vis publica.

The Lex de Vi Publica did not apply, as the title might seem to import, exclusively to acts against the public peace, and it is not possible to define it except by enumerating its chief provisions (cf. Paul. l. c.; Dig. cit. infr.). According to the law of the Digest, it was vis publica to collect arms (tela) in a house or in a villa except for the purpose of hunting, or going a journey or a voyage, the word tela being extensively interpreted so as to be equivalent to arma; to attack houses with armed men; to evict a person with an armed force (hominibus armatis); to appear in court or in a public ssembly with arms for the purpose of intimidation; for a candidate to attempt to influence an election by assembling a mob (turba) or a gang of slaves; to cause a mob to assemble for various unlawful purposes; to interfere in various ways with the due administration of justice, as by preventing judices from exercising their functions in security, or by forcibly hindering an accused person from going to Rome to take his trial on the day fixed for it ( ne quis reum vinciat impediatve, quominus intra certum tempus adsit); to assault or insult ambassadors; for a magistrate to abuse his power by causing a Roman citizen to be tortured (cf. Acts 23.25), or to be executed without allowing an appeal to Rome (cf. Acts 25.10-12); for a magistrate to compel people to pay illegal taxes ( qui nova vectigalia exercet); to interfere by force with the burial of a person; to commit rape; to compel a person by force to promise games or gifts to the people, &c.

The punishment for the violation of the Lex Julia de vi publica was aquae et ignis interdictio (subsequently deportatio in insulam), except in the case of attacking and plundering houses or villas with an armed band, in which case the punishment was death; and the penalty was the same for carrying off a woman, married or unmarried. The cases enumerated in the Digest as falling within the penalties of the Lex Julia de vi privata, are cases where the act was of less atrocity: for instance, if a man got a number of men together for a riot, which ended in the beating of a person, but not in his death, he came within the penalties of the Lex de Vi Privata.

It was also a case of vis privata when persons assembled in order to prevent a person being brought before the Praetor. The SENATUSCONSULTUM VOLUSIANUM extended the penalties of the lex to those who maintained another in his suit, with a view of sharing the damages awarded to him. The penalty of the law was also extended by imperial enactments to the offence of wrecking ships. It was vis privata to take the law into one's own hands by an act of violence. Thus a creditor who entered on the property of his debtor, which was not hypothecated to him, unless under judicial authority, was guilty of this offence. The penalties of this lex were the loss of a third part of the offender's property; and he was also declared to be incapable of being a senator, or decurio, or a judex; by a senatusconsultum, the name of which is not given, he was incapacitated from enjoying any honour, quasi infamis. (Dig. 48, 6, 7; Cod. 9.12, 13; Paul. Sent. rec. 5.26; Rein, Das Criminalrecht der Römer, p. 732, &c.; Walter, Geschichte d. R. R.; Stephen, History of the Criminal Law of England, i. pp. 16, 17.)

[G.L] [E.A.W]

Vis

The general term used in Roman law for criminal violence. The lex Plotia (B.C. 89) was the first regular statute punishing those who pillaged houses, occupied public places in arms, and assembled armed men for the purpose of overawing the Senate or the magistrates. Several leges Iuliae of Iulius Caesar and of Augustus were also passed to complete and consolidate previous enactments. Two kinds of vis are mentioned—vis publica, which probably meant violence immediately directed against the State, and vis privata, which would be violence primarily against an individual right, but criminal because it interfered with public order. The punishments assigned by the leges Iuliae ranged from death (house-pillaging, abduction, riot resulting in death) to exile. See Rein, Criminalrecht der Römer, pp. 732 foll.