impossible

• Wool from an ass, blood from a stone impossible

• It is certain, because it is impossible. (Tertullianus)

• Nobody has any obligation to the impossible. (Corpus Iuris Civilis)

• As is impossible a way to qualify a proposition that cannot ever be true

to revoke, render impossible, make voil, annull.

not to be able, to be impossible.

ātrāmentum, i, n. [ater], any black liquid:

sepiae,

Cic. N D. 2, 50, 127.

Writing-ink, ink; in Vitr. 7, 10, and Plin. 27, 7, 28, § 52, called atramentum librarium:

calamo et atramento temperato,

Cic. ad Q. Fr. 2, 15, 6:

per atramentum et calamum scribere,

Vulg. 3 Joan. 13; Petr. 102, 13; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 236; Vulg. Jer. 36, 18; ib. 2 Joan. 12.—

A black pigment or color, Vitr. 7, 10; 7, 4; Plin. 35, 6, 25, § 41; also a fine, dark varnish, lacquer, id. 35, 10, 36, § 97: Indicum, India or China ink, id. 35, 6, 25, § 43.—

A blacking for coloring leather:

atramentum sutorium,

Plin. 34, 12, 32, § 123; Cic. Fam. 9, 21 fin. —

In comic language: Sc. Unā operā ebur atramento candefacere postulas. Phil. Lepide dictum de atramento atque ebore, i. e. you require something impossible, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 102.

căprĕa, ae, f. [capra], a kind of wild she-goat, a roe, cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 101 Müll.; Hor. C. 3, 15, 12; 4, 4, 13; id. S. 2, 4, 43; Plin. 8, 53, 79, § 214; 11, 37, 45, § 124; Verg. G. 2, 374; id. A. 10, 725; Ov. F. 5, 372; Mart. 13, 99; on account of the hostility between it and the wolf, prov.:

jungere capreas inpis, of something impossible,

Hor. C. 1, 33, 8.—

Capreá Palus, v. capra, II. D.

clāva, ae, f. [root cel- of percello; cf. Gr. klaô and clades].

A knotty branch or stick, a staff, cudgel, club:

adfer duas clavas... probas,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 20; Lucr. 5, 968:

sternentes agmina clavā,

Verg. A. 10, 318; Curt. 9, 4, 3; Ov. F. 1, 575; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 94; Plin. 19, 1, 3, § 18; a bar, lever, Cato, R. R. 13, 1.—As a weapon for exercising, used by young men, and esp. by soldiers, a foil, Cic. Sen. 16, 58; Veg. Mil. 1, 11.—As a badge of Hercules, Prop. 4 (5) 9, 39; Ov. H. 9, 117; id. M. 9, 114; 9, 236; * Suet. Ner. 53; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 62 Müll.—Hence, prov., clavam Herculi extorquere, for an impossible undertaking, Macr. S. 5, 3; Don. Vit. Verg.— Also Clava Herculis, a plant, otherwise called nymphea, Marc. Emp. 33.—

In the lang. of economy, a graft, scion, Pall. Mart. 10, 12 and 13; cf. clavula.

ē-rĭpĭo, ĭpŭi, eptum, 3, v. a. [rapio], to snatch, tear, or pull out; to snatch away, take away (freq. and class.; cf.: capio, prehendo, sumo, demo, adimo, rapio, furor).

Lit.

In gen.:

tibias ex ore,

Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 36; cf.:

bolum e faucibus,

Ter. Heaut. 4, 2, 6:

hirundines ex nido,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 67; 3, 1, 8: ex manibus alicujus, Cass. ap. Cic. Fam. 12, 13, 1; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 9:

torrem ab igne,

Ov. M. 8, 457:

ensem vaginā,

Verg. A. 4, 579 et saep.: aliena bona, Plaut. Pers. 1, 2, 11; so,

vela, armamenta, copias,

Caes. B. G. 3, 14, 7; 6, 30, 2; 7, 54, 3:

nubem,

Verg. A. 2, 606:

purgamenta hortorum,

to carry away, Tac. A. 11, 32 fin. et saep.:

aliquem, etc.,

to deliver, set free, Plaut. Men. 5, 8, 3; 5; Caes. B. C. 3, 110, 4; Liv. 2, 54 al.; cf.:

aliquem e manibus hostium,

Caes. B. G. 1, 53, 6; Liv. 5, 51; 41, 14:

Abydenos ex obsidione,

id. 31, 16:

aliquem ex periculo,

Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 5; cf.:

istum fortuna ex illo periculo eripuit,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 28, § 71:

aliquem ex vinculis,

Curt. 4, 14, 22: aliquem ex miseriis, Crassus ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 52:

aliquem ex media morte,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 6; cf.:

filium a morte,

id. Div. 2, 10:

praedam de manibus,

id. Cat. 2, 1, 2:

istum de vestra severitate,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 67;

but: ex severitate alicujus,

id. ib. 2, 3, 36, §

83: aliquem malis,

Verg. A. 6, 365 al.:

erepto ex equo C. Flaminio,

Liv. 23, 45:

oculum alicui,

Plaut. Men. 5, 7, 22; Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 20:

gladium isti,

Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 7:

classem Caesari,

Caes. B. C. 3, 111, 4 al.:

concubinam militi,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 2:

aliquem (aliquam) alicui,

id. Merc. 5, 4, 12; id. Rud. 3, 4, 7; Ter. Ad. prol. 8; 2, 2, 30; Cic. Lael. 27, 102 al.—Less freq.:

aliquem ab aliquo,

Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 30; id. Eun. 4, 6, 1; 14; so,

ereptis ab eo duabus legionibus,

Caes. B. C. 1, 2, 3:

a Trisensibus plus lucri,

Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 38, § 86; 2, 1, 10, § 27. —

With se, to take one's self off, to flee, escape:

per eos, ne causam diceret, se eripuit,

Caes. B. G. 1, 4, 2:

se latebris,

id. ib. 6, 43 fin.; cf.:

se ex manibus militum,

id. ib. 7, 46 fin.:

se ab illa miseria,

Cic. Fam. 9, 13, 1:

se ex pugna,

id. Mur. 16, 34; id. Verr. 2, 3, 60, § 140; id. Sest. 24, 53:

se sequentibus,

Liv. 29, 32:

se hosti fugā,

Curt. 5, 13:

se flammā,

Cic. Brut. 23, 90:

se leto,

Verg. A. 2, 134:

se flammis,

id. ib. 2, 289:

se morae,

Hor. C. 3, 29, 5:

se servituti,

Sen. Ep. 80, 4:

rebus humanis se,

id. de Prov. 8, 12 et saep.—With adv.:

eas inde,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 8.—

Prov.:

Lupo agnum eripere, for something difficult or impossible,

Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 31.—

Pregn.: eripi, to be snatched away by death, to die suddenly (not before the Aug. per.):

fatis erepta,

Ov. M. 1, 358:

primis conjux ereptus in annis,

Val. Fl. 3, 316; cf.:

in flore aetatis ereptus rebus humanis,

Curt. 10, 5, 10.—Rarely act.:

lux ereptura eum vitā,

Amm. 30, 5, 18; cf. 30, 5, 10.

Trop., to take away, snatch away:

responsiones omnes hoc verbo,

Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 63; cf.:

orationem alicui ex ore,

id. Merc. 1, 2, 64:

primam vocem ab ore loquentis,

Verg. A. 7, 119:

alicui jus suum,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 6:

libertatem (hostis),

id. Capt. 2, 2, 61; cf. Cic. Rep. 1, 17:

potestatem hominis omnino aspiciendi (opp. suppeditare omnium rerum abundantiam),

id. Lael. 23, 87; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 3, 5:

omnem usum navium,

id. B. G. 3, 14, 7:

semestre imperium,

id. B. C. 1, 9, 2; cf.:

tetrarchiam alicui,

Cic. Div. 2, 37, 79:

mihi dolorem,

id. Att. 9, 6, 5:

alicui errorem,

id. ib. 10, 4, 6; cf. id. Tusc. 4, 31; id. Off. 2, 3, 10; Just. 6, 3, 12:

alicui timorem,

Cic. Cat. 1, 7 fin.; id. Att. 1, 16, 8:

lucem,

id. Ac. 2, 10; 32 fin.; id. N. D. 1, 3, 6 et saep.:

alicui pudicitiam,

Quint. 5, 11, 15;

but: virginis pudorem,

Amm. 15, 7, 5; cf.:

caelumque diemque Teucrorum ex oculis,

Verg. A. 1, 88; and:

prospectum oculis,

id. ib. 8, 254:

tempora certa modosque,

Hor. S. 1, 4, 57:

jocos, venerem, etc. (anni),

id. Ep. 2, 2, 56:

vatibus omnem fidem,

Ov. M. 15, 283: fugam, poet. for se fuga, or for the simple rapere fugam, to flee, Verg. A. 2, 619.— Poet.: eripiunt flammae noctem, i. c. light up the night, Sil. 11, 281:

eripuere oculos aurae,

id. 9, 501:

se fluvius retro eripit,

turns back, id. 9, 238.— Poet., with an object clause:

posse loqui eripitur,

Ov. M. 2, 483:

illis eriperes verbis mihi, sidera caeli Lucere,

i. e. to persuade me that not, Tib. 1, 9, 35.—With quin: vix tamen eripiam, velis quin, etc., I shall scarcely hinder you from, etc., Hor. S. 2, 2, 23.

flamma, ae (archaic gen. sing. flammaï, Lucr. 1, 725; 900; 5, 1099), f. [for flagma, v. flagro; cf. Gr. phlegma, from phlegô], a blazing fire, a blaze, flame (cf. ignis).

Lit.: fana flammā deflagrata, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 116 ed. Vahl.); Lucr. 6, 1169:

dicere aiunt Ennium, flammam a sapiente facilius ore in ardente opprimi quam bona dicta teneat,

Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 222:

flammam concipere,

to take fire, Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 2:

flammā torreri,

id. B. G. 5, 43, 4:

flamma ab utroque cornu comprehensa, naves sunt combustae,

id. B. C. 3, 101, 5:

circumventi flammā,

id. B. G. 6, 16, 4:

effusa flamma pluribus locis reluxit,

Liv. 30, 6, 5:

flammam sedare,

Cic. Rep. 1, 42 fin.:

lumina illa non flammae, sed scintillis inter fumum emicantibus similia,

Quint. 8, 5, 29:

solis flammam per caeli caerula pasci,

the blazing light, Lucr. 1, 1090:

erat is splendidissimo candore inter flammas circulus elucens,

i. e. among the blazing stars, Cic. Rep. 6, 16:

polo fixae flammae,

Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 15:

deum genitor rutilas per nubila flammas Spargit,

i. e. flashing lightnings, id. F. 3, 285:

flammam media ipsa tenebat Ingentem,

i. e. a torch, Verg. A. 6, 518; so,

armant picis unguine flammas,

Val. Fl. 8, 302;

for ignis: modum ponere iambis flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 16, 3:

flamma ferroque absumi,

by fire and sword, Liv. 30, 6; Juv. 10, 266.—

Provv.

Flamma fumo est proxima:

Fumo comburi nihil potest, flamma potest,

i. e. the slightest approach to impropriety leads to vice, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 53. —

E flamma cibum petere, to snatch [p. 757] food from the flames, i. e. to be reduced to extremities for want of it, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 38 (cf. Cat. 59).—

Prius undis flamma (sc. miscebitur), sooner will fire mingle with water, of any thing impossible, Poët. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 21, 49.—

Unda dabit flammas, Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 4.—

flamma recens parva sparsa resedit aqua, = obsta principiis, Ov. H. 17, 190.—

Transf.

Of color, flame-color:

reddit flammam excellentis purpurae,

Plin. 35, 6, 27, § 46:

stant lumina (i. e. oculi) flammā,

his eyes glare with fire, Verg. A. 6, 300; cf.:

rubrā suffusus lumina flammā,

Ov. M. 11, 368.—

Fever-heat, Ov. M. 7, 554.—

Trop., viz., acc. as the notion of glowing heat or of destructive power predominates (cf. flagro, II.).—

The flame or fire of passion, esp. of love, the flame or glow of love, flame, passion, love:

amoris turpissimi,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 92:

cuncto concepit pectore flammam Funditus,

Cat. 64, 92; cf.:

excute virgineo conceptas pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 7, 17:

digne puer meliore flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 27, 20:

ira feri mota est: spirat pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 8, 355; Sil. 17, 295:

omnis illa vis et quasi flamma oratoris,

Cic. Brut. 24, 93; cf.:

scilicet non ceram illam neque figuram tantam vim in sese habere, sed memoria rerum gestarum eam flammam egregiis viris in pectore crescere,

Sall. J. 4, 6.—

A devouring flame, destructive fire, suffering, danger:

incidi in ipsam flammam civilis discordiae vel potius belli,

Cic. Fam. 16, 11, 2:

invidiae,

id. de Or. 3, 3, 11:

is se tum eripuit flammā,

id. Brut. 23, 90:

implacatae gulae,

i. e. raging hunger, Ov. M. 8, 849.—

Flamma Jovis, the name of a red flower, Plin. 27, 7, 27, § 44.

Flamma, ae, m., a Roman surname, Tac. H. 4, 45.

flamma, ae (archaic gen. sing. flammaï, Lucr. 1, 725; 900; 5, 1099), f. [for flagma, v. flagro; cf. Gr. phlegma, from phlegô], a blazing fire, a blaze, flame (cf. ignis).

Lit.: fana flammā deflagrata, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 116 ed. Vahl.); Lucr. 6, 1169:

dicere aiunt Ennium, flammam a sapiente facilius ore in ardente opprimi quam bona dicta teneat,

Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 222:

flammam concipere,

to take fire, Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 2:

flammā torreri,

id. B. G. 5, 43, 4:

flamma ab utroque cornu comprehensa, naves sunt combustae,

id. B. C. 3, 101, 5:

circumventi flammā,

id. B. G. 6, 16, 4:

effusa flamma pluribus locis reluxit,

Liv. 30, 6, 5:

flammam sedare,

Cic. Rep. 1, 42 fin.:

lumina illa non flammae, sed scintillis inter fumum emicantibus similia,

Quint. 8, 5, 29:

solis flammam per caeli caerula pasci,

the blazing light, Lucr. 1, 1090:

erat is splendidissimo candore inter flammas circulus elucens,

i. e. among the blazing stars, Cic. Rep. 6, 16:

polo fixae flammae,

Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 15:

deum genitor rutilas per nubila flammas Spargit,

i. e. flashing lightnings, id. F. 3, 285:

flammam media ipsa tenebat Ingentem,

i. e. a torch, Verg. A. 6, 518; so,

armant picis unguine flammas,

Val. Fl. 8, 302;

for ignis: modum ponere iambis flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 16, 3:

flamma ferroque absumi,

by fire and sword, Liv. 30, 6; Juv. 10, 266.—

Provv.

Flamma fumo est proxima:

Fumo comburi nihil potest, flamma potest,

i. e. the slightest approach to impropriety leads to vice, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 53. —

E flamma cibum petere, to snatch [p. 757] food from the flames, i. e. to be reduced to extremities for want of it, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 38 (cf. Cat. 59).—

Prius undis flamma (sc. miscebitur), sooner will fire mingle with water, of any thing impossible, Poët. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 21, 49.—

Unda dabit flammas, Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 4.—

flamma recens parva sparsa resedit aqua, = obsta principiis, Ov. H. 17, 190.—

Transf.

Of color, flame-color:

reddit flammam excellentis purpurae,

Plin. 35, 6, 27, § 46:

stant lumina (i. e. oculi) flammā,

his eyes glare with fire, Verg. A. 6, 300; cf.:

rubrā suffusus lumina flammā,

Ov. M. 11, 368.—

Fever-heat, Ov. M. 7, 554.—

Trop., viz., acc. as the notion of glowing heat or of destructive power predominates (cf. flagro, II.).—

The flame or fire of passion, esp. of love, the flame or glow of love, flame, passion, love:

amoris turpissimi,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 92:

cuncto concepit pectore flammam Funditus,

Cat. 64, 92; cf.:

excute virgineo conceptas pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 7, 17:

digne puer meliore flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 27, 20:

ira feri mota est: spirat pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 8, 355; Sil. 17, 295:

omnis illa vis et quasi flamma oratoris,

Cic. Brut. 24, 93; cf.:

scilicet non ceram illam neque figuram tantam vim in sese habere, sed memoria rerum gestarum eam flammam egregiis viris in pectore crescere,

Sall. J. 4, 6.—

A devouring flame, destructive fire, suffering, danger:

incidi in ipsam flammam civilis discordiae vel potius belli,

Cic. Fam. 16, 11, 2:

invidiae,

id. de Or. 3, 3, 11:

is se tum eripuit flammā,

id. Brut. 23, 90:

implacatae gulae,

i. e. raging hunger, Ov. M. 8, 849.—

Flamma Jovis, the name of a red flower, Plin. 27, 7, 27, § 44.

Flamma, ae, m., a Roman surname, Tac. H. 4, 45.

fūnis, is, m. ( fem., Lucr. 2, 1154; ap. Gell. 13, 20, 21, and Non. 205, 22; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 6) [perh. for fudnis, root in Sanscr. bandh-, bind; cf. Gr. peisma, rope; kindr. with schoinos], a rope, sheet, line, cord (syn.:

restis, rudens): funes dicti, quod antea in usum luminis circumdati cera, unde et funalia,

Isid. Orig. 19, 4; Cato, R. R. 135, 4; Varr. R. R. 1, 22; Caes. B. G. 3, 13, 5; 3, 14, 6; 4, 29, 3 al.; Plin. 16, 1, 1, § 4; Verg. A. 2, 262; Ov. M. 8, 777 et saep.:

patiatur necesse est illam per funes ingredientium tarditatem,

i. e. of the rope-dancers, Quint. 2, 14, 16.—

Prov.

Funem ducere or sequi, to lead or follow the rope, i. e. to command or serve (the fig. being most probably that of an animal led by a rope):

imperat aut servit collecta pecunia cuique, Tortum digna sequi potius quam ducere funem,

Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 48.—

Funem reducere, to pull back the rope, i. e. to change one's mind, Pers. 5, 118.—

Funem in diversa distendere, to dispute pro and con, Tert. Pudic. 2; adv. Marc. 4.—

Ut, quod aiunt Graeci, ex incomprehensibili parvitate arenae funise effici non possit (Gr. exammou schoinion plekein), to make a rope of sand, i. e. to perform the impossible, Col. 10 praef. § 4 fin.