I.v. inch. [ardeo], to take fire, to kindle, to be inflamed (mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.; while exardesco is very freq.), lit. and trop.
I. Lit.: “ut omnia motu Percalefacta vides ardescere,” Lucr. 6, 178: “ardescunt caelestia templa,” id. 6, 670: “ne longus ardesceret axis,” Ov. M. 1, 255; Plin. 37, 3, 12, § 51.—
II. Trop., to gleam, glitter.
A. Of rays of light: “fulmineis ardescunt ignibus undae,” Ov. M. 11, 523.—
C. Most freq. of the passions, to be inflamed, become more intense, increase in violence: “ardescere dirā cuppedine,” Lucr. 4, 1090; so id. 5, 897: “in iras,” Ov. M. 5, 41 (cf. Verg. A. 7, 445: exarsit in iras, and Luc. 3, 134: “accensus in iram): in nuptias incestas,” Tac. A. 11, 25: “ardescit tuendo,” Verg. A. 1, 713: “stimulo ardescit,” Plin. 8, 45, 70, § 181: “quibus haec rabies auctoribus arsit,” Luc. 5, 359.—So, absol.: “fremitus ardescit equorum,” Verg. A. 11, 607: “ardescente pugnā,” Tac. H. 5, 18: in labiis ejus ignis ardescit, * Vulg. Prov. 16, 27.
