I.to assail a person or thing in different directions (cf. arguo init.); hence, jurid. t. t.
I. Aliquem, to overwhelm with reasoning, refute, silence, expose; convict of guilt or crime, prove guilty (class., most freq. in Cic.; “syn. convinco): Graecus testis... vinci, refelli, coargui putat esse turpissimum,” Cic. Fl. 5, 11: “criminibus coarguitur,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 47, § 104: “ut illum natura ipsius consuetudoque defendat, hunc autem haec cadem coarguant,” id. Mil. 14, 36: “decreto,” Liv. 39, 28, 11: “Lentulum dissimulantem coarguunt praeter litteras sermonibus, etc.,” Sall. C. 47, 2: “Libonem in senatu,” Suet. Tib. 25: “in exprobrando et coarguendo acer (gestus),” Quint. 11, 3, 92 al.—With gen. of the crime: “aliquem avaritiae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 59, § 153: “commutati indicii,” id. Sull. 15, 44: “sceleris,” Plin. 11, 37, 71, § 187: facinoris Tac. A. 13, 20.—
II. Aliquid, to prove incontestably a crime, a wrong, a fallacy, etc., to demonstrate or show to be wrong, to refute (cf. arguo, II.): “sin autem fuga laboris desidiam coarguit, nimirum, etc.,” Cic. Mur. 4, 9: “rem certioribus argumentis,” Auct. Her. 2, 5: “certum crimen multis suspitionibus,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 83: “errorem,” id. Ac. 1, 4, 13: “perfidiam,” id. Fam. 3, 8, 7: “mendacium,” id. Lig. 5, 16: “Lacedaemoniorum tyrannidem,” Nep. Epam. 6, 4: “temeritatem artis,” Suet. Dom. 15: “vitia,” Quint. 2, 6, 3: “iniquitatem,” Tac. A. 3, 12: “quam (legem) usus coarguit,” which experience has proved to be injudicious, Liv. 34, 6, 4; cf. id. 31, 25, 9: “quod coarguunt fici,” disprove, Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 130: “domini coarguit aures,” betrays, publishes, makes known, Ov. M. 11, 193 (cf. arguo, II. fin.).—With a clause as object: “quod falsum esse pluribus coarguitur,” Quint. 4, 2, 4; Auct. B. Alex. 68.
