I.a. (not ante-Aug.; esp. freq. in Livy).
I. Neutr., to bring a war to an end, to finish a war. So rare in the act. form: “Aulius cum Ferentanis uno secundo proelio debellavit,” Liv. 9, 16; cf. id. Epit. 33; id. 44, 39 fin.; 35, 35. But exceedingly common as an impersonal: “debellari eo die cum Samnitibus potuisse,” Liv. 8, 36; cf. id. 4, 58: “ne absente se debellaretur,” id. 41, 18: “proelioque uno debellatum est,” id. 2, 26; 31, 48 fin. Drak.; cf. id. 7, 28: “debellatum est (erat, etc.),” id. 2, 31; 3, 70; 9, 4 al.: “debellatum foret,” id. 23, 13; Tac. Agr. 26; id. H. 3, 19; Flor. 3, 5, 11 al.: “debellatum iri,” Liv. 29, 14; and in the part. perf. absol. debellato, after the war is ended (freq. in Livy): “eum quasi debellato triumphare,” Liv. 26, 21; so id. 29, 32; 30, 8 al.—
II. Act. (poet. and postAug.). *
A. With a homogeneous object, to fight out: “rixa super mero debellata,” Hor. Od. 1, 18, 8.—
B. With heterog. object, to conquer completely, to vanquish, subdue: “parcere subjectis et debellare superbos,” Verg. A. 6, 853; “gentem,” id. ib. 5, 731: “hostem clamore,” Tac. Agr. 34: “Darium,” Plin. 6, 13, 16, § 41: “Gallias,” Suet. Ner. 43: “Illyricum,” id. Tib. 17: Indiam, * Ov. M. 4, 605; Vulg. Isa. 7, 1; 63, 10.—
2. Trop.: “olim fugissemus ex Asia, si nos fabulae debellare potuissent,” Curt. 9, 2, 15: “debellat eos (fungos) et aceti natura,” Plin. 22, 23, 47, § 99.