I.inf. pres. imitarier, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 25; Lucr. 5, 1377), v. freq. a. dep. [root im-, cf. aemulus], to imitate.
I. To represent, to express, copy, portray (class.): “summum illum luctum penicillo,” to portray, Cic. Or. 22, 74; cf.: “oris (Coae Veneris) pulchritudo reliqui corporis imitandi spem auferebat,” id. Off. 3, 2, 10: “aut Ialysi aut Coae Veneris pulchritudinem,” id. Or. 2, 5; id. Brut. 18, 70: “chirographum,” id. N. D. 3, 30, 74; id. Fam. 9, 20, 2: “faber ungues Exprimet et molles imitabitur aere capillos,” Hor. A. P. 33; cf.: “argillā quidvis imitabitur udā,” id. Ep. 2, 2, 8: “hunc in persona lenonis,” Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: “populi speciem et nomen,” id. Rep. 3, 33: “antiquitatem,” id. Brut. 36, 137; cf.: “heroum veteres casus fictosque luctus imitari atque adumbrare dicendo,” id. de Or. 5, 47, 380: “imitans, ut est mos, facta et dicta vivi,” Suet. Vesp. 19: “sine imitandorum carminum actu ludiones,” not expressing by gesticulation, Liv. 7, 2, 4: “gaudia falsa,” Tib. 3, 6, 33; cf. “maestitiam,” Tac. A. 1, 24: “quaecumque (pictura) imitata figuram est,” Juv. 6, 341.— Poet.: putre solum imitamur arando, i. e. to make loose or friable, Verg. G. 2, 204: “robore duro Stipitibus ferrum sudibusque imitantur obustis,” replace, substitute, supply the place of, id. A. 11, 894: “pocula vitea fermento atque sorbis,” id. G. 3, 380; cf.: “diuturni mores consensu utentium comprobati legem imitantur,” Just. Inst. 1, 2, 9. —
II. To imitate, to act like, copy after, seek to resemble, counterfeit something (so most freq.): “imitabor nepam,” Plaut. Cas. 2, 8, 7: “imitabor ergo Aratum, qui magnis de rebus dicere exordiens, a Jove incipiendum putat,” Cic. Rep. 1, 36; cf.: “imitor Archytam,” id. ib. 1, 38: “Platonem,” id. Ac. 1, 3, 10: “aliquem imitando effingere atque exprimere,” id. de Or. 2, 22, 90; cf.: “quem (eloquentem) si imitari atque exprimere non possumus,” id. Or. 5, 19: “quem postea imitati sunt multi, aequavit nemo,” Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 126: “ipsi sibi imitandi fuerunt,” Cic. Or. 53, 177: “qui maxime imitandus, et solus imitandus est,” Quint. 10, 2, 24; cf.: “tu mihi maxime imitabilis, maxime imitandus videbaris,” Plin. Ep. 7, 20, 4: “noster ille amicus, dignus huic ad imitandum,” Cic. Rep. 1, 1 Mos.: “populi consuetudinem,” id. ib. 2, 20: “non dicam plura, ne, in quo te objurgem, id ipsum videar imitari,” id. Fam. 3, 8, 6: “in adeundis periculis consuetudo imitanda medicorum est,” id. Off. 1, 24, 83: “quod faciendum imitandumque est omnibus, ut, etc.,” id. Lael. 19, 70: “factum praeclarum expositum ad imitandum,” id. Phil. 2, 44, 114: “in qua (sc. domo) sollicitas imitatur janua portas,” resembles, Juv. 7, 42.!*?
