I.a command, order, direction.
I. Lit. (mostly ante-class. and post-Aug.): si quid opus est, impera: imperium exsequar. Plaut. Am. 3, 3, 1; cf.: “nunc pergam eri imperium exsequi,” id. ib. 1, 1, 106: “eri imperia persequi,” id. ib. 2, 1, 75: “imperium exsequi,” id. Men. 5, 6, 16; Ter. Eun. 4, 1, 22: “obsequens obediensque est mori atque imperiis patris,” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 55; cf. id. Trin. 2, 2, 21; id. Men. 5, 7, 1: “tuo facit jussu, tuo imperio paret,” id. As. 1, 2, 21: “malus et nequam est homo, qui nihili imperium eri Sui servus facit,” id. Ps. 4, 7, 1; cf. id. As. 2, 4, 10: “quod hi neque ad concilia veniebant neque imperio parebant,” Caes. B. G. 5, 2 fin.: “imperium neglegere,” id. ib. 5, 7, 7: “neque ab uno omnia imperia administrari poterant,” id. ib. 2, 22 fin.: “imperio Jovis huc venio,” Verg. A. 5, 726; cf.: “et Jovis imperium et cari praecepta parentis Edocet,” id. ib. 5, 747: “imperiis deūm propalam expositis,” Liv. 8, 6, 12: “quidam (pueri) imperia indignantur,” Quint. 1, 3, 6: “aegri quoquo neglecto medentium imperio, etc.,” Plin. Pan. 22, 3: “elephanti inest imperiorum obedientia,” Plin. 8, 1, 1, § 1: “naturae imperio gemimus, cum, etc.,” Juv. 15, 138: “cujus paruit imperiis,” id. 14, 331.
II. Transf., the right or power of commanding, authority, command, control (freq. and class.).
A. In gen.: Mes. Nempe jubes? Me. Jubeo hercle, si quid imperii est in te mihi, Plaut. Men. 5, 7, 41; cf. id. Pers. 3, 1, 15: “Appius et caecus et senex tenebat non modo auctoritatem sed etiam imperium in suos,” Cic. de Sen. 11, 37: “reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis,” Hor. C. 3, 1, 6: “eone es ferox, quia habes imperium in beluas?” Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 25: “mater, cujus sub imperio'st, mala,” id. Heaut. 2, 2, 4: An. Sta ilico. Ge. Hem, sates pro imperio! quisquis es, i. e. authorilatively, imperiously, id. Phorm. 1, 4, 19: “domesticum,” Cic. Caecin. 18, 52; id. Inv. 2, 47, 140: “(Juppiter) Divosque mortalesque turbas Imperio regit unus aequo,” Hor. C. 3, 4, 48; cf.: “sed me jussa deūm ... Imperiis egere suis,” Verg. A. 6, 463: “Phyllius illic Imperio pueri volucresque ferumque leonem Tradiderat domitos,” Ov. M. 7, 373: “agricolae habent rationem cum terra, quae numquam recusat imperium,” Cic. de Sen. 15, 51.—
B. In partic.
1. In publicists' lang., supreme power, sovereignty, sway, dominion, empire (cf.: principatus, dominatus, regnum; potestas, potentia).
(α).
Sing.: Tarquinio dedit imperium simul et sola regni, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 298 Müll. (Ann. v. 151 Vahl.); cf.: “navorum imperium servare est induperantum,” id. ib. 169 Müll. (Ann. v. 413 Vahl.); and: “ipse (Numa rex) de suo imperio curiatam legem tulit,” Cic. Rep. 2, 13; 2, 17; 18; 20; “21: homo dominandi cupidus aut imperii singularis,” sole dominion, id. ib. 1, 33: “singulare et potestas regia,” id. ib. 2, 9: “esse consul cum summo imperio et potestate,” Cic. Verr. 1, 13, 37; id. Fl. 8, 18; cf.: “cum summo imperio et potestate versari,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 10, 31: “qui (App. Claudius) tum erat summo imperio,” id. Fin. 2, 20, 66: “omne imperium nostri penes singulos esse voluerunt,” id. Rep. 1, 40; 2, 32: “de imperio Caesaris ... gravissime decernitur,” Caes. B. C. 1, 5, 4: “imperium extra ordinem dare,” Cic. Phil. 11, 10, 25: “quod imperium potest esse praestantius quam, etc.,” id. Rep. 1, 17: “eos qui antea commodis fuerint moribus, imperio, potestate, prosperis rebus immutari,” id. Lael. 15, 54: “ad deponendum imperium tardior esse,” id. Rep. 2, 12: “expertes imperii,” id. ib. 1, 31: “deponentium imperium tyrannorum,” Quint. 9, 2, 67 et saep.: “sub populi Romani imperium dicionemque cadere,” Cic. Font. 1, 2; so, “with dicio,” Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 7; cf.: “Gallia sub populi Romani imperium redacta,” id. ib. 5, 29, 4: “totam ad imperium populi Romani Ciliciam adjunxit,” Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 35: “majestas est in imperio atque in omni populi Romani dignitate,” Quint. 7, 3, 35: “cum duobus ducibus de imperio in Italia decertatum est, Pyrrho et Hannibale,” Cic. Lael. 8, 28; cf.: “de imperio dimicare,” id. Off. 1, 12, 38: “spes diuturnitatis atque imperii,” id. Rep. 2, 3; cf.: “sedem et domum summo imperio praebere,” id. ib. 2, 5 fin.: “quod ipse suae civitatis imperium obtenturus esset,” Caes. B. G. 1, 3, 6: “civitati imperium totius provinciae pollicetur,” id. ib. 7, 64 fin.: “cum abunde expertus esset quam bene umeris tuis sederet imperium,” Plin. Pan. 10 fin.: “auctoritate magis quam imperio regere,” Liv. 1, 7, 8; cf.: “nec illum pro imperio submovere posse ... quia ita dicatur: si vobis videtur, discedite, Quirites,” id. 2, 56, 12.—
(β).
Plur.: “nec vero imperia expetenda ac potius aut non accipienda interdum aut deponenda nonnumquam,” i. e. public offices, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68: “(cives) mandant imperia,” id. Rep. 1, 31; cf.: “honores, magistratus, imperia, potestates, opes amicitiae anteponere,” id. Lael. 17, 63: “cui (duci) dantur imperia et ea continuantur, etc.,” id. Rep. 1, 44: “ita cepi et gessi maxima imperia, ut, etc.,” id. Fam. 3, 7, 5: “vides tyranni satellites in imperiis,” id. Att. 14, 5, 2: “quod praestare dicant Gallorum quam Romanorum imperia perferre,” dominion, government, Caes. B. G. 1, 17, 3: “qui mobilitate ac levitate animi novis imperiis studebant,” id. ib. 2, 1, 3: “imperia legum potentiora quam hominum,” Liv. 2, 1, 1. —
b. Hence, transf., concr.
(α).
Dominion, realm, empire (esp. freq. since the Aug. per.): “duae urbes inimicissimae huic imperio,” Cic. Lael. 3, 11: “jam ipsa terra ita mihi parva visa est, ut me imperii nostri pæniteret,” id. Rep. 6, 16 fin.: “nostrum,” id. ib. 3, 29; cf.: “finium imperii nostri propagatio,” id. Prov. Cons. 12, 29: “fines imperii propagavit,” id. Rep. 3, 12: “imperium Oceano, famam qui terminet astris,” Verg. A. 1, 287: “per quas (artes) imperi Porrecta majestas ad ortus Solis ab Hesperio cubili,” Hor. C. 4, 15, 14: “adjectis Britannis Imperio,” id. ib. 3, 5, 4: “quem vocet divum populus ruentis Imperi rebus?” id. ib. 1, 2, 26; “1, 37, 8: immensum imperii corpus stare ac librari sine rectore non potest,” Tac. H. 1, 16: “reges socii, membra partesque imperii,” Suet. Aug. 48: “breviarium totius imperii,” id. ib. 101: “rationarium imperii,” id. ib. 28: “imperii fines Tiberinum natare,” Juv. 8, 265: “noverat luxuriam imperii veterem,” i. e. of the Roman court, id. 4, 137.—
c. Trop., rule, control (very rare but class.): “illud vide, si in animis hominum regale imperium sit, unius fore dominatum, consilii scilicet,” Cic. Rep. 1, 38.—Iron.: “imperium judiciorum tenere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 31, § 77: “coactae imperio sexus,” i. e. the ambition, Juv. 6, 135.—
2. Law t. t., the jurisdiction or discretion of a magistrate: “omnia autem judicia aut legitimo jure consistunt aut imperio continentur,” Gai. Inst. 4, 103: “ideo autem imperio contineri judicia dicuntur, quia tamdiu valent, quamdiu is qui ea praecepit imperium habet,” id. ib. 4, 105; cf. 3, 181 al.—
3. Milit., the chief command, command.
(α).
Sing.: “victum atque expugnatum oppidum est Imperio atque auspicio Amphitruonis maxime,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 37; 1, 1, 41: re impetrata contendunt, ut ipsis summa imperii transdatur, Caes. B. G. 7, 63, 5: “delatam sibi summam imperii,” Suet. Ner. 3: “censet enim etiam ex iis, qui cum imperio sint,” Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3: “nostri imperii dignitas,” id. ib. 1, 7, 4: “novem annis, quibus in imperio fuit,” Suet. Caes. 25: “legionum curam et imperium alicui demandare,” id. ib. 76: “alicui imperium prorogare,” id. Tib. 30: “imperii tempus explere,” id. Caes. 26: cum imperio aut magistratu, i. e. a military or civil command, Suet. Tib. 12: “qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, etc.,” Juv. 10, 79; cf. in the foll.—
(β).
Plur.: “mandant (cives) imperia, magistratus,” i. e. military and civil commands, Cic. Rep. 1, 31; cf.: “magistratus, imperia, amicitiae anteponere,” id. Lael. 17, 63; “so opp. magistratus,” Suet. Caes. 54; 75; id. Aug. 61.—
b. Transf.
(α).
Concr.: imperia, i. q. imperatores, commanding officers, commanders, generals: “imperia, potestates, legationes, quom senatus creverit populusve jusserit, ex urbe exeunto,” Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 9: “nacti vacuas ab imperiis Sardiniam et Siciliam,” Caes. B. C. 1, 31, 1; Val. Max. 1, 1, 9.—
(β).
Erat plena lictorum et imperiorum provincia, differta praefectis atque exactoribus, Caes. B. C. 3, 32, 4.—
(γ).
(Acc. to imperator, II. B. 3.) The imperial government, the government: “tandem quasi coactus recepit imperium,” Suet. Tib. 24; 55; 67; id. Calig. 12; 16; 24; id. Claud. 11; 35; 36 et saep.
