I.part. gen. plur. luctantūm, Prop. 4 (5), 22, 9; act. collat. form: viri validis viribus luctant, Enn. ap. Non. 472, 8: plurimum luctavimus, Plaut. ap. Non. 468, 32; Varr. L. L. 5, 10, § 61 Müll.: “dum luctat,” Ter. Hec. 5, 3, 31), v. dep. lucta, q. v., to wrestle.
I. Lit.: “ibi cursu luctando disco hasta ... sese exercebant (juventus),” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 24: “luctabitur Olympiis Milo,” Cic. Fat. 13: “fulvā luctantur harenā,” Verg. A. 6, 643: “luctabatur adsidue,” Suet. Ner. 53: “paucae (feminae) luctantur,” Juv. 2, 53: “umeris, ut luctaturi solent, ad occipitium ductis,” Quint. 11, 3, 160.—
B. Transf, to wrestle, struggle, strive, contend.
a. Of living creatures: “in pestilenti atque arido solo luctari,” Liv. 7, 38, 7: “boves luctari,” Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 177: “luctandum in turbā,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 28: “inter se adversis luctantur cornibus haedi,” Verg. G. 2, 526: “non luctor de nomine hujus temporis,” Ov. F. 6, 69.—
(β).
With inf. (poet.): “et infracta luctatur harundine telum Eripere,” Verg. A. 12, 387: “deducere versum,” Ov. P. 1, 5, 13: “compescere risum,” id. H. 17, 161; id. M. 15, 300.—
b. Of inanimate things: “et in lento luctantur marmore tonsae,” Verg. A, 7, 28: “tristia robustis luctantur funera plaustris,” Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 74; Prop. 4 (5), 1, 147. “luctantem Icariis fluctibus Africum,” Hor. C. 1, 1, 15; cf.: “luctantes venti,” Verg. A. 1, 53.—
2. In partic., in mal. part.: “cum aliquo,” Prop. 2, 1, 13.—
II. Trop., of mental or moral strife, to struggle, strive, contend: “non luctabor tecum amplius,” Cic. de Or. 1, 17, 74: “cum aliquo luctari,” id. Sull. 16, 47: “Plancus diu, quarum esset partium secum luctatus,” Vell. 2, 63, 3; Plin. 18, 5, 6, § 28: “cum latentibus nodis,” Curt. 3, 1, 18: “cum ardore et siccitate regionis,” id. 4, 7, 7.—
(β).
With dat. (poet.): “luctataeque diu tenebris hiemique sibique,” Stat. Th. 11, 522: “crudo pelago,” Sil. 14, 453: “morti,” id. 10, 296.—
(γ).
With abl.: “ignis viridi luctetur robore,” Luc. 3, 503; Vell. 2, 86, 2.—Hence, luctans , antis, P. a., struggling, reluctant: “luctantia oscula carpere,” Ov. M. 4, 358: “composuit luctantia lumina somnus,” Sil. 7, 204.—
B. In partic., as subst., of cross-beams, rafters, because they oppose and uphold each other like wrestlers, Isid. Orig. 19, 19.
