I.a. [root pug-, to thrust, strike, whence pugil, pungo, etc.], to fight, either singly or in armies, to combat, give battle, engage, contend (very freq. and class.).
I. Lit.: “neque sinistrā impeditā satis commode pugnare poterant,” Caes. B. G. 1, 25: “scutum manu emittere et nudo corpore pugnare,” id. ib. 1, 25: “eminus lapidibus,” Sall. J. 57, 4: “cominus in acie,” Cic. Balb. 9, 23: “ex equo,” on horseback, id. N. D. 2, 2, 6: “de loco, Ter. Hec. alt. prol. 33: de ponte,” Hirt. B. Afr. 33: “pro muro toto,” id. ib. 13: “ex iniquiore loco,” id. ib. 42: “pro commodis patriae,” Cic. Inv. 1, 1, 1 al.—With cum and abl.: “elige, cum cive an hoste pugnare malis,” Liv. 10, 36, 8: “cum hoste in acie,” Cic. Balb. 9, 22.—With in and acc.: “ne quis extra ordinem in hostem pugnaret,” Liv. 8, 6, 16: “in hostem imparem ex aequo pugnabant,” id. 10, 43, 6: “qui contra imperium in hostem pugnaverant,” Sall. C. 9, 4; 52, 30.—With adversum and acc.: “saepe ante paucis strenuis advorsum multitudinem bene pugnatum,” Sall. J. 107, 1: “advorsum Gallos,” id. ib. 114, 1.—With a homogeneous object: magnam pugnavimu' pugnam, Lucil. ap. Don. Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 60; cf.: “haec pugna est pugnata,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 97: “pugna summā contentione pugnata,” Cic. Mur. 16, 34; Nep. Hann. 5, 1: inclitam in ponte pugnam ... pugnatam, Liv. 6, 42, 5: “proelia,” Hor. C. 4, 9, 19; Sall. J. 54, 7: “bella,” Hor. C. 3, 19, 4; id. Ep. 1, 16, 25.— Impers. pass.: “pugnatur uno tempore omnibus locis,” the battle is fought, they fight, Caes. B. G. 7, 84: “cominus gladiis pugnatum est,” id. ib. 1, 52: “ut in mari quoque pugnetur velut e muris,” Plin. 32, 1, 1, § 3.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen., to contend, conflict, disagree, oppose, contradict; usu. with dat. of person, or with cum: “pugnant Stoici cum Peripateticis,” Cic. Fin. 2, 21, 68. —With acc. and inf.: “pugnare non destitit, non esse rerum controversiam, sed nominum,” Cic. Fin. 3, 12, 41: “non magno opere pugnare,” to contend not very strongly, id. N. D. 3, 1, 3: “noli pugnare duobus,” Cat. 62, 64: “ne cupias pugnare puellae,” Prop. 1, 12 (10), 21; cf.: “placitone etiam pugnabis amori?” Verg. A. 4, 38: “pressis pugnat habenis,” id. ib. 11, 600: “ne pugnet vulgus habenis,” Stat. Th. 8, 289: “tam eras excors, ut totā in oratione tuā tecum ipse pugnares,” you contradicted yourself, Cic. Phil. 2, 8, 18. —Of things: “pugnat sententia secum,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 97: “pugnavit monitis furor,” Sil. 10, 284: “pugnatura fretis pila,” id. 4, 298: frigida pugnabant calidis, umentia siccis, Mollia cum duris, etc., cold bodies contended with hot, moist with dry, etc., Ov. M. 1, 19: humus, Petr. poët. Sat. 123.—
B. To struggle, strive, to endeavor, take pains, exert one's self for any thing (rare but class.): “illud pugna et enitere, ne, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 3: “id ne impetremus, pugnabis,” id. Lig. 5, 13; cf.: “hoc solum hoc tempore pugnatur, ut, etc.,” id. Rosc. Am. 3, 8: “pugnas, ne reddar, Achille,” Ov. H. 3, 25 Ruhnk.: “pugnaremque collegae, ut, etc.,” Liv. 3, 64.—Poet., with inf.: “pugnat molles evincere somnos,” Ov. M. 1, 685; 7, 772; id. H. 13, 77: “incerto pedum pugnat non stare tumultu,” Luc. 4, 753; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 196; cf.“, of things,” Lucr. 2, 205.—P. a. as subst.: pugnan-tĭa , ium, n., contradictions, inconsistencies: “pugnantia te loqui non vides?” Cic. Tusc. 1, 7, 13; cf. Hor. S. 1, 2, 73; 1, 1, 102.
