I.to make empty or vacant, to leave untenanted or uninhabited, to desert.
I. Lit. (rare but class.): “lex erat lata de vastato ac relicto foro,” Cic. Sest. 24, 53: “vastati agri sunt,” Liv. 3, 32, 2: “venator vastata lustra fugit,” i.e. destitute of game, Val. Fl. 1, 480: pati terram stirpium asperitate vastari, to lie waste or untilled, Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 99.—
II. Transf., to empty or deprive of inhabitants, to lay waste, desolate, ravage, devastate; to ruin, destroy (the predom. signif. of the word; syn.: populor, vexo).
(α).
Absol.: “cum equitatus liberius praedandi vastandique causā se in agros ejecerat,” Caes. B. G. 5, 19.—
(β).
With acc.: “ipse ad vastandos depopulandosque fines Ambiorigis proficiscitur,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 24: “agros,” Caes. B. G. 1, 11; Cat. 66, 12; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 50, § 119 (with exinanire): “Italiam (with diripere),” id. Cat. 4, 6, 13: “terram,” id. N. D. 2, 39, 99: “partem provinciae incursionibus,” Caes. B. G. 5, 1: “omnia caedibus, incendiis, ruinis,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 25: “omnia ferro ignique vastata,” Liv. 7, 30, 15; 10, 12, 7: “omnia (with invadere, polluere),” Sall. J. 41, 9: “omnia igni ferroque,” Vell. 2, 110, 6: “Tydides multā vastabat caede cruentus,” Verg. A. 1, 471: “omnia late vastant,” id. G. 4, 16: “fana Poenorum tumultu,” Hor. C. 4, 4, 47: “(zonae) vastantur frigore semper,” Tib. 4, 1, 153: “cuncta (panthera),” Phaedr. 3, 2, 14: “direpti vastatique classe,” Tac. H. 2, 16: “quos (Mardos) vastavit,” id. A. 14, 23 fin.—Pass.: “ipsi cultores arvaque maturis jam frugibus ut hostile solum vastabantur,” Tac. H. 2, 87 fin.—With abl. of that which is destroyed or removed: “et latos vastant cultoribus agros,” Verg. A. 8, 8: “agrosque viris annosaque vastant oppida,” Stat. Th. 3, 576.—
B. Trop.: “ita conscientia mentem excitam vastabat,” harassed, perplexed, Sall. C. 15, 5.
