I.part. gen. plur. tentantum, Verg. G. 2, 247), v. freq. a. tendo, to handle, touch, feel a thing (class.; cf.: tango, tracto).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “rem manu,” Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62: “manibus pectora,” Ov. M. 10, 282; 10, 289: “loca feminarum digitis,” Col. 8, 11, 8: “ficum rostro,” Ov. F. 2, 254: “flumen vix pede (with attingere),” Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6: “quadratum,” Lucr. 4, 234: “caput in tenebris,” Phaedr. 3, 10, 26: “pullos singulos,” Col. 8, 5, 17: “invisos amictus,” Verg. G. 3, 563: “aciem pugionum,” Suet. Ner. 49; cf.: “acumen stili,” id. Rhet. 5: “bracchia emittit temptanti maria similis Sarpedon,” Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 98: “pullos,” Col. 8, 5, 17; 8, 11, 8.—
B. In partic.
2. To try the strength of, make an attempt upon, i. e. to attack, assail (cf.: aggredior, adorior).
(α).
Of warfare: “scalis et classe moenia oppidi tentans,” Caes. B. C. 3, 40: “opera nostra,” id. B. G. 7, 73: “urbem,” Liv. 33, 5, 3; 26, 38, 5: “munitiones,” id. 9, 35, 1: “moenia Aiexandriae,” id. 45, 11: “Achaiam,” Caes. B. C. 3, 55 Britanniam, Suet. Claud. 17: “aggredi et tentare,” Vell. 2, 113, 3: “aliquem auxiliis Thraciae,” Flor. 2, 14, 4.—
(β).
Of disease, poison, etc.: “animi valentes morbo tentari non possunt, corpora possunt,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 14, 31; cf.: “gravis auctumnus omnem exercitum valetudine tentaverat,” Caes. B. C. 3, 2: “temptari a morbo,” Plin. 24, 19, 113, § 174: “praecordiorum inflatione tentari,” Suet. Aug. 81: “tentatus est motiunculis levibus,” id. Vesp. 24; Hor. S. 2, 3, 163; id. Ep. 1, 6, 28; Verg. G. 3, 441 al.: “vina temptant caput,” attack, affect, Plin. 23, 1, 20, § 35.—Absol.: “temptantis aquas non nocere,” unwholesome, Plin. 20, 7, 26, § 68; cf. Verg. G. 2, 94.—
II. Transf., to try; to prove, put to the test; to attempt, essay a course of action, etc. (so most freq.; syn.: experior, periclitor).
A. In gen., constr. with acc., with inf., with rel.-clause, with ut, or absol.
(α).
With acc.: “cum se ipse perspexerit totumque tentarit, intelleget, etc.,” Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59; cf.: “se in arte memoriae,” Quint. 11, 2, 34 (preceded by memoriam suam experiri): “tentarem te, quo animo accipias,” Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 3: “quo utamur quasi equis temptatis, sic amicitiā aliquā parte periclitatis moribus amicorum,” id. Lael. 17, 63; “alicujus scientiam auguratus,” id. Div. 1, 17, 32: “tentarem summi regis prudentiam,” id. Tusc. 1, 41, 98: “ut satis impulsas tentavit pollice chordas,” Ov. M. 10, 145: “culturam agelli, Lucr 5, 1368: iter per provinciam per vim, Caes B. G. 1, 14: negatā iter viā,” Hor. C. 3, 2, 22 Bosporum, id. ib. 3, 4, 31: “Thetim ratibus,” Verg. E. 4, 32: “Oceanum,” Tac. G. 34 fin.: “Istrum, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr. 135: aditus,” Verg. A. 4, 293: “temptanda via est,” id. G. 3, 8: “ad tentandum vadum fluminis,” Curt. 4, 9, 15: “nullo modo animus audientis aut incitari aut leniri potest, qui modus a me non tentatus sit,” Cic. Or. 38, 132: “rem frustra,” Caes. B. C. 1, 26: “belli fortunam,” id. B. G. 1, 36; so, “fortunam,” id. ib. 3, 6; 7, 64; Sall. J. 7, 1: “periculum,” Cic. Cornel. Fragm. 1: “quaestionem,” id. Clu. 57, 157: “patientiam vestram,” id. Agr. 2, 7, 19: “spem pacis,” Liv. 21, 12, 3; cf.: “spem triumphi,” id. 28, 38, 4: libertatem, id. 6, 18, 11: “relationem,” id. 33, 23, 3: “intercessionem,” id. 9, 8, 13: “silentium nequicquam per praeconem,” id. 8, 33, 2: “crimina,” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 80: “majora,” id. ib. 1, 17, 24: “caelestia,” id. ib. 1, 17, 34 et saep.—
(β).
With rel.-clause: “tentavi, quid in eo genere possem,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 4, 7: “tentabam, spiraret an non,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 26: “quae sit fortuna facillima, temptat,” Verg. A. 11, 761: “cum tentaret si qua res esset cibi,” something to eat, Phaedr. 4, 7, 4: “tenta, Chrysogonus quanti doceat,” Juv. 7, 175.—
(γ).
With inf.: “aquā prohibere hostem tentare coepit,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 40: “tentabo etiam de hoc dicere,” Quint. 6, 2, 29; 2, 14, 1: “(sol) caelum radiis accendere tentans,” Lucr. 5, 659: “tentarunt aequore tingi,” Ov. M. 2, 172: “(vestis) frustra tentata revelli,” id. ib. 9, 168: “taurus irasci in cornua temptat,” Verg. A. 12, 104: “nemo in sese tentat descendere,” Pers. 4, 23: “litteras deferre,” Curt. 3, 7, 13; Juv. 7, 5.—
(δ).
With ut: “cum ille Romuli senatus tentaret post Romuli excessum, ut ipse gereret sine rege rem publicam,” Cic. Rep. 2, 12, 23: “quid aliud hoc judicio tentatur, nisi ut id fieri liceat?” id. Rosc. Am. 5, 13; Suet. Caes. 11.—Impers. pass.: “tentatum a L. Sextio tribuno plebis, ut rogationem ferret, etc.,” Liv. 4, 49, 6.—（ε) Absol.: “tenta quā lubet,” Plaut. Aul. 4, 4, 20: “ne tentando cautiorem faceret,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 23.—
B. In partic., to try any one, in a friendly or hostile manner; to urge, incite; to tempt, sound, tamper with; also, to excite, disquiet, disturb, agitate: “quem ego toties omni ratione tentans ad disputandum elicere non potuissem,” Cic. de Or. 2, 3, 13: “cum per Drusum saepe tentassem,” id. ib. 1, 21, 97: “utrum admonitus an tentatus an, etc. ... pervenerit ad hanc improbitatem nescio,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 41, § 105: “cum a proximis impetrare non possent, ulteriores tentant,” Caes. B. G. 6, 2: “animos servorum spe et metu, ut, etc.,” Cic. Clu. 63, 176: “animos popularium,” Sall. J. 48, 1: “animos singulorum ad res novas,” Suet. Tib. 12 fin.: “animum precando,” Verg. A. 4, 113: “judicium pecunia,” Cic. Clu. 4, 9; 30, 80: “aliquem promissis et minis,” Tac. H. 1, 75; cf.: “tentatā Othonianorum fide per colloquium et promissa,” id. ib. 2, 20: “tribunos de fugae societate,” Suet. Ner. 47: “deos multā caede bidentium,” Hor. C. 3, 23, 14: “Junonem tentare Ixion ausus,” Tib. 1, 3, 73; cf. Ov. A. A. 1, 389; Val. Max. 6, 1, 7: “nationes lacessere bello et tentare,” to agitate, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 9, 23; cf.: “ut exsul potius tentare quam consul vexare rem publicam posses,” id. Cat. 1, 10, 27: “in his rebus evertendis unius hominis senectus, infirmitas solitudoque tentata est,” id. Rab. Perd. 1, 2: “militis iras,” Luc. 2, 529; Vulg. Gen. 22, 1 et saep.
