I.a.— Rhetor. t. t., to exercise one's self in rhetorical delivery, to practise speaking, to declaim. For syn. cf.: dictito, concionor, pronuntio, palam dico, praedico, recito, declamito. (Class., most freq. in Cic. and Quint.)
I. In a good sense.
(α).
Neutr.: “ad fluctum aiunt declamare solitum Demosthenem, ut fremitum assuesceret voce vincere,” Cic. Fin. 5, 2, 5; id. fragm. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 73: dum tu declamas Romae, * Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 2: “declamare doces?” Juv. 7, 150: “haec est sedes orationis, hic laus omnis declamantium,” Quint. 9, 4, 62 (al. declamat) et saep.— Pass. impers.: “in eo, quomodo declametur, positum est etiam, quomodo agatur,” Quint. 9, 2, 81.—
(β).
Act. (rare; not in Cic.; cf., on the contrary, declamito, no. I. β): “suasorias,” Quint. 3, 8, 61.—
B. Poet., in gen., to speak oratorically, to declaim: “quis nisi mentis inops tenerae declamet amicae?” Ov. A. A. 1, 465.—
II. In a bad sense, to speak as an orator with violence, to declaim, to bluster, bawl: “ille insanus, qui pro isto vehementissime contra me declamasset,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 66 fin.; “so in quemvis,” id. Fam. 3, 11, 2: “aliquid ex alia oratione declamare,” id. Rosc. Am. 29 fin.
