I.“inque peditur, inque pediri, inque peditus, etc.,” Lucr. 6, 394; 3, 484; 4, 562; 1149), v. a. in-pes; cf. compedes; lit., to entangle the feet; hence, in gen., to entangle, ensnare, to shackle, hamper, hinder, hold fast (cf.: praepedio, implico, illigo, irretio, illaqueo).
I. Lit. (rare): “impediunt teneros vincula nulla pedes,” Ov. F. 1, 410; cf.: “et illis crura quoque impediit,” id. M. 12, 392: “ipsus illic sese jam impedivit in plagas,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 9, 11: “in qua (silva) retentis impeditus (cervus) cornibus,” Phaedr. 1, 12, 10: “impedita cassibus dama,” Mart. 3, 58, 28; cf.: reti impedit Pisces, ensnares, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 17; Veg. Vet. 1, 10.—
B. Transf., in gen., to clasp, encircle, embrace (mostly poet.): “narrare parantem Impedit amplexu,” Ov. M. 2, 433: “nunc decet aut viridi nitidum caput impedire myrto Aut flore,” Hor. C. 1, 4, 9: “crines (vitta),” Tib. 1, 6, 67; Ov. Am. 3, 6, 56: “cornua sertis,” id. M. 2, 868: “remos (hederae),” id. ib. 3, 664: “medium crus pellibus,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 27: “equos frenis,” to bridle, Ov. F. 2, 736: “ingentem clipeum informant ... septenosque orbibus orbes Impediunt,” surround, encircle each other, Verg. A. 8, 447: “orbes orbibus,” id. ib. 5, 585: “plana novo munimenti genere (with saepire),” Curt. 6, 5; cf.: “Antiochus, castris positis, munitionibus insuper saltum impediebat,” rendered difficult of access, Liv. 36, 16, 1.—
II. Trop.
A. To entangle, embarrass (class.): “impeditum in ea (re amatoria) expedivi animum meum,” Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 17; cf.: “sapientis est, cum stultitia sua impeditus sit, quoquo modo possit se expedire,” Cic. Rab. Post. 9, 24: “ipse te impedies, ipse tua defensione implicabere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 18, § 44: “qui me et se hisce impedivit nuptiis,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 4, 2: “dum alios servat, se impedivit interim,” Plaut. Rud. prol. 37: “tot me impediunt curae,” Ter. And. 1, 5, 25: “mentem dolore,” Cic. Cael. 24, 60.—
B. Transf. (causa pro effectu), to hinder, detain, obstruct, check, prevent, impede (so most freq.; cf.: inhibeo, prohibeo, interdico, veto); constr. with acc., ab, in aliqua re, or the simple abl., ne, quin, quominus, the inf., or absol.; very rarely with dat.
(α).
With the simple acc.: “me quotidie aliud ex alio impedit: sed si me expediero, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 9, 19, 2: “suis studiis sic impediuntur, ut, etc. ... discendi enim studio impediti,” id. Off. 1, 9, 28; cf.: “aetate et morbo impeditus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 25, § 63: religione impediri, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 3: “ne forte qua re impediar atque alliger,” Cic. Att. 8, 16, 1.—With inanim: “or abstr. objects: sinistra impedita,” Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 3: “mea dubitatio aut impedire profectionem meam videbatur aut certe tardare,” Cic. Fam. 7, 5, 1: “iter,” id. Lael. 20, 75: “navigationem (Corus),” Caes. B. G. 5, 7, 3: “magnas utilitates amicorum,” Cic. Lael. 20, 75: “res magnas,” id. ib.; cf.: “belli rationem prope jam explicatam perturbare atque impedire,” id. Prov. Cons. 14, 35 fin.: quod si corporis gravioribus morbis vitae jucunditas impeditur; “quanto magis animi morbis impediri necesse est?” id. Fin. 1, 18, 59.—
(β).
With ab or in aliqua re or the simple abl.: “sibi non fuisse dubium, a re publica bene gerenda impediri,” Cic. Balb. 20, 47; cf.: “ab delectatione omni negotiis impedimur,” id. Mur. 19, 39; so, “aliquem a suo munere,” id. Rep. 5, 3: “aliquem ab opere,” Plin. 10, 63, 83, § 180: “aliquem a vero bonoque,” Sall. J. 30, 2: “non oportere sese a populo Romano in suo jure impediri,” Caes. B. G. 1, 36, 2: “quem dignitas fugā impediverat,” Tac. A. 1, 39.—
(γ).
With ne, quin, quominus.—With ne: “id in hac disputatione de fato casus quidam, ne facerem, impedivit,” Cic. Fat. 1, 1; id. Sull. 33, 92.—With quin: “ut nulla re impedirer, quin, si vellem, mihi esset integrum,” Cic. Att. 4, 2, 6; Auct. Her. 3, 1, 1.— With quominus: “nec aetas impedit, quominus agri colendi studia teneamus,” Cic. de Sen. 17, 60; id. Fin. 1, 10, 33: “quaerere, quae sit tanta formido, quae tot ac tantos viros impediat, quominus, etc.,” id. Rosc. Am. 2, 5; id. Fam. 3, 7, 3; 13, 5, 1; id. Att. 3, 22, 1; 13, 25, 2.—
(δ).
With inf.: “quid est igitur, quod me impediat ea quae probabilia mihi videantur sequi, quae contra, improbare? etc.,” Cic. Off. 2, 2, 8: “me impedit pudor ab aliquo haec exquirere,” id. de Or. 1, 35, 163: “ne qua mora ignaros pubemque educere castris Impediat,” Verg. A. 11, 21; Ov. P. 1, 1, 21.—(ε) With dat. (in analogy to impedimento esse): novitati non impedit vetus consuetudo, is no hinderance, = obstat (cf. the context), Varr. L. L. 9, § 20 Müll.: inpediat tibi, ne, etc., Schol. Juv. 14, 49.—(ξ) Absol.: “omnia removentur, quae obstant et impediunt,” Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 19: “ut omnia quae impediant, vincat intentio,” Quint. 10, 3, 28; 12, 10, 55: “de rebus ipsis utere tuo judicio—nihil enim impedio,” Cic. Off. 1, 1, 2; id. Rep. 1, 13: quem video, nisi rei publicae tempora impedient, Εὐπόριστον, id. Att. 7, 1, 7; cf. Quint. 12, 10, 55.—Hence, impĕdītus (inp- ), a, um, P. a., hindered, embarrassed, obstructed, encumbered, burdened, impeded.
A. Of persons: “neque nunc quomodo me expeditum ex impedito faciam, jam consilium placet,” Plaut. Epid. 1, 1, 87: inermos armati, impeditos expediti interficiunt, encumbered with baggage, Sisenn. ap. Non. 58, 8; cf.: “impeditis hostibus propter ea quae ferebant onera,” Caes. B. G. 3, 19, 2: “agmen,” Liv. 43, 23, 1: “itinere impediti,” Caes. B. C. 3, 75, 3: “nostri si ab illis initium transeundi (fluminis) fieret, ut impeditos aggrederentur,” i. e. embarrassed with the difficulties of crossing, id. B. G. 2, 9, 1; 1, 12, 3; 2, 10, 2; “2, 23, 1 et saep.: malis domesticis impediti,” Cic. Sest. 45, 97: “viden me consiliis tuis miserum impeditum esse?” Ter. And. 3, 5, 11.—Comp.: quod, si durior accidisset casus, impeditiores fore videbantur, Auct. B. Alex. 14 fin.—
B. Of inanim. and abstr. things: “hostem impedito atque iniquo loco tenetis,” difficult of passage, Caes. B. G. 6, 8, 4; cf.: “silvae,” id. ib. 5, 21, 3: “saltus impeditos gravis armis miles timere potest,” Liv. 9, 19, 16: “vineae nexu traducum,” Tac. H. 2, 25: “navigationem impeditam (esse) propter inscientiam locorum,” troublesome, Caes. B. G. 3, 9, 4: “impedito animo,” i. e. engaged, busy, Cic. Leg. 1, 3, 8: “omnium impeditis animis,” Caes. B. G. 5, 7, 5: “tempora rei publicae,” Cic. Pis. 1, 3: “dies tristi omine infames et impediti,” Gell. 4, 9, 5: “disceptatio,” Liv. 37, 54, 7: “oratio fit longa et impedita,” Quint. 8, 6, 42: “bellum (with arduum),” Tac. A. 4, 46: “cum victoribus nihil impeditum arbitrarentur,” Caes. B. G. 2, 28, 1: “tu rem impeditam et perditam restituas,” intricate and hopeless, Ter. And. 3, 5, 13.—Comp.: “longius impeditioribus locis secuti,” Caes. B. G. 3, 28 fin.; so, “saltus artior et impeditior,” Liv. 9, 2, 8; 7, 21, 8.—Sup.: “silvae undique impeditissimae,” i. e. exceedingly difficult to pass, Hirt. B. G. 8, 18, 1: “itinera,” Caes. B. C. 3, 77, 2: “quid horum non impeditissimum? vestitus an vehiculum an comes?” exceedingly embarrassing, a great encumbrance, Cic. Mil. 20, 54.