LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation

agō

agō (present infinitive agere, perfect active ēgī, supine āctum)
Classical[ˈa.ɡoː]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.ɡo]
agēns pres. act. ptcp.№ 69 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to act, to behave
    viriliter agite et confortamini nolite timere nec paveatis regem Assyriorum […]"Act strongly and be courageous. Do not fear nor tremble before the king of Assyria"Late 4th century, Jerome [et al.], transl., edited by Roger Gryson, Biblia Sacra: Iuxta Vulgatam Versionem (Vulgate), 5th edition, Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, published 2007, →ISBN, II Paralipomenon [2 Chronicles] 32:7:
    ...doces illum quid sano faciendum sit, non efficis sanum. Pauperi ut agat divitem monstras: hoc quomodo manente paupertate fieri potest?...you teach a man what a healthy man should do, but you don't make him healthy. You show the poor how to behave as a rich man: but if they remain poor, how can they do so?64 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium 94.6.1
  2. to do
    [Amphitryon to Sosia:] age ī tū secundumCome, do follow after me! (literally, “Do thou walk after/following (me)!”)c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitruo 2.1.1
    Nihil agis, nihil moliris, nihil cogitas quod non ego non modo audiam sed etiam videam planeque sentiam.You do nothing, you plan nothing, you think of nothing which I not only do not hear, but which I do not see and know every particular of.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.8
  3. to make (something that does not continue to exist after the maker stops)
  4. to negotiate, discuss, confer, talk with one about a person or thing
  5. to effect, accomplish, achieve
  6. to treat, to deal with
  7. to act, play, perform (e.g., a role in a play)
  8. to perform, transact, conduct, manage (e.g. business, affairs)
  9. to administer, direct, guide, govern
    “Trōs Tyriusque mihī nūllō discrīmine agētur.” “Trojan and Tyrian shall be governed [alike], with no difference to me.” – Queen Dido29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.574
  10. to drive (sense of providing an impetus for motion), impel, move, push, put in motion, urge
    Mettius Curtius [...] ab arce decucurrerat et effusos egerat RomanosMettius Curtius [..] had run down from the citadel, and driven the Romans in disorder27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita I.12
  11. to conduct, drive (sense of providing governance to motion)
    1877, Sophocles (in translation), Electra, in Aeschyli et Sophoclis: Tragoediae et Fragmenta (Paris: Institutiae Franciae Typographo)"Meanwhile, Orestes had been driving in last place and holding his horses back, putting his trust in the finish."
  12. to discuss, debate, deliberate (used in civil, political and legal contexts)
  13. to plead
  14. to think upon; to be occupied with
    ingentis parturit ira minas. / Quo feret ira, sequar! facti fortasse pigebit — / Et piget infido consuluisse viro. / Viderit ista deus, qui nunc mea pectora versat! / Nescio quid certe mens mea maius agit!Tremndous anger abounds with threat. / I’ll follow where anger carries me. Perhaps I’ll regret my deeds: / I regret having given thought to the interests of an unfaithful husband. / Let the god see to that, which churns within my heart. / Assuredly, I don't know what occupies my mind more greatly!8 CE, Ovidius, Heroides XII.208–212
  15. to aim at, to get at (generally in the subjunctive mood and preceded by ut, and so meaning: "that to might achieve...")
  16. to stir up, excite, cause, induce
  17. to disturb, agitate, afflict, upset, vex
    [...] Agit ipse furentem / in somnīs ferus Aenēās [...].… In her nightmares, angry Aeneas himself afflicts [Dido] in her madness, …. (Ambiguity: Other interpretations include drives, chases, or harasses.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.465–466
  18. to lead, drive (e.g., livestock)
  19. to chase, pursue
  20. to drive at, pursue (a course of action)
  21. to rob, steal, plunder, carry off
  22. to pass, spend, lead
  23. to slay, kill (as a sacrifice)
  24. to put forth, sprout, extend
  25. to hold (a court)
  26. to go on, to take place, to be at issue

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

moveō, dūcō; puer orbem ligneum agit.
agō -ere ēgī — in Mille Verba, ch. Lūdī Puerōrum
we spend
agimus — in Seneca, ch. VII
acts, does
agit — in Seneca, ch. VI

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Carere · Egere · Indigere

1. Carere (from κείρειν) relates to a desirable possession, in opp. to habere, Cic. Tusc. i. 36; whereas egere and indigere, to a necessary and indispensable possession, in opp. to abundare, Lucil. Fr. Sat. viii. Senec. Vit. B. 7. Voluptate virtus sæpe caret, nunquam indiget. Epist. 9. Sapiens eget nulla re; egere enim necessitatis est. Cic. Ep. ad. Qu. Fr. i. 3, 2. Nunc commisi, ut me vivo careres, vivo me aliis indigeres. 2. Egere (from χάω, χαίνω ἀχήν) denotes, objectively, the state of need, in opp. to uti, Cato ap. Gell. xiii. 23; indigere, subjectively, the galling sense of need, and eager longing to satisfy it. (iii. 113.)

Agere · Facere · Gerere · Opus · Factum · Age · I nunc · Degere

1. Agere (ἄγειν) has an effect that exists in time only, like to do; facere, an effect that exists in space also, as to make. The acta are past as soon as the agens ceases, and remain invisible in the memory; the facta cannot properly be said to exist till the faciens ceases. Quintil. ii. 18. The agens is supposed to be in a state of activity of some kind; the faciens in a state of productive activity. 2. Agere means ‘to do’ something for one’s own interest; gerere (ἀγείρειν), for the interest of another, to execute a commission. Cic. Verr. i. 38. Quæ etiamsi voluntate Dolabellæ fiebant, per istum tamen omnia gerebantur. 3. Opus is the result of facere, as the work, ἔργον; factum is the result of agere, as the transaction; res gestæ are deeds [e.g. in war], πράξεις; acta are only political enactments. Cic. Att. xiv. 17. Multa de facto ac de re gesta; the former by the exertions of Amatius, the latter by his own wise and spirited animadversions through Dolabella. 4. Age, agedum, is an earnest exhortation, as ‘On, on!’ I nunc is an ironical exhortation, as ‘Go to!’ 5. Agere means to be active, and in the midst of business; degere, to live somewhere in a state of rest, in voluntary or involuntary inactivity. Tac. Ann. xv. 74. Deum honor principi non ante habetur, quam agere inter homines desierit, compared with iv. 54. Certus procul urbe degere. (v. 327.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.agōagēbamagamēgīēgeramēgerō
2nd sg.agisagēbāsagēsēgistīēgerāsēgeris
3rd sg.agitagēbatagetēgitēgeratēgerit
1st pl.agimusagēbāmusagēmusēgimusēgerāmusēgerimus
2nd pl.agitisagēbātisagētisēgistisēgerātisēgeritis
3rd pl.aguntagēbantagentēgērunt
ēgēre		ēgerantēgerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.agamageremēgerimēgissem
2nd sg.agāsagerēsēgerīsēgissēs
3rd sg.agatageretēgeritēgisset
1st pl.agāmusagerēmusēgerīmusēgissēmus
2nd pl.agātisagerētisēgerītisēgissētis
3rd pl.agantagerentēgerintēgissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.agoragēbaragar
2nd sg.ageris
agere		agēbāris
agēbāre		agēris
agēre
3rd sg.agituragēbāturagētur
1st pl.agimuragēbāmuragēmur
2nd pl.agiminīagēbāminīagēminī
3rd pl.agunturagēbanturagentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.agaragerer
2nd sg.agāris
agāre		agerēris
agerēre
3rd sg.agāturagerētur
1st pl.agāmuragerēmur
2nd pl.agāminīagerēminī
3rd pl.aganturagerentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.ageagere
pres. 2nd pl.agiteagiminī
fut. 2nd sg.agitōagitor
fut. 3rd sg.agitōagitor
fut. 2nd pl.agitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.aguntōaguntor
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveagereagī
perfect infinitiveēgisseāctum esse
future infinitiveāctūrum esseāctum īrī
present participleagēns
agente, agentem, agentēs, agentī, agentia, agentibus, agentis, agentīs, agentium		—
perfect participle—āctus
future participleāctūrus
āctūra, āctūrā, āctūrae, āctūram, āctūrārum, āctūrās, āctūre, āctūrī, āctūrīs, āctūrō, āctūrōrum, āctūrōs, āctūrum		agendus
agundus, agunda, agundā, agundae, agundam, agundārum, agundās, agunde, agundī, agundīs, agundō, agundōrum, agundōs, agundum
gerundagendī, agendō, agendumsupineāctum, āctū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

actus
an act.
agere
to be energetic in the conduct of the case; to plead before the judge.
quid agis?
how are you?
agmen agere
to set the army in motion.
animam agere
to be at one's last gasp.
gemmas agere
to bud, blossom.
pastum agere
to drive to pasture.
fabulam agere
to act a play (said of the actors).
52 more phrases
actum est de me
it's all over with me; I'm a lost man.
domus rimas agit
the house walls are beginning to crack.
populariter agere
to play the demagogue.
omnia modice agere
to be moderate in all things, commit no excess.
ioca et seria agere
to be now jesting, now in earnest.
populi causam agere
to be a leading spirit of the popular cause.
carmen, versum agere
to recite a poem, line with appropriate action.
praecipitem agi, ire
to be ruined, undone.
prae se agere hostem
to drive the enemy before one.
partes agere alicuius
to play the part of some one.
agere servum, lenonem
to act the rôle of a slave, pander.
negotia agere, gerere
to be occupied with business, busy.
quid agitur? quid fit?
what is going on? how are you getting on?
vitam solitariam agere
to live a lonely life.
censuram agere, gerere
to perform the censors' duties.
alias res or aliud agere
to be inattentive.
fundamenta iacere, agere
to lay the foundations.
agere cum aliquo de pace
to treat with some one about peace.
custodias agere in vallo
to keep watch on the rampart.
tertium decimum annum ago
I am in my thirteenth year.
nunc id quaeritur, agitur
the question now is...
ferre atque agere praedam
to carry off booty.

ăgo, ēgi, actum, 3, v. a. (axim = egerim, Pac. ap. Non. 505, 22; Paul. ex Fest. s. v. axitiosi, p. 3 Müll.;
I. axit = egerit, Paul. Diac. 3, 3; AGIER = agi, Cic. Off. 3, 15; agentūm = agentium, Vulc. Gall. Av. Cass. 4, 6) [cf. ἄγω; Sanscr. aǵ, aghāmi = to go, to drive; agmas = way, train = ὄγμος; agis = race, contest = ἀγών; perh. also Germ. jagen, to drive, to hunt], to put in motion, to move (syn.: agitare, pellere, urgere).
I. Lit.
A. Of cattle and other animals, to lead, drive.
a. Absol.: agas asellum, Seip. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 64, 258: jumenta agebat, Liv. 1, 48: capellas ago, Verg. E. 1, 13: Pars quia non veniant pecudes, sed agantur, ab actu etc., Ov. F. 1, 323: caballum, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 36.—
b. With acc. of place, prep., sup., or inf.: agere bovem Romam, Curt. 1, 45: equum in hostem, id. 7, 4: Germani in amnem aguntur, Tac. H. 5, 21: acto ad vallum equo, id. A. 2, 13: pecora per calles, Curt. 7, 11: per devia rura capellas, Ov. M. 1, 676: pecus pastum, Varr. L. L. 6, 41, p. 88 Müll.: capellas potum age, Verg. E. 9, 23: pecus egit altos Visere montes, Hor. C. 1, 2, 7.—
B. Of men, to drive, lead, conduct, impel.
a. Absol.: agmen agens equitum, Verg. A. 7, 804.—
b. With prep., abl., or inf.: vinctum ante se Thyum agebat, Nep. Dat. 3: agitur praeceps exercitus Lydorum in populos, Sil. 4, 720: (adulteram) maritus per omnem vicum verbere agit, Tac. G. 19; Suet. Calig. 27: captivos prae se agentes, Curt. 7, 6; Liv. 23, 1: acti ante suum quisque praedonem catenati, Quint. 8, 3, 69: captivos sub curribus agere, Mart. 8, 26: agimur auguriis quaerere exilia, Verg. A. 3, 5; and simple for comp.: multis milibus armatorum actis ex ea regione = coactis, Liv. 44, 31.— In prose: agi, to be led, to march, to go: quo multitudo omnis consternata agebatur, Liv. 10, 29: si citius agi vellet agmen, that the army would move, or march on quicker, id. 2, 58: raptim agmine acto, id. 6, 28; so id. 23, 36; 25, 9.—Trop.: egit sol hiemem sub terras, Verg. G. 4, 51: poëmata dulcia sunto Et quocumque volent animum auditoris agunto, lead the mind, Hor. A. P. 100. —Hence, poet.: se agere, to betake one's self, i. e. to go, to come (in Plaut. very freq.; also in Ter., Verg., etc.): quo agis te? where are you going? Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 294: unde agis te? id. Most. 1, 4, 28; so id. ib. 3, 1, 31; id. Mil. 3, 2, 49; id. Poen. 1, 2, 120; id. Pers. 4, 3, 13; id. Trin. 4, 3, 71: quo hinc te agis? where are you going, Ter. And. 4, 2, 25: Ecce gubernator sese Palinurus agebat, was moving along, Verg. A. 6, 337: Aeneas se matutinus agebat, id. ib. 8, 465: is enim se primus agebat, for he strode on in front, id. ib. 9, 696.—Also without se: Et tu, unde agis? Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 20: Quo agis? id. Pers. 2, 2, 34: Huc age, Tib. 2, 5, 2 (unless age is here to be taken with veni at the end of the line).—
C. To drive or carry off (animals or men), to steal, rob, plunder (usually abigere): Et redigunt actos in sua rura boves, Ov. F. 3, 64.—So esp. freq. of men or animals taken as booty in war, while ferre is used of portable things; hence, ferre et agere (as in Gr. ἄγειν καὶ φέρειν, Hom. Il. 5, 484; and reversed, φέρειν καὶ ἄγειν, in Hdt. and Xen.; cf.: rapiunt feruntque, Verg. A. 2, 374: rapere et auferre, Cic. Off. 1, 14), in gen., to rob, to plunder: res sociorum ferri agique vidit, Liv. 22, 3: ut ferri agique res suas viderunt, id. 38, 15; so id. 3, 37; so also: rapere agereque: ut ex alieno agro raperent agerentque, Liv. 22, 1, 2; but portari atque agi means to bear and carry, to bring together, in Caes. B. C. 2, 29 (as φέρειν καὶ ἄγειν in Plat. Phaedr. 279C,): ne pulcram praedam agat, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 3: urbes, agros vastare, praedas agere, Sall. J. 20, 8; 32, 3: pecoris et mancipiorum praedas, id. ib. 44, 5; so eccl. Lat.: agere praedas de aliquo, Vulg. Jud. 9, 16; ib. 1 Reg. 27, 8; cf. Gron. Obs. 3, 22, 633.—
D. To chase, pursue, press animals or men, to drive about or onwards in flight (for the usual agitare).
a. Of animals: apros, Verg. G. 3, 412: cervum, id. A. 7, 481; cf. id. ib. 4, 71: citos canes, Ov. H. 5, 20: feros tauros, Suet. Claud. 21.—
b. Of men: ceteros ruerem, agerem, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 21 (= prosequerer, premerem, Don.): ita perterritos egerunt, ut, etc., Caes. B. G. 4, 12: Demoleos cursu palantis Troas agebat, Verg. A. 5, 265; cf. id. ib. 1, 574: aliquem in exsilium, Liv. 25, 2; so Just. 2, 9, 6; 16, 4, 4; 17, 3, 17; 22, 1, 16 al.: aliquem in fugam, id. 16, 2, 3.—
E. Of inanimate or abstract objects, to move, impel, push forwards, advance, carry to or toward any point: quid si pater cuniculos agat ad aerarium? lead, make, Cic. Off. 3, 23, 90: egisse huc Alpheum vias, made its way, Verg. A. 3, 695: vix leni et tranquillo mari moles agi possunt, carry, build out, Curt. 4, 2, 8: cloacam maximam sub terram agendam, to be carried under ground, Liv. 1, 56; so often in the histt., esp. Cæs. and Livy, as t. t., of moving forwards the battering engines: celeriter vineis ad oppidum actis, pushed forwards, up, Caes. B. G. 2, 12 Herz.; so id. ib. 3, 21; 7, 17; id. B. C. 2, 1; Liv. 8, 16: accelerant acta pariter testudine Volsci, Verg. A. 9, 505 al.: fugere colles campique videntur, quos agimus praeter navem, i. e. praeter quos agimus navem, Lucr. 4, 391: in litus passim naves egerunt, drove the ships ashore, Liv. 22, 19: ratem in amnem, Ov. F. 1, 500: naves in advorsum amnem, Tac. H. 4, 22.— Poet.: agere navem, to steer or direct a ship, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 114; so, agere currum, to drive a chariot, Ov. M. 2, 62; 2, 388 al.—
F. To stir up, to throw out, excite, cause, bring forth (mostly poet.): scintillasque agere ac late differre favillam, to throw out sparks and scatter ashes far around, Lucr. 2, 675: spumas ore, Verg. G. 3, 203; so Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 66: piceum Flumen agit, Verg. A. 9, 814: qui vocem cubantes sensim excitant, eandemque cum egerunt, etc., when they have brought it forth, Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 251. —Hence, animam agere, to expel the breath of life, give up the ghost, expire: agens animam spumat, Lucr. 3, 493: anhelans vaga vadit, animam agens, Cat. 63, 31: nam et agere animam et efflare dicimus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 9, 19: Hortensius, cum has litteras scripsi, animam agebat, id. Fam. 8, 13, 2; so Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 13: eodem tempore et gestum et animam ageres, Cic. Rosc. Com. 8: Est tanti habere animam ut agam? Sen. Ep. 101, 12; and with a play upon words: semper agis causas et res agis, Attale, semper. Est, non est, quod agas, Attale, semper agis. Si res et causae desunt, agis, Attale, mulas; Attale, ne quod agas desit, agas animam, Mart. 1, 80.—
G. Of plants, to put forth or out, to shoot, extend: (salices) gemmas agunt, Varr. R. R. 1, 30: florem agere coeperit ficus, Col. R. R. 5, 10, 10: frondem agere, Plin. 18, 6, 8, § 45: se ad auras palmes agit, Verg. G. 2, 364: (platanum) radices trium et triginta cubitorum egisse, Varr. R. R. 1, 37, 15: per glebas sensim radicibus actis, Ov. M. 4, 254; so id. ib. 2, 583: robora suas radices in profundum agunt, Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 127.—Metaph.: vera gloria radices agit, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 43: pluma in cutem radices egerat imas, Ov. M. 2, 582.
II. Trop.
A. Spec., to guide, govern: Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur, Verg. A. 1, 574; cf. Forbig. ad h. 1., who considers it the only instance of this use, and compares a similar use of ἄγω; v. L. and S. s. v. II. 2.—
B. In gen., to move, impel, excite, urge to a thing, to prompt or induce to: si quis ad illa deus te agat, Hor. S. 2, 7, 24: una plăga ceteros ad certamen egit, Liv. 9, 41; 8, 7; 39, 15: quae te, germane, furentem Mens agit in facinus? Ov. M. 5, 14: totis mentibus acta, Sil. 10, 191: in furorem agere, Quint. 6, 1, 31: si Agricola in ipsam gloriam praeceps agebatur, Tac. Agr. 41: provinciam avaritia in bellum egerat, id. A. 14, 32.—
C. To drive, stir up, excite, agitate, rouse vehemently (cf. agito, II.): me amor fugat, agit, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 8: agunt eum praecipitem poenae civium Romanorum, Cic. Verr. 1, 3: perpetua naturalis bonitas, quae nullis casibus neque agitur neque minuitur, Nep. Att. 9, 1 Brem.: opportunitas, quae etiam mediocres viros spe praedae transvorsos agit, i. e. leads astray, Sall. J. 6, 3; 14, 20; so Sen. Ep. 8, 3.—To pursue with hostile intent, to persecute, disturb, vex, to attack, assail (for the usu. agitare; mostly poet.): reginam Alecto stimulis agit undique Bacchi, Verg. A. 7, 405: non res et agentia (i. e. agitantia, vexantia) verba Lycamben, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 25: acerba fata Romanos agunt, id. Epod 7, 17: diris agam vos, id. ib. 5, 89: quam deus ultor agebat, Ov. M. 14, 750: futurae mortis agor stimulis, Luc. 4, 517; cf. Matth. ad Cic. Mur. § 21.—
D. To drive at something, to pursue a course of action, i. e. to make something an object of action; either in the most general sense, like the Engl. do and the Gr. πράττειν, for every kind of mental or physical employment; or, in a more restricted sense, to exhibit in external action, to act or perform, to deliver or pronounce, etc., so that after the act is completed nothing remains permanent, e. g. a speech, dance, play, etc. (while facere, to make, ποιεῖν, denotes the production of an object which continues to exist after the act is completed; and gerere, the performance of the duties of an office or calling).—On these significations, v. Varr. 6, 6, 62, and 6, 7, 64, and 6, 8, 72.—For the more restricted signif. v. Quint. 2, 18, 1 sq.; cf. Manut. ad Cic. Fam. 7, 12; Hab. Syn. 426.
1. In the most gen. signif., to do, act, labor, in opp. to rest or idleness.
a. With the gen. objects, aliquid, nihil, plus, etc.: numquam se plus agere quam nihil cum ageret, Cic. Rep. 1, 17 (cf. with this, id. Off. 3, 1: numquam se minus otiosum esse quam cum otiosus esset): mihi, qui nihil agit, esse omnino non videtur. id. N. D. 2, 16, 46: post satietatem nihil (est) agendum, Cels. 1, 2.—Hence,
b. Without object: aliud agendi tempus, aliud quiescendi, Cic. N. D. 2, 53, 132; Juv. 16, 49: agendi tempora, Tac. H. 3, 40: industria in agendo, celeritas in conficiendo, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 10, 29.—
c. In colloquial lang., to do, to fare, get on: quid agis? what are you doing? M. Tulli, quid agis? Cic. Cat. 1, 11: Quid agis? What's your business? Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 9; also, How goes it with you? How are you? τι πράττεις, Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 20; Cic. Fam. 7, 11 al.; Hor. S. 1, 9, 4: vereor, quid agat, how he is, Cic. Att. 9, 17: ut sciatis, quid agam, Vulg. Ephes. 6, 21: prospere agit anima tua, fares well, ib. 3 Joan. 2: quid agitur? how goes it with you? how do you do? how are you? Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 17; 1, 5, 42; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 40: Quid intus agitur? is going on, Plaut. Cas. 5, 2, 20; id. Ps. 1, 5, 42 al.—
d. With nihil or non multum, to do, i. e. to effect, accomplish, achieve nothing, or not much (orig. belonging to colloquial lang., but in the class. per. even in oratorical and poet. style): nihil agit; collum obstringe homini, Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 29: nihil agis, you effect nothing, it is of no use, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 12: nihil agis, dolor! quamvis sis molestus, numquam te esse confitebor malum, Cic. Tusc. 2, 25, 61 Kühn.; Matius ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 10: cupis, inquit, abire; sed nihil agis; usque tenebo, Hor. S. 1, 9, 15: [nihil agis,] nihil assequeris, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 15 B. and K.: ubi blanditiis agitur nihil, Ov. M. 6, 685: egerit non multum, has not done much, Curt. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 29; cf. Ruhnk. ad Rutil. Lup. p. 120.—
e. In certain circumstances, to proceed, do, act, manage (mostly belonging to familiar style): Thr. Quid nunc agimus? Gn. Quin redimus, What shall we do now? Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 41: hei mihi! quid faciam? quid agam? what shall I do? how shall I act? id. Ad. 5, 3, 3: quid agam, habeo, id. And. 3, 2, 18 (= quid respondeam habeo, Don.) al.: sed ita quidam agebat, was so acting, Cic. Lig. 7, 21: a Burro minaciter actum, Burrus proceeded to threats, Tac. A. 13, 21.—
2. To pursue, do, perform, transact (the most usual signif. of this word; in all periods; syn.: facere, efficere, transigere, gerere, tractare, curare): cui quod agat institutumst nullo negotio id agit, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 254 Vahl.): ut quae egi, ago, axim, verruncent bene, Pac. ap. Non. 505, 23 (Trag. Rel. p. 114 Rib.): At nihil est, nisi, dum calet, hoc agitur, Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 92: Ut id agam, quod missus huc sum, id. Ps. 2, 2, 44: homines quae agunt vigilantes, agitantque, ea si cui in somno accidunt, minus mirum est, Att. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 22, 45: observabo quam rem agat, what he is going to do, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 114: Id quidem ago, That is what I am doing, Verg. E. 9, 37: res vera agitur, Juv. 4, 35: Jam tempus agires, Verg. A. 5, 638: utilis rebus agendis, Juv. 14, 72: grassator ferro agit rem, does the business with a dagger, id. 3, 305; 6, 659 (cf.: gladiis geritur res, Liv. 9, 41): nihil ego nunc de istac re ago, do nothing about that matter, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 8: postquam id actumst, after this is accomplished, id. Am. 1, 1, 72; so, sed quid actumst? id. Ps. 2, 4, 20: nihil aliud agebam nisi eum defenderem, Cic. Sull. 12: ne quid temere ac fortuitu, inconsiderate negligenterque agamus, id. Off. 1, 29: agamus quod instat, Verg. E. 9, 66: renuntiaverunt ei omnia, quae egerant, Vulg. Marc. 6, 30; ib. Act. 5, 35: suum negotium agere, to mind one's business, attend to one's own affairs, Cic. Off. 1, 9; id. de Or. 3, 55, 211; so, ut vestrum negotium agatis, Vulg. 1 Thess. 4, 11: neque satis Bruto constabat, quid agerent, Caes. B. G. 3, 14: postquam res in Africā gestas, quoque modo actae forent, fama divolgavit, Sall. J. 30, 1: sed tu delibera, utrum colloqui malis an per litteras agere quae cogitas, Nep. Con. 3, 8 al.—With the spec. idea of completing, finishing: jucundi acti labores, a proverb in Cic. Fin. 2, 32, 105.—
3. To pursue in one's mind, to drive at, to revolve, to be occupied with, think upon, have in view, aim at (cf. agito, II. E., volvo and voluto): nescio quid mens mea majus agit, Ov. H. 12, 212: hoc variis mens ipsa modis agit, Val. Fl. 3, 392: agere fratri proditionem, Tac. H. 2, 26: de intrandā Britanniā, id. Agr. 13.—
4. With a verbal subst., as a favorite circumlocution for the action indicated by the subst. (cf. in Gr. ἄγω with verbal subst.): rimas agere (sometimes ducere), to open in cracks, fissures, to crack, Cic. Att. 14, 9; Ov. M. 2, 211; Luc. 6, 728: vos qui regalis corporis custodias agitis, keep watch over, guard, Naev. ap. Non. 323, 1; so Liv. 5, 10: vigilias agere, Cic. Verr. 4, 43, 93; Nep. Thras. 4; Tac. H. 3, 76: excubias alicui, Ov. F. 3, 245: excubias, Tac. H. 4, 58: pervigilium, Suet. Vit. 10: stationem agere, to keep guard, Liv. 35, 29; Tac. H. 1, 28: triumphum agere, to triumph, Cic. Fam. 3, 10; Ov. M. 15, 757; Suet. Dom. 6: libera arbitria agere, to make free decisions, to decide arbitrarily, Liv. 24, 45; Curt. 6, 1, 19; 8, 1, 4: paenitentiam agere, to exercise repentance, to repent, Quint. 9, 3, 12; Petr. S. 132; Tac. Or. 15; Curt. 8, 6, 23; Plin. Ep. 7, 10; Vulg. Lev. 5, 5; ib. Matt. 3, 2; ib. Apoc. 2, 5: silentia agere, to maintain silence, Ov. M. 1, 349: pacem agere, Juv. 15, 163: crimen agere, to bring accusation, to accuse, Cic. Verr. 4, 22, 48: laborem agere, id. Fin. 2, 32: cursus agere, Ov. Am. 3, 6, 95: delectum agere, to make choice, to choose, Plin. 7, 29, 30, § 107; Quint. 10, 4, 5: experimenta agere, Liv. 9, 14; Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 18: mensuram, id. 15, 3, 4, § 14: curam agere, to care for, Ov. H. 15, 302; Quint. 8, prooem. 18: curam ejus egit, Vulg. Luc. 10, 34: oblivia agere, to forget, Ov. M. 12, 540: nugas agere, to trifle, Plaut. Cist. 2, 3, 29; id. As. 1, 1, 78, and often: officinas agere, to keep shop, Inscr. Orell. 4266.—So esp.: agere gratias (poet. grates; never in sing. gratiam), to give thanks, to thank; Gr. χάριν ἔχειν (habere gratiam is to be or feel grateful; Gr. χάριν εἰδέναι; and referre gratiam, to return a favor, requite; Gr. χάριν ἀποδιδόναι; cf. Bremi ad Nep. Them. 8, 7): diis gratias pro meritis agere, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 26: Haud male agit gratias, id. Aul. 4, 4, 31: Magnas vero agere gratias Thaïs mihi? Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 1: Dis magnas merito gratias habeo atque ago, id. Phorm. 5, 6, 80: Lentulo nostro egi per litteras tuo nomine gratias diligenter, Cic. Fam. 1, 10: immortales ago tibi gratias agamque dum vivam; nam relaturum me adfirmare non possum, id. ib. 10, 11, 1: maximas tibi omnes gratias agimus, C. Caesar; majores etiam habemus, id. Marcell. 11, 33: Trebatio magnas ago gratias, quod, etc., id. Fam. 11, 28, 8: renuntiate gratias regi me agere; referre gratiam aliam nunc non posse quam ut suadeam, ne, etc., Liv. 37, 37: grates tibi ago, summe Sol, vobisque, reliqui Caelites, * Cic. Rep. 6, 9: gaudet et invito grates agit inde parenti, Ov. M. 2, 152; so id. ib. 6, 435; 484; 10, 291; 681; 14, 596; Vulg. 2 Reg. 8, 10; ib. Matt. 15, 36 al.; and in connection with this, laudes agere: Jovis fratri laudes ago et grates gratiasque habeo, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 2: Dianae laudes gratesque agam, id. Mil. 2, 5, 2; so, diis immortalibus laudesque et grates egit, Liv. 26, 48: agi sibi gratias passus est, Tac. Agr. 42; so id. H. 2, 71; 4, 51; id. A. 13, 21; but oftener grates or gratis in Tac.: Tiberius egit gratīs benevolentiae patrum, A. 6, 2: agit grates, id. H. 3, 80; 4, 64; id. A. 2, 38; 2, 86; 3, 18; 3, 24; 4, 15 al.—
5. Of time, to pass, spend (very freq. and class.): Romulus in caelo cum dīs agit aevom, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 12, 28; so Pac. id. ib. 2, 21, 49, and Hor. S. 1, 5, 101: tempus, Tac. H. 4, 62; id. A. 3, 16: domi aetatem, Enn. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 6: aetatem in litteris, Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 3: senectutem, id. Sen. 3, 7; cf. id. ib. 17, 60: dies festos, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48; Tac. G. 17: otia secura, Verg. G. 3, 377; Ov. F. 1, 68; 4, 926: ruri agere vitam, Liv. 7, 39, and Tac. A. 15, 63: vitam in terris, Verg. G. 2, 538: tranquillam vitam agere, Vulg. 1 Tim. 2, 2: Hunc (diem) agerem si, Verg. A. 5, 51: ver magnus agebat Orbis, id. G. 2, 338: aestiva agere, to pass, be in, summer quarters, Liv. 27, 8; 27, 21; Curt. 5, 8, 24.—Pass.: menses jam tibi esse actos vides, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 2: mensis agitur hic septimus, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 34, and Ov. M. 7, 700: melior pars acta (est) diei, Verg. A. 9, 156; Juv. 4, 66; Tac. A. 15, 63: acta est per lacrimas nox, Ov. H. 12, 58 Ruhnk.: tunc principium anni agebatur, Liv. 3, 6: actis quindecim annis in regno, Just. 41, 5, 9: Nona aetas agitur, Juv. 13, 28 al.—With annus and an ordinal, to be of a certain age, to be so old: quartum annum ago et octogesimum, am eighty-four years old, Cic. Sen. 10, 32: Annum agens sextum decimum patrem amisit, Suet. Caes. 1.—Metaph.: sescentesimum et quadragesimum annum urbs nostra agebat, was in its 640th year, Tac. G. 37.— Hence also absol. (rare), to pass or spend time, to live, to be, to be somewhere: civitas laeta agere, was joyful, Sall. J. 55, 2: tum Marius apud primos agebat, id. ib. 101, 6: in Africa, quā procul a mari incultius agebatur, id. ib. 89, 7: apud illos homines, qui tum agebant, Tac. A. 3, 19: Thracia discors agebat, id. ib. 3, 38: Juxta Hermunduros Naristi agunt, Tac. G. 42: ultra jugum plurimae gentes agunt, id. ib. 43: Gallos trans Padum agentes, id. H. 3, 34: quibus (annis) exul Rhodi agit, id. A. 1, 4: agere inter homines desinere, id. ib. 15, 74: Vitellius non in ore volgi agere, was not in the sight of the people, id. H. 3, 36: ante aciem agere, id. G. 7; and: in armis agere, id. A. 14, 55 = versari.—
6. In the lang. of offerings, t. t., to despatch the victim, to kill, slay. In performing this rite, the sacrificer asked the priest, agone, shall I do it? and the latter answered, age or hoc age, do it: qui calido strictos tincturus sanguine cultros semper, Agone? rogat, nec nisi jussus agit, Ov. F. 1. 321 (cf. agonia and agonalia): a tergo Chaeream cervicem (Caligulae) gladio caesim graviter percussisse, praemissā voce, hoc age, Suet. Calig. 58; id. Galb. 20. —This call of the priest in act of solemn sacrifice, Hoc age, warned the assembled multitude to be quiet and give attention; hence hoc or id and sometimes haec or istuc agere was used for, to give attention to, to attend to, to mind, heed; and followed by ut or ne, to pursue a thing, have it in view, aim at, design, etc.; cf. Ruhnk. ad Ter. And. 1, 2, 15, and Suet. Calig. 58: hoc agite, Plaut. As. prol. init.: Hoc age, Hor. S. 2, 3, 152; id. Ep. 1, 6, 31: Hoc agite, of poetry, Juv. 7, 20: hoc agamus, Sen. Clem. 1, 12: haec agamus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 49: agere hoc possumus, Lucr. 1, 41; 4, 969; Juv. 7, 48: hoccine agis an non? hoc agam, id. ib., Ter. And. 1, 2, 15; 2, 5, 4: nunc istuc age, id. Heaut. 3, 2, 47; id. Phorm. 2, 3, 3 al.: Hoc egit civis Romanus ante te nemo, Cic. Lig. 4, 11: id et agunt et moliuntur, id. Mur. 38: (oculi, aures, etc.) quasi fenestrae sunt animi, quibus tamen sentire nihil queat mens, nisi id agat et adsit, id. Tusc. 1, 20, 46: qui id egerunt, ut gentem . . . collocarent, aimed at this, that, etc., id. Cat. 4, 6, 12: qui cum maxime fallunt, id agunt, ut viri boni esse videantur, keep it in view, that, id. Off. 1, 13, 41: idne agebas, ut tibi cum sceleratis, an ut cum bonis civibus conveniret? id. Lig. 6, 18: Hoc agit, ut doleas, Juv. 5, 157: Hoc age, ne mutata retrorsum te ferat aura, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 88: Quid tuus ille destrictus gladius agebat? have in view, mean, Cic. Leg. 3, 9: Quid aliud egimus nisi ut, quod hic potest, nos possemus? id. ib. 4, 10: Sin autem id actum est, ut homines postremi pecuniis alienis locupletarentur, id. Rosc. Am. 47, 137: certiorem eum fecit, id agi, ut pons dissolveretur, Nep. Them. 5, 1: ego id semper egi, ne bellis interessem, Cic. Fam. 4, 7.—Also, the opp.: alias res or aliud agere, not to attend to, heed, or observe, to pursue secondary or subordinate objects: Ch. Alias res agis. Pa. Istuc ago equidem, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 57; id. Hec. 5, 3, 28: usque eo animadverti eum jocari atque alias res agere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 22: atqui vides, quam alias res agamus, id. de Or. 3, 14, 51; id. Brut. 66, 233: aliud agens ac nihil ejusmodi cogitans, id. Clu. 64.—
7. In relation to public affairs, to conduct, manage, carry on, administer: agere bellum, to carry on or wage war (embracing the whole theory and practice of war, while bellum gerere designates the bodily and mental effort, and the bearing of the necessary burdens; and bellum facere, the actual outbreak of hostile feelings, v. Herz. ad Caes. B. G. 28): qui longe aliā ratione ac reliqui Galli bellum agere instituerunt, Caes. B. G. 3, 28: Antiochus si tam in agendo bello parere voluisset consiliis ejus (Hannibalis) quam in suscipiendo instituerat, etc., Nep. Hann. 8, 3; Curt. 4, 10, 29: aliena bella mercedibus agere, Mel. 1, 16: Bellaque non puero tractat agenda puer, Ov. A. A. 1, 182 (also in id. Tr. 2, 230, Gron. Observ. 2, 3, 227, for the usu. obit, with one MS., reads agit; so Merkel).—Poet.: Martem for bellum, Luc. 4, 2: agere proelium, to give battle (very rare): levibus proeliis cum Gallis actis, Liv. 22, 9.—Of offices, employments, etc., to conduct, exercise, administer, hold: forum agere, to hold court, Cic. Fam. 8, 6; and: conventus agere, to hold the assizes, Cic. Verr. 5, 11, 28; Caes. B. G. 1, 54; 6, 44; used of the governors of provinces: judicium agere, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 120: vivorum coetus agere, to make assemblies of, to assemble, Tac. A. 16, 34: censum agere, Liv. 3, 22; Tac. A. 14, 46; Suet. Aug. 27: recensum agere, id. Caes. 41: potestatem agere, Flor. 1, 7, 2: honorem agere, Liv. 8, 26: regnum, Flor. 1, 6, 2: rem publicam, Dig. 4, 6, 35, § 8: consulatum, Quint. 12, 1, 16: praefecturam, Suet. Tib. 6: centurionatum, Tac. A. 1, 44: senatum, Suet. Caes. 88: fiscum agere, to have charge of the treasury, id. Dom. 12: publicum agere, to collect the taxes, id. Vesp. 1: inquisitionem agere, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 18: curam alicujus rei agere, to have the management of, to manage, Liv. 6, 15; Suet. Claud. 18: rei publicae curationem agens, Liv. 4, 13: dilectum agere, to make a levy, to levy (postAug. for dilectum habere, Cic., Cæs., Sall.), Quint. 12, 3, 5; Tac. A. 2, 16; id. Agr. 7 and 10; id. H. 2, 16, 12; Suet. Calig. 43. —
8. Of civil and political transactions in the senate, the forum, before tribunals of justice, etc., to manage or transact, to do, to discuss, plead, speak, deliberate; constr. aliquid or de aliqua re: velim recordere, quae ego de te in senatu egerim, quae in contionibus dixerim, Cic. Fam. 5, 2; 1, 9: de condicionibus pacis, Liv. 8, 37: de summā re publica, Suet. Caes. 28: cum de Catilinae conjuratione ageretur in curiā, id. Aug. 94: de poenā alicujus, Liv. 5, 36: de agro plebis, id. 1, 46.—Hence the phrase: agere cum populo, of magistrates, to address the people in a public assembly, for the purpose of obtaining their approval or rejection of a thing (while agere ad populum signifies to propose, to bring before the people): cum populo agere est rogare quid populum, quod suffragiis suis aut jubeat aut vetet, Gell. 13, 15, 10: agere cum populo de re publicā, Cic. Verr. 1, 1, 12; id. Lael. 25, 96: neu quis de his postea ad senatum referat neve cum populo agat, Sall. C. 51, 43.—So also absol.: hic locus (rostra) ad agendum amplissimus, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 1: Metellus cum agere coepisset, tertio quoque verbo orationis suae me appellabat, id. Fam. 5, 2.—Transf. to common life.
a. Agere cum aliquo, de aliquo or re or ut, to treat, deal, negotiate, confer, talk with one about a person or thing; to endeavor to persuade or move one, that, etc.: nihil age tecum (sc. cum odore vini); ubi est ipsus (vini lepos)? I have nothing to do with you, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 11: Quae (patria) tecum, Catilina, sic agit, thus pleads, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 18: algae Inquisitores agerent cum remige nudo, Juv. 4, 49: haec inter se dubiis de rebus agebant, thus treated together, Verg. A. 11, 445: de quo et praesens tecum egi diligenter, et scripsi ad te accurate antea, Cic. Fam. 13, 75: egi cum Claudiā et cum vestrā sorore Muciā, ut eum ab illā injuriā deterrerent, id. ib. 5, 2: misi ad Metellum communes amicos, qui agerent cum eo, ut de illā mente desisteret, id. ib. 5, 2: Callias quidam egit cum Cimone, ut eam (Elpinicen) sibi uxorem daret, Nep. Cim. 1, 3.—Also absol.: Alcibiades praesente vulgo agere coepit, Nep. Alc. 8, 2: si qua Caesares obtinendae Armeniae egerant, Tac. A. 15, 14: ut Lucretius agere varie, rogando alternis suadendoque coepit, Liv. 2, 2.—In Suet. once agere cum senatu, with acc. and inf., to propose or state to the Senate: Tiberius egit cum senatu non debere talia praemia tribui, Suet. Tib. 54.—
b. With the advv. bene, praeclare, male, etc., to deal well or ill with one, to treat or use well or ill: facile est bene agere cum eis, etc., Cic. Phil. 14, 11: bene egissent Athenienses cum Miltiade, si, etc., Val. Max. 5, 3, 3 ext.; Vulg. Jud. 9, 16: praeclare cum aliquo agere, Cic. Sest. 23: Male agis mecum, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 21: qui cum creditoribus suis male agat, Cic. Quinct. 84; and: tu contra me male agis, Vulg. Jud. 11, 27.—Freq. in pass., to be or go well or ill with one, to be well or badly off: intelleget secum actum esse pessime, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 50: praeclare mecum actum puto, id. Fam. 9, 24; so id. ib. 5, 18: exstat cujusdam non inscitus jocus bene agi potuisse cum rebus humanis, si Domitius pater talem habuisset uxorem, it would have gone well with human affairs, been well for mankind, if, etc., Suet. Ner. 28.—Also absol. without cum: agitur praeclare, si nosmet ipsos regere possumus, it is well done if, etc., it is a splendid thing if, etc., Cic. Fam. 4, 14: vivitur cum eis, in quibus praeclare agitur si sunt simulacra virtutis, id. Off. 1, 15: bene agitur pro noxiā, Plaut. Mil. 5, 23.—
9. Of transactions before a court or tribunal.
a. Aliquid agere ex jure, ex syngraphā, ex sponso, or simply the abl. jure, lege, litibus, obsignatis tabellis, causā, to bring an action or suit, to manage a cause, to plead a case: ex jure civili et praetorio agere, Cic. Caecin. 12: tamquam ex syngraphā agere cum populo, to litigate, id. Mur. 17: ex sponso egit, id. Quint. 9: Ph. Una injuriast Tecum. Ch. Lege agito ergo, Go to law, then, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 90: agere lege in hereditatem, Cic. de Or. 1, 38, 175; Ov. F. 1, 48; Liv. 9, 46: cum illo se lege agere dicebat, Nep. Tim. 5: summo jure agere, to assert or claim one's right to the full extent of the law, Cic. Off. 1, 11: non enim gladiis mecum, sed litibus agetur, id. Q. Fr. 1, 4: causā quam vi agere malle, Tac. A. 13, 37: tabellis obsignatis agis mecum, Cic. Tusc. 5, 11, 33: Jure, ut opinor, agat, jure increpet inciletque, with right would bring her charge, Lucr. 3, 963; so, Castrensis jurisdictio plura manu agens, settles more cases by force, Tac. Agr. 9: ubi manu agitur, when the case is settled by violent hands, id. G. 36.—
b. Causam or rem agere, to try or plead a case; with apud, ad, or absol.: causam apud centumviros egit, Cic. Caecin. 24: Caesar cum ageret apud censores, Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 10; so with adversus: egi causam adversus magistratus, Vulg. 2 Esdr. 13, 11: orator agere dicitur causam, Varr. L. L. 6, 42: causam isto modo agere, Cic. Lig. 4, 10; Tac. Or. 5; 11; 14; Juv. 2, 51; 14, 132: agit causas liberales, Cic. Fam. 8, 9: qui ad rem agendam adsunt, M. Cael. ap. Quint. 11, 1, 51: cum (M. Tullius) et ipsam se rem agere diceret, Quint. 12, 10, 45: Gripe, accede huc; tua res agitur, is being tried, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 104; Quint. 8, 3, 13; and extra-judicially: rogo ad Caesarem meam causam agas, Cic. Fam. 5, 10: Una (factio) populi causam agebat, altera optimatum, Nep. Phoc. 3; so, agere, absol., to plead' ad judicem sic agi solet, Cic. Lig. 10: tam solute agere, tam leniter, id. Brut. 80: tu istuc nisi fingeres, sic ageres? id. ib. 80; Juv. 7, 143 and 144; 14, 32.—Transf. to common life; with de or acc., to discuss, treat, speak of: Sed estne hic ipsus, de quo agebam? of whom I was speaking, Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 53: causa non solum exponenda, sed etiam graviter copioseque agenda est, to be discussed, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 12; Cic. Verr. 1, 13, 37: Samnitium bella, quae agimus, are treating of, Liv. 10, 31.—Hence,
c. Agere aliquem reum, to proceed against one as accused, to accuse one, Liv. 4, 42; 24, 25; Tac. A. 14, 18: reus agitur, id. ib. 15, 20; 3, 13; and with the gen. of the crime, with which one is charged: agere furti, to accuse of theft, Cic. Fam. 7, 22: adulterii cum aliquo, Quint. 4, 4, 8: injuriarum, id. 3, 6, 19; and often in the Pandects.—
d. Pass. of the thing which is the subject of accusation, to be in suit or in question; it concerns or affects, is about, etc.: non nunc pecunia, sed illud agitur, quomodo, etc., Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 67: non capitis ei res agitur, sed pecuniae, the point in dispute, id. Phorm. 4, 3, 26: aguntur injuriae sociorum, agitur vis legum, agitur existimatio, veritasque judiciorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 51: si magna res, magna hereditas agetur, id. Fin. 2, 17: quā de re agitur, what the point of dispute or litigation is, id. Brut. 79.—Hence, trop.,
(a). Res agitur, the case is on trial, i. e. something is at stake or at hazard, in peril, or in danger: at nos, quarum res agitur, aliter auctores sumus, Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 72: quasi istic mea res minor agatur quam tua, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 113: agitur populi Romani gloria, agitur salus sociorum atque amicorum, aguntur certissima populi Romani vectigalia et maxima, aguntur bona multorum civium, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 2, 6: in quibus eorum aut caput agatur aut fama, id. Lael. 17, 61; Nep. Att. 15, 2: non libertas solum agebatur, Liv. 28, 19; Sen. Clem. 1, 20 al.: nam tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 84 (= in periculo versatur, Lambin.): agitur pars tertia mundi, is at stake, I am in danger of losing, Ov. M. 5, 372.—
(b). Res acta est, the case is over (and done for): acta haec res est; perii, this matter is ended, Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 3: hence, actum est de aliquo or aliquā re, it is all over with a person or thing: actum hodie est de me, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 63: jam de Servio actum, Liv. 1, 47: actum est de collo meo, Plaut. Trin. 3, 4, 194.—So also absol.: actumst; ilicet me infelicem, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 17: si animus hominem pepulit, actumst, id. Trin. 2, 2, 27; Ter. And. 3, 1, 7; Cic. Att. 5, 15: actumst, ilicet, peristi, Ter. Eun. 1, 1, 9: periimus; actumst, id. Heaut. 3, 3, 3.—
(g). Rem actam agere, to plead a case already finished, i. e. to act to no purpose: rem actam agis, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 27; id. Cist. 4, 2, 36; Liv. 28, 40; so, actum or acta agere: actum, aiunt, ne agas, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 72; Cic. Att. 9, 18: acta agimus, id. Am. 22.—
10. To represent by external action, to perform, pronounce, deliver, etc.
a. Of an orator, Cic. de Or. 1, 31, 142; cf. id. ib. 2, 19, 79: quae sic ab illo acta esse constabat oculis, voce, gestu, inimici ut lacrimas tenere non possent, id. ib. 3, 56, 214: agere fortius et audentius volo, Tac. Or. 18; 39.—
b. Of an actor, to represent, play, act: Ipse hanc acturust Juppiter comoediam, Plaut. Am. prol. 88; so, fabulam, Ter. Ad. prol. 12; id. Hec. prol. 22: dum haec agitur fabula, Plaut. Men. prol. 72 al.: partīs, to have a part in a play, Ter. Phorm. prol. 27: Ballionem illum cum agit, agit Chaeream, Cic. Rosc. Com. 7: gestum agere in scaenā, id. de Or. 2, 57: dicitur canticum egisse aliquanto magis vigente motu, Liv. 7, 2 al.—Transf. to other relations, to represent or personate one, to act the part of, to act as, behave like: has partes lenitatis semper egi, Cic. Mur. 3: egi illos omnes adulescentes, quos ille actitat, id. Fam. 2, 9: amicum imperatoris, Tac. H. 1, 30: exulem, id. A. 1, 4: socium magis imperii quam ministrum, id. H. 2, 83: senatorem, Tac. A. 16, 28.—So of things poetically: utrinque prora frontem agit, serves as a bow, Tac. G. 44.—
11. Se agere = se gerere, to carry one's self, to behave, deport one's self: tantā mobilitate sese Numidae agunt, Sall. J. 56, 5: quanto ferocius ante se egerint, Tac. H. 3, 2 Halm: qui se pro equitibus Romanis agerent, Suet. Claud. 25: non principem se, sed ministrum egit, id. ib. 29: neglegenter se et avare agere, Eutr. 6, 9: prudenter se agebat, Vulg. 1 Reg. 18, 5: sapienter se agebat, ib. 4 Reg. 18, 7. —Also absol.: seditiose, Tac. Agr. 7: facile justeque, id. ib. 9: superbe, id. H. 2, 27: ex aequo, id. ib. 4, 64: anxius et intentus agebat, id. Agr. 5.—
12. Imper.: age, agite, Ter., Tib., Lucr., Hor., Ov., never using agite, and Catull. never age, with which compare the Gr. ἄγε, ἄγετε (also accompanied by the particles dum, eia, en, ergo, igitur, jam, modo, nuncjam, porro, quare, quin, sane, vero, verum, and by sis); as an exclamation.
a. In encouragement, exhortation, come! come on! (old Engl. go to!) up! on! quick! (cf. I. B. fin.). (α In the sing.: age, adsta, mane, audi, Enn. ap. Delr. Synt. 1, 99: age i tu secundum, come, follow me! Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 1: age, perge, quaeso, id. Cist. 2, 3, 12: age, da veniam filio, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 14: age, age, nunc experiamur, id. ib. 5, 4, 23: age sis tu ... delude, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 89; id. Ep. 3, 4, 39; Cic. Tusc. 2, 18; id. Rosc. Am. 16: quanto ferocius ante se egerint, agedum eam solve cistulam, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 151; id. Capt. 3, 4, 39: Agedum vicissim dic, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 69; id. Eun. 4, 4, 27: agedum humanis concede, Lucr. 3, 962: age modo hodie sero, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 103: age nuncjam, id. And. 5, 2, 25: En age, quid cessas, Tib. 2, 2, 10: Quare age, Verg. A. 7, 429: Verum age, id. ib. 12, 832: Quin age, id. G. 4, 329: en, age, Rumpe moras, id. ib. 3, 43: eia age, id. A. 4, 569.—
(b). In the plur.: agite, pugni, up, fists, and at 'em! Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 146: agite bibite, id. Curc. 1, 1, 88; id. Stich. 1, 3, 68: agite in modum dicite, Cat. 61, 38: Quare agite ... conjungite, id. 64, 372; Verg. A. 1, 627: vos agite ... volvite, Val. Fl. 3, 311: agite nunc, divites, plorate, Vulg. Jac. 5, 1: agitedum, Liv. 3, 62.—Also age in the sing., with a verb in the plur. (cf. ἄγε τάμνετε, Hom. Od. 3, 332; ἄγε δὴ τραπείομεν, id. Il. 3, 441): age igitur, intro abite, Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 54: En agedum convertite, Prop. 1, 1, 21: mittite, agedum, legatos, Liv. 38, 47: Ite age, Stat. Th. 10, 33: Huc age adeste, Sil. 11, 169.—
b. In transitions in discourse, well then! well now! well! (esp. in Cic. Or. very freq.). So in Plaut. for resuming discourse that has been interrupted: age, tu interea huic somnium narra, Curc. 2, 2, 5: nunc age, res quoniam docui non posse creari, etc., well now, since I have taught, etc., Lucr. 1, 266: nunc age, quod superest, cognosce et clarius audi, id. 1, 920; so id. 1, 952; 2, 62; 333; 730; 3, 418; 4, 109 al.: age porro, tu, qui existimari te voluisti interpretem foederum, cur, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 22; so id. Rosc. Am. 16; id. Part. 12; id. Att. 8, 3.—And age (as in a.) with a verb in the plur.: age vero, ceteris in rebus qualis sit temperantia considerate, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 14; so id. Sull. 26; id. Mil. 21; id. Rosc. Am. 37.—
c. As a sign of assent, well! very well! good! right! Age, age, mansero, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 61: age, age, jam ducat; dabo, Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 57: Age, veniam, id. And. 4, 2, 30: age, sit ita factum, Cic. Mil. 19: age sane, Plaut. Ps. 5, 2, 27; Cic. Fin. 2, 35, 119.!*? Position.—Age, used with another verb in the imperative, regularly stands before it, but in poetry, for the sake of the metre, it,
I. Sometimes follows such verb; as,
a. In dactylic metre: Cede agedum, Prop. 5, 9, 54: Dic age, Verg. A. 6, 343; Hor. S. 2, 7, 92; Ov. F. 1, 149: Esto age, Pers. 2, 42: Fare age, Verg. A. 3, 362: Finge age, Ov. H. 7, 65: Redde age, Hor. S. 2, 8, 80: Surge age, Verg. A. 3, 169; 8, 59; 10, 241; Ov. H. 14, 73: Vade age, Verg. A. 3, 462; 4, 422; so, agite: Ite agite, Prop. 4, 3, 7.—
b. In other metres (very rarely): appropera age, Plaut. Cas. 2, 2, 38: dic age, Hor. C. 1, 32, 3; 2, 11, 22; 3, 4, 1.—So also in prose (very rarely): Mittite agedum, Liv. 38, 47: procedat agedum ad pugnam, id. 7, 9.—
II. It is often separated from such verb: age me huc adspice, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 118; id. Capt. 5, 2, 1: Age ... instiga, Ter. And. 4, 2, 10; 5, 6, 11: Quare agite ... conjungite, Cat. 64, 372: Huc age ... veni, Tib. 2, 5, 2: Ergo age cervici imponere nostrae, Verg. A. 2, 707: en age segnis Rumpe moras, id. G. 3, 42: age te procellae Crede, Hor. C. 3, 27, 62: Age jam ... condisce, id. ib. 4, 11, 31; id. S. 2, 7, 4.—Hence,
1. ăgens, entis, P. a.
A. Adj.
1. Efficient, effective, powerful (only in the rhet. lang. of Cic.): utendum est imaginibus agentibus, acribus, insignitis, Cic. de Or. 2, 87, 358: acre orator, incensus et agens, id. Brut. 92, 317.—Comp. and sup. not used.!*?
2. Agentia verba, in the grammarians, for verba activa, Gell. 18, 12.—
B. Subst.: ăgentes, ium.
a. Under the emperors, a kind of secret police (also called frumentarii and curiosi), Aur. Vict. Caes. 39 fin.; Dig. 1, 12; 1, 20; 21; 22; 23, etc.; Amm. 15, 3; 14, 11 al.—
b. For agrimensores, land-surveyors, Hyg. Lim. p. 179.—
2. actus, a, um, P. a. Lit., that has been transacted in the Senate, in the forum, before the courts of justice, etc.; hence,
A. actum, i, n., a public transaction in the Senate, before the people, or before a single magistrate: actum ejus, qui in re publicā cum imperio versatus sit, Cic. Phil. 1, 7: acta Caesaris servanda censeo, id. ib. 1, 7: acta tui praeclari tribunatūs, id. Dom. 31.—
B. acta publĭca, or absol.: acta, ōrum, n., the register of public acts, records, journal. Julius Cæsar, in his consulship, ordered that the doings of the Senate (diurna acta) should be made public, Suet. Caes. 20; cf. Ernest. Exc. 1; but Augustus again prohibited it, Suet. Aug. 36. Still the acts of the Senate were written down, and, under the succeeding emperors. certain senators were appointed to this office (actis vel commentariis Senatūs conficiendis), Tac. A. 5, 4. They had also public registers of the transactions of the assemblies of the people, and of the different courts of justice; also of births and deaths, marriages, divorces, etc., which were preserved as sources of future history.—Hence, diurna urbis acta, the city journal, Tac. A. 13, 31: acta populi, Suet. Caes. 20: acta publica, Tac. A. 12, 24; Suet. Tib. 8; Plin. Ep. 7, 33: urbana, id. ib. 9, 15; which were all comprehended under the gen. name acta.
1. With the time added: acta eorum temporum, Plin. 7, 13, 11, § 60: illius temporis, Ascon. Mil. 44, 16: ejus anni, Plin. 2, 56, 57, § 147.—
2. Absol., Cic. Fam. 12, 8; 22, 1; 28, 3; Sen. Ben. 2, 10; 3, 16; Suet. Calig. 8; Quint. 9, 3; Juv. 2, 136: Quis dabit historico, quantum daret acta legenti, i. e. to the actuarius, q. v., id. 7, 104; cf. Bähr's Röm. Lit. Gesch. 303.—
C. acta triumphōrum, the public record of triumphs, fuller than the Fasti triumphales, Plin. 37, 2, 6, § 12.—
D. acta fŏri (v. Inscr. Grut. 445, 10), the records,
a. Of strictly historical transactions, Amm. 22, 3, 4; Dig. 4, 6, 33, § 1.—
b. Of matters of private right, as wills, gifts, bonds (acta ad jus privatorum pertinentia, Dig. 49, 14, 45, § 4), Fragm. Vat. §§ 249, 266, 268, 317.—
E. acta mi-litarĭa, the daily records of the movements of a legion, Veg. R. R. 2, 19.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *agō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti, from the root *h₂eǵ- (“to drive”). Cognate with Old Irish aigid, Ancient Greek ἄγω (ágō, “to lead”), Old Norse aka (“move, drive”), Avestan 𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (azaⁱti), Sanskrit अजति (ájati, “to drive, propel, cast”).

Descendants
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  • Occitanagir
  • Englishact
  • Danishagere
  • Dutchageren
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  • Swedishagera

Quick answers

What does agō mean in Latin?
agō, a verb, means “to act, to behave; to do; to make (something that does not continue to exist after the maker stops)”.
What are the principal parts of agō?
agō, agere, ēgī, āctum (third conjugation).
How do you pronounce agō?
In classical Latin, [ˈa.ɡoː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈaː.ɡo].