I.v. dep. a., to lay waste, ravage, plunder, pillage (class.).
I. Prop.: “ut Ambiorigis fines depopularentur,” Caes. B. G. 6, 42 fin.; cf.: “ad fines depopulandos,” id. ib. 7, 64, 6; Hirt. B. G. 8, 24, 4; Liv. 10, 12 al.: “agros,” Caes. B. G. 2, 7, 3; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 36; Liv. 5, 4 fin. et saep.; cf.: “extrema agri Romani,” Liv. 4, 1: “eam regionem,” Caes. B. G. 6, 33, 2: “vicinam humum late,” Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 56 et saep.: “multas domos, plurimas urbes, omnia fana,” Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 11: “quos fidos nobis rebatur,” Tac. A. 13, 37.—
II. Transf., in gen., to waste, lay waste, dissipate, destroy, sweep away: quos impune depopulatur et dispoliatur dedecus, Afran. ap. Non. 480, 13: “Cerealia dona,” Ov. F. 1, 684: “hereditates,” Dig. 47, 4, 1: “in qua (sc. urbe) omne mortalium genus vis pestilentiae depopulabatur,” Tac. A. 16, 13: “aras,” Vulg. Osee, 10, 2.!*?
a. Active form dēpopulo , āre: agros audaces depopulant servi, Enn. ap. Non. 471, 19 (Trag. v. 3 Rib.): “macellum,” Caecil. ib. 18 (Com. v. 13 Rib.): “agros provinciamque, Auct. B. Hisp. 42, 6: greges,” Val. Fl. 6, 531.—
b. depopulor , ari, in pass. signif.: “communi latrocinio terra omnis depopulabitur,” Lact. Ira D. 16 fin.: “depopulata est regio,” Vulg. Joel, 1, 10. In class. lang. only in the Part. perf.: “depopulatis agris,” laid waste, Caes. B. G. 1, 11, 4: “depopulata Gallia,” id. ib. 7, 77, 14; “late depopulato agro,” Liv. 9, 36: “omnis ora maritima depopulata ab Achaeis erat, 37, 4: regiones,” id. 10, 15 et saep.; Justin. 42, 2; Plin. 2, 53, 54, § 140.