I.unwarlike, unfit for war; peaceful, fond of peace (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf.: imbecillis, debilis).
I. Of living beings: “ut imbelles timidique videamur,” Cic. Off. 1, 24, 83: “ignavi et imbelles,” Liv. 26, 2, 11: “timidi et imbelles,” Quint. 12, 5, 2: ipse acer, bellicosus; “at is, quem petebat, quietus, imbellis, placido ingenio, etc.,” Sall. J. 20, 2: “strenui et imbelles inulti obtruncari,” id. ib. 67, 2: “pro viro forti contra imbellem,” Quint. 3, 7, 19: turba (i. e. non-combatants, women and children), Liv. 32, 13, 14; cf.: “feminae puerique et alia imbellis turba,” id. 38, 21, 14: “imbellis et pastoralis manus,” Vell. 1, 8, 5: “caesorum major numerus et imbellior,” Tac. H. 4, 33: “juventa,” Hor. C. 3, 2, 15: “cervi,” Verg. G. 3, 265; cf. “columba,” Hor. C. 4, 4, 31: “dei,” i. e. Venus and Amor, Ov. Am. 1, 10, 20: “maxime Caesar, qui nunc victor ... Inbellem avertis Romanis arcibus Indum,” i. e. deprived of warlike spirit by defeat, Verg. G. 2, 172.—
II. Of inanim. and abstr. things: itaque videas rebus injustis justos maxime dolere, imbellibus fortes, Cic. Lael. 13, 47: “sic fatus senior, telumque imbelle sine ictu Conjecit,” weak, powerless, Verg. A. 2, 544; cf. “lacerti,” Ov. M. 13, 109: “Tarentum,” peaceful, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 45: “Asia,” Liv. 9, 19, 10: “nec rem Romanam tam desidem umquam fuisse atque imbellem,” id. 21, 16, 3: “cithara,” Hor. C. 1, 15, 15; cf. “lyra,” id. ib. 1, 6, 10: “plectrum,” Ov. M. 5, 114: “carmen,” Stat. Th. 10, 874: “oliva,” Val. Fl. 5, 362: “fretum,” calm, tranquil, Stat. S. 3, 5, 84; cf. id. Th. 3, 255. —Of time: “tamen ne prorsus inbellem agerent annum,” Liv. 10, 1, 4 (cf.: “ferme bellis otium fuit, § 1): triennium,” id. 4, 20, 9: “permultos annos imbelles agere,” id. 9, 45, 10.