Lewis & Short

as-sĕquor (ads-, Fleck., B. and K., Halm), sĕcūtus (or sĕquutus; v. sequor), 3, v. dep., to follow one in order to come up to him, to pursue.

  1. I.
    1. A. In gen. (only ante-class. in the two foll. exs.): ne sequere, adsequere, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Varr. L. L. 6, § 73 Müll.: Adsequere, retine, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 89.
      Far more freq.,
    2. B. Esp., to reach one by pursuing him: sequendo pervenire ad aliquem: nec quicquam sequi, quod adsequi non queas, Cic. Off. 1, 31, 110.
      Hence, to overtake, come up with a person or thing (with the idea of active exertion; while consequi designates merely a coming up with, a meeting with a desired object, the attainment of a wish; cf. Doed. Syn. III. p. 147 sq. According to gen. usage, adsequor is found only in prose; but consequor is freq. found in the poets): si es Romae jam me adsequi non potes, sin es in viā, cum eris me adsecutus, coram agemus, Cic. Att. 3, 5; poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 39, 94: Pisonem nuntius adsequitur, Tac. A. 2, 75.
      In the histt. also absol.: ut si viā rectā vestigia sequentes īssent, haud dubie adsecuturi fuerint, Liv. 28, 16: in Bruttios raptim, ne Gracchus adsequeretur, concessit, id. 24, 20: nondum adsecutā parte suorum, arrived, id. 33, 8; Tac. H. 3, 60.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To gain, obtain, procure: eosdem honorum gradus adsecuti, Cic. Planc. 25, 60: immortalitatem, id. ib. 37, 90: omnes magistratus sine repulsā, id. Pis. 1, 2; so Sall. J. 4, 4: regnum, Curt. 4, 6 al.: nihil quicquam egregium, Cic. de Or. 1, 30, 134; id. Verr. 2, 1, 57: quā in re nihil aliud adsequeris, nisi ut, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 34, 96: adsecutas virtute, ne, etc., Just. 2, 4.
    2. B. To attain to one in any quality, i. e. to come up to, to equal, match; more freq. in regard to the quality itself, to attain to: Sisenna Clitarchum velle imitari videtur: quem si adsequi posset, aliquantum ab optimo tamen abesset, Cic. Leg. 1, 2 fin.: benevolentiam tuam erga me imitabor, merita non adsequar, id. Fam. 6, 4 fin.; so id. ib. 1, 4 fin.: qui illorum prudentiam, non dicam adsequi, sed quanta fuerit perspicere possint, id. Har. Resp. 9, 18: ingenium alicujus aliquā ex parte, Plin. Ep. 4, 8, 5: ut longitudo aut plenitudo harum multitudinem alterius adsequatur et exaequet, Auct. ad Her. 4, 20.
  3. III. Transf. to mental objects, to attain to by an effort of the under standing, to comprehend, understand: ut essent, qui cogitationem adsequi possent et voluntatem interpretari, Cic. Inv. 2, 47, 139: quibus (ratione et intellegentiā) utimur ad eam rem, ut apertis obscura adsequamur, id. N. D. 3, 15, 38: ut scribas ad me, quid ipse conjecturā adsequare, id. Att. 7, 13 A fin.: Quis tot ludibria fortunae … aut animo adsequi queat aut oratione complecti? Curt. 4, 16, 10; Sex. Caecil. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 5: quid istuc sit, videor ferme adsequi, Gell. 3, 1, 3: visum est et mihi adsecuto omnia a principio diligenter ex ordine tibi scribere, Vulg. Luc. 1, 3: adsecutus es meam doctrinam, ib. 2 Tim. 3, 10; ib. 1 Tim. 4, 6.
    Note: Pass. acc. to Prisc. p. 791 P., but without an example; in Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 73 fin., instead of the earlier reading, it is better to read, ut haec diligentia nihil eorum investigare, nihil adsequi potuerit; cf. Zumpt ad h. l., and Gronov. Observ. 1, 12, 107; so also B. and K.