Lewis & Short

ex-sĕquor or exĕquor, cūtus, 3, v. dep. a., to follow to the end, to pursue, follow.

  1. I. In partic., to follow or accompany to the grave (cf. the deriv. exsequiae): funus, Massur. Sabin. ap. Gell. 10, 16, 25: aliquem omni laude et laetitia, Cic. poëta in Tusc. 1, 48, 115 (a transl. of ἐκπέμπειν, in Eurip.).
  2. II. Trop. (class.; most freq. in the special significations).
    1. A. In gen., to follow, follow after, accompany; to go after, to pursue: quae exanimata exsequitur aspectum tuum, Plaut. Ep. 4, 2, 3: quid petam praesidi aut exsequar? Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 112 ed. Vahl.): non igitur dubium, quin aeternitatem maluerit exsequi, etc., to follow after, take pattern after, Cic. Univ. 2 fin.: cur non omnes fatum illius (Pompei) una exsecuti sumus? followed, pursued, subjected ourselves to, id. Att. 9, 12, 1; cf. id. Phil. 2, 22, 54: sectam meam exsecutae comites, joined, Cat. 63, 15: suam quisque spem, sua consilia, communibus deploratis, exsequentes, Liv. 5, 40, 5: aerumnam, qs. to pursue, i. e. to undergo, suffer, endure, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 1: egestatem, id. Trin. 3, 2, 60: mortem, id. Ps. 4, 2, 38: probrum, id. Truc. 2, 5, 8.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To follow up, prosecute, carry out; to perform, execute, accomplish, fulfil (syn.: conficio, perficio, perago, consummo, patro, perpetro, absolvo): nullam rem oportet dolose aggrediri, nisi Astute accurateque exsequare, Plaut. Truc. 2, 5, 10; cf.: est difficile id non exsequi usque ad extremum, Cic. Rab. Post. 2, 5: inceptum hoc itiner perficere exsequar, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 72 and 88: incepta, Liv. 30, 4, 10: imperium, Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 22: mandata vestra, Cic. Phil. 9, 4, 9: omnia regis officia et munera, id. de Sen. 10, 34; cf.: munus officii (with tueri), id. ib. 20, 72: munus (with fungi), id. Tusc. 3, 7, 15: negotia, id. Off. 1, 23, 79: obsidiones, Tac. A. 15, 4: scelus, Curt. 8, 6: sermonem cum aliquo, to converse, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 5: cum civitas armis jus suum exsequi conaretur, to assert, maintain, * Caes. B. G. 1, 4, 3: comptam et mitem orationem, Cic. de Sen. 9, 28.
        With a rel.-clause: quem locum ipse capturus esset, cogitando aut quaerendo exsequebatur, Liv. 35, 28, 4: summa omnia cum cura inquirendo exequebatur, id. 22. 3, 2.
        With ut: mihi Exsequi certa res est, ut abeam Potius hinc ad forum, quam domi cubem, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 17.
      2. 2. To go through with in speaking, to relate, describe, say, tell (freq. since the Aug. period): quae vix verbis exsequi possum, Cic. Fam. 11, 27, 6: quidam exsecuti sunt verbosius, Quint. 5, 12, 15: si omnia exsequi velim, Liv. 27, 27, 12: haec omnia copiosius, Quint. 9, 3, 89: quae diligentius, id. 10, 4, 6: quae divine in Oratore (Tullius), id. 1, 6, 18: caelestia dona aërii mellis, Verg. G. 4, 2; cf.: laudes brassicae, Plin. 20, 9, 33, § 78: numerum subtiliter, Liv. 3, 5, 13: sententias, Tac. A. 3, 65: vetera facunde, id. ib. 12, 58: vera, id. ib. 11, 21: imagines et elogia universi generis, Suet. Galb. 3 et saep.
      3. 3. To pursue with punishment, to punish, avenge (perh. not ante-Aug.): omnia scire, non omnia exsequi, Tac. Agr. 19: deorum hominumque violata jura, Liv. 3, 25, 8: injurias accusationibus, Plin. Ep. 3, 4, 5: delicta, Suet. Caes. 67: doloris exsequendi jus, Liv. 5, 11, 5: justum dolorem, Dig. 29, 5, 33.
        Absol.: pater caedetur? defendam: caesus est? exsequar, Sen. de Ira, 1, 12; Dig. 34, 9, 22.
        Once with a pers. object: me L. Tarquinium Superbum cum scelerata coniuge, etc., ferro, igni exsecuturum, to pursue, Liv. 1, 59, 1 (MSS.; Weissenb. et al. exacturum).
        Hence, exsĕ-quens (exeq-), entis, P. a. (acc. to II.), searching after, studious of: memoriarum veterum exsequentissimus, Gell. 10, 12, 9.
        Note: exsequi as pass.: quaerebatur an prioris judicis sententia exsequi possit, could be carried out (cf. II. B. supra), Dig. 2, 1, 19.
        Hence, exsĕcūtus (exec-), a, um, in pass. signif.: exsecuto regis imperio, executed, Just. 7, 3, 2.