Lewis & Short

per-sĕquor, cūtus and quūtus, 3, v. dep. a. and n. (act. collat. form of the imperat. persece for perseque, Poët. ap. Cic. Att. 13, 23 fin.).

  1. I. Act., to follow perseveringly, to follow after, continue to follow, pursue.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. In gen.: ille servolum Jubet illum persequi, Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 35; 4, 2, 30: si vis persequi vestigiis, id. Men. 4, 1, 9: certum est persequi, Ter. Phorm. 3, 3, 18: me in Asiam persequens, id. And. 5, 4, 32: (persequens dicit perseverationem sequentis ostendens. Persequitur enim qui non desinit sequi, Don. ad h. l.): aliquem, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 91: exercitum, id. Phil. 3, 3, 7: cursim, Petr. 6: Hortensium ipsius vestigiis, Cic. Brut. 90, 307: quā, aut terrā aut mari, persequar eum, qui, etc., id. Att. 7, 22, 2: vestigia alicujus, id. de Or. 1, 23, 105; Verg. A. 9, 218: hanc persecuta mater orare incipit, Phaedr. 1, 28, 5.
        With inf. (poet.): atqui non ego te tigris ut aspera … frangere persequor, Hor. C. 1, 23, 10.
      2. 2. In partic.
        1. a. To follow after, press upon, chase, pursue: fugientes usque ad flumen persequuntur, Caes. B. G. 7, 67: bello, id. ib. 1, 14: deterrere hostes a persequendo, Sall. J. 50, 6: feras, Ov. H. 9, 34: beluas, Curt. 8, 14, 26.
        2. b. To go through a place in pursuit of any thing, to search through: omnes solitudines, Cic. Pis. 22, 53.
    2. B. Transf., to follow up, come up with, overtake: quo ego te ne persequi quidem possem triginta diebus, Cic. Fam. 3, 6, 3; id. Div. 2, 72, 149: mors et fugacem persequitur virum, Hor. C. 3, 2, 14.
    3. C. Trop.
      1. 1. In gen., to follow perseveringly, to pursue any thing: omnes vias persequar, Cic. Fam. 4, 13, 6: viam, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 4: eas artes, Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 72.
      2. 2. In partic.
        1. a. With the accessory notion of striving after, to pursue, hunt after, seek to obtain, strive after, = appetere, affectare: quis est, qui utilia non studiosissime persequatur? Cic. Off. 3, 28, 101: ego mihi alios deos penates persequar, Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 7: Pl. Tene priusquam hinc abeo savium. Ph. Si quidem mi hercle regnum detur, numquam id potius persequar, id. Curc. 1, 3, 55: hereditates, Ter. And. 4, 5, 20: hereditates aut syngraphas, Cic. Leg. 3, 8, 18: cujusquemodi voluptates, id. Fin. 2, 7, 22: ego meum jus persequar, I will pursue or assert my right, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 9; Cic. Caecin. 3, 8: persequendi juris sui potestas, id. Div. in Caecil. 6, 21: bona tua repetere ac persequi lite atque judicio, id. Verr. 2, 3, 13, § 32: possumus rem nostram persequi, id. Quint. 13, 45 fin.: cum tribunus plebis poenas a seditioso cive per bonos viros judicio persequi vellet, sought to obtain, id. Fam. 1, 9, 15.
          1. (β) With inf., to hasten, be eager (rare): nec scimus quam in partem ingredi persequamur, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 4.
        2. b. To follow, be a follower of; to imitate, copy after a person or thing as a guide or pattern: si vero Academiam veterem persequamur, Cic. Ac. 1, 2, 7: sectam et instituta alicujus, id. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183: ego neglectā barbarorum inscitiā te persequar, id. Fam. 9, 3, 2; id. Ac. 2, 23, 74: ut, quae maxime excellant in eo, quem imitabitur, ea diligentissime persequatur, id. de Or. 2, 22, 90.
        3. c. To pursue, proceed against, prosecute; to revenge, avenge, take vengeance upon a person or thing: aliquem bello, Caes. B. G. 5, 1: aliquem judicio, Cic. Fl. 20, 47: alicujus injurias ulcisci ac persequi, id. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 9; so, injuriam, id. Mur. 21, 44; Sall. J. 14, 23; cf. Kritz ad Sall. C. 9, 5: mortem alicujus, Cic. Fam. 9, 3, 2: de persequendis inimicitiis, Caes. B. C. 3, 83 fin.: Trebonii mortem, Cic. Phil. 13, 18, 39; Caes. B. G. 7, 38; Liv. 40, 11 fin.: adulterium, Sen. Contr. 3, 20.
        4. d. To persecute for religious belief or practice (eccl. Lat.), Tert. ad Scap. 5; Vulg. Johan. 15, 20; id. Act. 7, 52; id. Rom. 12, 14 et saep.
        5. e. To follow in writing, to take down, minute down: celeritate scribendi, quae dicerentur persequi, Cic. Sull. 14, 42: multa diserte dixit, quae notarius persequi non potuit, Sen. Apoc. 9, 2.
        6. f. To follow up with action, to follow out, perform, execute, bring about, do, accomplish, etc.: hoc, ut dico, factis persequar, Plaut. Merc. 3, 2, 11: erus quod imperavit persequi, id. Am. 2, 1, 40: imperium patris, id. Stich. 1, 2, 84 sq.: ex usu quod est, id persequar, Ter. Hec. 4, 3, 10: mandata, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 14, 3: si idem extrema persequitur qui inchoavit, id. Prov. Cons. 8, 19: vitam inopem et vagam, to lead, id. Phil. 12, 7, 15.
          Absol.: sed tamen ibo et persequar, will go and obey, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 64.
          1. (β) In partic., to follow out in speech or writing, to set forth, treat of, relate, recount, describe, explain, etc.: aliquid voce, Cic. Planc. 23, 56: dum rationes Persequor, set forth, treat of, discuss the reasons, Lucr. 5, 56: quae versibus persecutus est Ennius, Cic. Sen. 6, 16: philosophiam Latinis litteris, id. Ac. 1, 3, 12: aliquid scripturā, id. Fam. 15, 21, 4: obscenas voluptates, id. N. D. 1, 40, 111: res Hannibalis, id. Div. 1, 24, 49: has res in eo libro, id. Off. 2, 24, 87: quae persequerer, si commemorare possem sine dolore, id. Fam. 5, 13, 3: da te in sermonem et persece Et confice, etc., Poët. ap. Cic. Att. 13, 23, 3.
  2. * II. Neutr., to follow or come after: exacta vindemia gramine persecuto, when the grass has grown again, Pall. 3, 26, 5.
    Note: In a pass. signif. (post-class.): illa se in mare praecipitavit, ne persequeretur, Hyg. Fab. 198 dub.
    Hence, persĕquens, entis, P. a., used as subst.
    1. * A. A pursuer, practiser: flagitii, Plaut. Cas. 2, 1, 13.
    2. * B. A revenger, avenger: inimicitiarum persequentissimus, Auct. Her. 2, 19, 29.