prō-sĕquor, cūtus (quūtus), 3, v. dep. a., to follow (in a friendly or hostile manner), to accompany, attend; to follow after, pursue (class.; cf.: comitor, stipo).
- I. Lit.: novum maritum volo rus prosequi, Plaut. Cas. 4, 2, 3: eum milites electi circiter CXX. sunt prosecuti, Caes. B. C. 3, 91: Dianam ture odoribusque incensis prosecutae sunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 35, § 77; id. Att. 6, 3, 6: unum omnes illum prosequebantur, Nep. Alc. 6, 3: aliquem in domum, Gell. 18, 1, 16: exsequias, to attend a funeral, Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 14; so, defunctum in conditorium, Petr. 111; cf.: Bassus noster videtur mihi prosequi se, to attend his own funeral, Sen. Ep. 30, 5: lacrimis ad saevas prosequor usque fores, Ov. Am. 1, 4, 62; Cic. Planc. 10, 26: Aeneas Prosequitur lacrimans longe, Verg. A. 6, 476; 12, 72.
In a hostile sense, to follow after, pursue: fugientes prosequi, Caes. B. C. 2, 41: hostem, id. ib. 2, 8: novissimos multa millia passuum prosecuti, id. B. G. 2, 11; 5, 9: iste iratus hominem verbis vehementioribus prosequitur, i. e. assailed, attacked, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 29, § 73: aliquem contumeliosis vocibus, Caes. B. C. 1, 69: speculatores, qui prosequerentur agmen, missi, Liv. 27, 15; 30, 29: armati qui eos prosequebantur, Curt. 3, 13, 9: aliquem lapidibus, Petr. 90.
Of animals: eādem cane anxie prosequente, Just. 1, 4, 11; Sil. 4, 615.
With abl., of following with the eyes: oculis abeuntem prosequor udis, Ov. H. 12, 55; 5, 55: aliquos visu, Stat. Th. 5, 483.
- B. Transf., of inanim. and abstr. subjects, to follow, pursue; to accompany, attend: prosequitur surgens a puppi ventus euntes, Verg. A. 3, 130: naves mitterent quae se prosequerentur, Liv. 30, 25; cf. exercitus, id. 7, 33; Curt. 3, 3, 24: datae duae triremes ad prosequendum, Tac. H. 2, 9: Cattos suos saltus Hercynius prosequitur simul atque deponit, goes as far as their territory extends, and then ceases, id. G. 30: eadem (existimatio Quintum) usque ad rogum prosequatur, Cic. Quint. 31, 99; cf.: (amici) mortui vivunt: tantus eos honos prosequitur amicorum, id. Lael. 7, 23.
- II. Trop.
- A. To honor, adorn, or present one with a thing, to bestow any thing upon one; constr. with abl., rarely with cum and abl.: benevolentiā, aut misericordiā prosequi aliquem, Cic. Brut. 1, 4: aliquem honorificis verbis, id. Tusc. 2, 25, 61: virtutem alicujus gratā memoriā, id. Phil. 14, 11, 30: nomen alicujus grato animo, id. ib. 4, 1, 3: memoriam cujuspiam clamore et plausu, id. ib. 10, 4, 8: aliquem laudibus, Liv. 9, 8: aliquem beneficiis ac liberalitate, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41, § 94: cum me in illo tristi et acerbo luctu atque discessu non lacrimis solum tuis, sed animo, corpore, copiis prosecutus esses, id. Planc. 30, 73; cf.: reliquum est ut tuam profectionem amore prosequar, reditum spe exspectem, id. Fam. 15, 21, 5: delictum veniā, Tac. A. 13, 35: Maximum libenter apud te testimonio prosequar, Plin. Ep. 10, 85 (17): prosecuti cum donis legatos sunt, Liv. 39, 55, 4: decedentem domum cum favore ac laudibus prosecuti sunt, id. 2, 31, 11: Senatus gratias egit Caesari, quod et ipse cum summo honore mentionem ejus prosecutus esset, Plin. Ep. 8, 6, 5; cf.: aliquem uberrimo congiario, Suet. Caes. 27: milites, id. Aug. 49.
- B. To pursue, continue, follow up, to go on or proceed with an idea or theme: si (rem) non ad extremum, sed usque eo, quo opus erit, prosequemur, Auct. Her. 1, 9, 14: non prosequar longius, Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 83: illius vero mortis opportunitatem benevolentiā prosequamur, id. Brut. 1, 4: pascua versu, to describe at length, Verg. G. 3, 340: stilo munificentiae rationem, Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 8: ut latius, quae cujusque adfectus natura sit, prosequamur, Quint. 5, 8, 2; 2, 6, 1: uno libello carissimam mihi memoriam prosequi, Plin. Ep. 3, 10, 3: ex ordine domesticos motus, to pursue, go through with, describe in order, Flor 3, 12, 14: similitudinem, to follow up, Sen. Ep. 13, 3.
Absol., to proceed with one’s speaking (poet.): prosequitur pavitans, et ficto pectore fatur, Verg. A. 2, 107.