Lewis & Short

sĕquester, tris (orig. form sequester, tri. ante- and post-class., and in the poets), m. [sequor], jurid. t. t.,

  1. I. a depositary, trustee, into whose hands the thing contested was placed until the dispute was settled: sequester dicitur, apud quem plures eandem rem, de quă controversia est, deposuerunt, Dig. 50, 16, 110: nunc ut apud sequestrum vidulum posivimus, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 898 P.; Dig. 16, 3, 33: tu istunc hodie non feres, nisi das sequestrum aut arbitrum, Quoius haec res arbitratu fiat, Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 65: jam sequestri placebant, Petr. 14, 4: cum sequestro recte agetur depositi sequestrariā actione, Dig. 16, 3, 12; cf.: in sequestrum depositi actio competit; si tamen cum sequestro convenit, ut, etc., ib. 16, 3, 5.
    Subst.: sĕ-questrum, i (rarely sĕquestre, is), n., the deposit of a subject of dispute with a third person: vitulum hic apponite: ego servabo quasi sequestro detis: neutri reddibo, donicum res judicata erit haec, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 692 P.: sequestro data, id. Merc. 4, 3, 36: sequestro ponere: quod apud sequestrem depositum erat, sequestro positum per adverbium dicebant, Gell. 20, 11, 5: aut ad arbitrum redditur aut sequestro ponitur, Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 79; and in later jurid. Lat.: in sequestro deponere (aliquid), to put in sequestration, Dig. 16, 3, 6.
    Form sequestre: pecuniam sequestre ponere, Dig. 16, 3, 33: in sequestri deponere, Ps.-Ascon. ad Cic. Verr. 1, 12.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. In cases of bribery of judges, electors, etc., an agent or go-between, with whom the money promised was deposited (so always in Cic.; cf. internuntius): aut sequestres aut interpretes corrumpendi judicii, Cic. Verr. 1, 12, 36; so (with interpres) id. ib. 2, 2, 44, § 108; Quint. 12, 8, 4: venditor et corruptor et sequester, Cic. Planc. 16, 38; 19, 48: aliquo sequestre in indice corrumpendo uti, id. Clu. 8, 25; 26, 72: adulter, impudicus, sequester, convicium est, non accusatio, id. Cael. 13, 30: candidatus per sequestrem agit, Sen. Ep. 118, 3: gregarii, Amm. 15, 5, 31.
    2. B. After the Aug. period, a mediator.
      1. 1. Lit.: Menenius Agrippa, qui inter patres et plebem publicae gratiae sequester fuit, Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 12, 4: pacis, Sil. 6, 347; Luc. 10, 472: ego sequester et medius fui, Vulg. Deut. 5, 5.
        In this sense also a fem. form, sĕquestra, ae, a mediatress: ubi nunc fidei pacisque sequestra Mater eras? Stat. Th. 7, 542: anus quaedam stupri sequestra et adulterorum internuntia, App. M. 9, p. 224, 1; and, in apposition: bis senos pepigere dies et pace sequestrā Per silvas Teucri mixtique impune Latini Erravere jugis, i. e. under the protection of the truce, Verg. A. 11, 133; so, pace sequestrā, Stat. Th. 2, 425.
      2. * 2. Trop., a means of negotiating, i. e. price, etc.: qui suam pudicitiam sequestrem perjurii fieri passi sunt, Val. Max. 9, 1, 7.