Lewis & Short

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pĕdester, tris, tre (masc. pedestris, Nep. Eum. 4, 3; Vop. Prob. 21, 1), adj. [pes], on foot, that goes, is done, etc., on foot, pedestrian.

  1. I. Lit.: gratior illi videtur statua pedestris futura, quam equestris, Cic. Phil. 9, 6: equestres et pedestres copiae, foot-soldiers, infantry, id. Fin. 2, 34, 112: copiae, Caes. B. G. 2, 17 al.; Tac. H. 2, 11 fin.; so, pedester exercitus, Nep. Eum. 4, 3: pedestre scutum, of a foot-soldier, Liv. 7, 10: pugna, id. 22, 47: proelium duplex equestre ac pedestre commisit, Suet. Dom. 4: pedestris acies, Tac. A. 2, 17.
      1. 2. In plur. subst. pedestres, foot-soldiers, Just. 11, 9; people on foot, Vulg. Matt. 14, 13; id. Marc. 6, 33.
      2. 3. Pedestria auspicia nominabantur, quae dabantur a vulpe, lupo, equo, ceterisque animalibus quadrupedibus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 244 Müll.
    1. B. Transf., on land, by land: pedestres navalesque pugnae, Cic. Sen. 5: pedestria itinera, the roads by land, Caes. B. G. 3, 9; cf. id. B. C. 2, 32: proelia pedestria, Just. 4, 4, 4: transitus, Plin. 3, 11, 16, § 101; Mart. Spect. 28.
  2. II. Trop., of style, like the Gr. πεζός, not rising above the ground, not elevated.
    1. A. Written in prose, prose (Gr. idiom; Lat. prosa oratio): Plato multum supra prosam orationem et quam pedestrem Graeci vocant, surgit, Quint. 10, 1, 81: pedestres historiae, Hor. C. 2, 12, 9.
    2. B. Plain, common, without poetic flights, without pathos, prosaic: dolet sermone pedestri Telephus, Hor. A. P. 95: quid prius inlustrem satiris musāque pedestri, id. S. 2, 6, 17 (for which: sermones Repentes per humum, id. Ep. 2, 1, 251): opus, Aus. Ep. 16, 78: fabulae, Ter. Maur. p. 2433 P.