as-sĕquor (ads-, Fleck., B. and K., Halm), sĕcūtus (or sĕquutus; v. sequor), 3, v. dep.,
I to follow one in order to come up to him, to pursue.
I.A In gen. (only ante-class. in the two foll. exs.): ne sequere, adsequere, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Varr. L. L. 6, § 73 Müll.: Adsequere, retine, Ter. Phorm. 982.—Far more freq.,
B Esp., to reach one by pursuing him: sequendo pervenire ad aliquem: nec quicquam sequi, quod adsequi non queas, Cic. Off. 1, 31, 110.—Hence, to overtake , come up with a person or thing (with the idea of active exertion; while consequi designates merely a coming up with, a meeting with a desired object, the attainment of a wish; cf. Doed. Syn. III. p. 147 sq. According to gen. usage, adsequor is found only in prose; but consequor is freq. found in the poets): si es Romae jam me adsequi non potes, sin es in viā, cum eris me adsecutus, coram agemus, Cic. Att. 3, 5; poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 39, 94: Pisonem nuntius adsequitur, Tac. A. 2, 75.—In the histt. also absol. : ut si viā rectā vestigia sequentes īssent, haud dubie adsecuturi fuerint, Liv. 28, 16: in Bruttios raptim, ne Gracchus adsequeretur, concessit, id. 24, 20: nondum adsecutā parte suorum, arrived , id. 33, 8; Tac. H. 3, 60.—
II Trop.
A To gain , obtain , procure : eosdem honorum gradus adsecuti, Cic. Planc. 25, 60: immortalitatem, id. ib. 37, 90: omnes magistratus sine repulsā, id. Pis. 1, 2; so Sall. J. 4, 4: regnum, Curt. 4, 6 al.: nihil quicquam egregium, Cic. de Or. 1, 30, 134; id. Verr. 2, 1, 57: quā in re nihil aliud adsequeris, nisi ut, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 34, 96: adsecutas virtute, ne, etc., Just. 2, 4.—
B To attain to one in any quality, i. e. to come up to , to equal , match; more freq. in regard to the quality itself, to attain to : Sisenna Clitarchum velle imitari videtur: quem si adsequi posset, aliquantum ab optimo tamen abesset, Cic. Leg. 1, 2 fin. : benevolentiam tuam erga me imitabor, merita non adsequar, id. Fam. 6, 4 fin. ; so id. ib. 1, 4 fin. : qui illorum prudentiam, non dicam adsequi, sed quanta fuerit perspicere possint, id. Har. Resp. 9, 18: ingenium alicujus aliquā ex parte, Plin. Ep. 4, 8, 5: ut longitudo aut plenitudo harum multitudinem alterius adsequatur et exaequet, Auct. ad Her. 4, 20.—
III Transf. to mental objects, to attain to by an effort of the under standing , to comprehend , understand : ut essent, qui cogitationem adsequi possent et voluntatem interpretari, Cic. Inv. 2, 47, 139: quibus (ratione et intellegentiā) utimur ad eam rem, ut apertis obscura adsequamur, id. N. D. 3, 15, 38: ut scribas ad me, quid ipse conjecturā adsequare, id. Att. 7, 13 A fin. : Quis tot ludibria fortunae ... aut animo adsequi queat aut oratione complecti? Curt. 4, 16, 10; Sex. Caecil. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 5: quid istuc sit, videor ferme adsequi, Gell. 3, 1, 3: visum est et mihi adsecuto omnia a principio diligenter ex ordine tibi scribere, Vulg. Luc. 1, 3: adsecutus es meam doctrinam, ib. 2 Tim. 3, 10; ib. 1 Tim. 4, 6.☞ Pass. acc. to Prisc. p. 791 P., but without an example; in Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 73, 181 fin. , instead of the earlier reading, it is better to read, ut haec diligentia nihil eorum investigare, nihil adsequi potuerit; cf. Zumpt ad h. l., and Gronov. Observ. 1, 12, 107; so also B. and K.