ex-sĕquor or exĕquor, cūtus, 3, v. dep. a., to follow to the end, to pursue, follow.
I In partic., to follow or accompany to the grave (cf. the deriv. exsequiae): funus, Massur. Sabin. ap. Gell. 10, 16, 25: aliquem omni laude et laetitia, Cic. poët. in Tusc. 1, 48, 115 (a transl. of ἐκπέμπειν, in Eurip.).
II Trop. (class.; most freq. in the special significations).
A In gen., to follow , follow after , accompany; to go after , to pursue : quae exanimata exsequitur aspectum tuum, Plaut. Ep. 4, 2, 3: quid petam praesidi aut exsequar? Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 112 ed. Vahl.): non igitur dubium, quin aeternitatem maluerit exsequi, etc., to follow after , take pattern after , Cic. Univ. 2 fin. : cur non omnes fatum illius (Pompei) una exsecuti sumus? followed , pursued , subjected ourselves to , id. Att. 9, 12, 1; cf. id. Phil. 2, 22, 54: sectam meam exsecutae comites, joined , Cat. 63, 15: suam quisque spem, sua consilia, communibus deploratis, exsequentes, Liv. 5, 40, 5: aerumnam, qs. to pursue , i. e. to undergo , suffer , endure , Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 1: egestatem, id. Trin. 3, 2, 60: mortem, id. Ps. 4, 2, 38: probrum, id. Truc. 2, 5, 8.—
B In partic.
1 To follow up , prosecute , carry out; to perform , execute , accomplish , fulfil (syn.: conficio, perficio, perago, consummo, patro, perpetro, absolvo): nullam rem oportet dolose aggrediri, nisi Astute accurateque exsequare, Plaut. Truc. 2, 5, 10; cf.: est difficile id non exsequi usque ad extremum, Cic. Rab. Post. 2, 5: inceptum hoc itiner perficere exsequar, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 72 and 88: incepta, Liv. 30, 4, 10: imperium, Ter. Heaut. 635: mandata vestra, Cic. Phil. 9, 4, 9: omnia regis officia et munera, id. de Sen. 10, 34; cf.: munus officii (with tueri), id. ib. 20, 72: munus (with fungi), id. Tusc. 3, 7, 15: negotia, id. Off. 1, 23, 79: obsidiones, Tac. A. 15, 4: scelus, Curt. 8, 6: sermonem cum aliquo, to converse , Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 5: cum civitas armis jus suum exsequi conaretur, to assert , maintain , * Caes. B. G. 1, 4, 3: comptam et mitem orationem, Cic. de Sen. 9, 28.—With a rel.-clause : quem locum ipse capturus esset, cogitando aut quaerendo exsequebatur, Liv. 35, 28, 4: summa omnia cum cura inquirendo exequebatur, id. 22. 3, 2.—With ut : mihi Exsequi certa res est, ut abeam Potius hinc ad forum, quam domi cubem, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 17.—
2 To go through with in speaking , to relate , describe , say , tell (freq. since the Aug. period): quae vix verbis exsequi possum, Cic. Fam. 11, 27, 6: quidam exsecuti sunt verbosius, Quint. 5, 12, 15: si omnia exsequi velim, Liv. 27, 27, 12: haec omnia copiosius, Quint. 9, 3, 89: quae diligentius, id. 10, 4, 6: quae divine in Oratore (Tullius), id. 1, 6, 18: caelestia dona aërii mellis, Verg. G. 4, 2; cf.: laudes brassicae, Plin. 20, 9, 33, § 78: numerum subtiliter, Liv. 3, 5, 13: sententias, Tac. A. 3, 65: vetera facunde, id. ib. 12, 58: vera, id. ib. 11, 21: imagines et elogia universi generis, Suet. Galb. 3 et saep.—
3 To pursue with punishment , to punish , avenge (perh. not ante-Aug.): omnia scire, non omnia exsequi, Tac. Agr. 19: deorum hominumque violata jura, Liv. 3, 25, 8: injurias accusationibus, Plin. Ep. 3, 4, 5: delicta, Suet. Caes. 67: doloris exsequendi jus, Liv. 5, 11, 5: justum dolorem, Dig. 29, 5, 33.— Absol. : pater caedetur? defendam: caesus est? exsequar, Sen. de Ira, 1, 12; Dig. 34, 9, 22.—Once with a pers. object : me L. Tarquinium Superbum cum scelerata coniuge, etc., ferro, igni exsecuturum, to pursue , Liv. 1, 59, 1 (MSS.; Weissenb. et al. exacturum).
VIII —Hence, exsĕquens ( exeq- ), entis, P. a. (acc. to II.), searching after , studious of : memoriarum veterum exsequentissimus, Gell. 10, 12, 9.☞ exsequi as pass. : quaerebatur an prioris judicis sententia exsequi possit, could be carried out (cf. II. B. supra), Dig. 2, 1, 19.
IX —Hence, exsĕcūtus ( exec- ), a, um, in pass. signif. : exsecuto regis imperio, executed , Just. 7, 3, 2.