lăcesso, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 3 (inf. pass. lacessiri, Col. 9, 8, 3; 9, 15, 4; Ambros. Ep. 6, 1: lacessi, Liv. 31, 18, 4 al.; Lact. 5, 2, 2: lacessientium, Liv. 27, 12, 13: lacessiebant, id. 23, 46, 11), v. a. [lacio; v. Roby, 1, § 625], to excite, provoke, challenge, exasperate, irritate (syn.: irrito, provoco).
I Lit.: aliquem ferro, Cic. Mil. 31, 84: sponsione me homo promtus lacessivit, id. Pis. 23, 55: tu ultro me maledictis lacessisti, id. Phil. 2, 1, 1: me amabis et scripto aliquo lacesses, by writing, force me to write in return , id. Fam. 12, 20: vetus si poeta non lacessisset prior, Ter. Phorm. 14: hostes proelio, i. e. to attack, assail , Caes. B. G. 4, 11: aliquem bello, id. ib. 6, 5: Aeduos injuriā, id. ib. 1, 35: nos te nulla lacessiimus injuria, Cic. Fam. 11, 3, 1: Saguntini nec lacessentes nec lacessiti, Liv. 21, 11: aliquos lacessiturus bello, id. 28, 28; Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 23: quorum alter relictus, alter lacessitus, id. ib. 2, 4: quid tam necessarium quam tenere semper arma, quibus ... to ulcisci lacessitus, id. de Or. 1, 8, 32: ne rudis agminum sponsus lacessat leonem, Hor. C. 3, 2, 11: Caesar neque cedentes tanto collis ascensu lacessendos judicabat, Hirt. B. G. 8, 14: aliquem capitaliter, to make a deadly attack upon one , Plin. Ep. 1, 5: (corpora) quae feriunt oculorum acies visumque lacessunt, to strike, meet , Lucr. 4, 217; 691; cf. id. 4, 597: nares odor lacessit, id. 4, 691: fores nondum reserati carceris acer nunc pede nunc ipsa fronte lacessit Equus, Ov. Tr. 5, 9, 30.—Poet.: aëra Sole lacessita ( = percussa radiis solis), struck with the sunbeams’ glitter , Verg. A. 7, 527; cf. vindemia pluviisque aut ventis lacessita, Col. 3, 21, 5.—
II Transf., in gen.
A To urge, arouse, excite, stimulate, shake, move : a quo non modo impulsi sumus ad philosophas scriptiones, verum Etiam lacessiti, Cic. Tusc. 1, 41, 121: ad scribendum, id. Att. 1, 13, 1: ad pugnam, Liv. 2, 45 init. : usus luxuriantis aetatis signaturas pretiosis gemmis coepit insculpere, et certatim haec omnis imitatio lacessivit, Macr. S. 7, 13, 11: aurigae manibusque lacessunt Pectora plausa cavis, pat them on their breasts (in order to animate them), Verg. A. 12, 85: pugnam, id. ib. 5, 429: bella, id. ib. 11, 254: ne quemquam voce lacessas, id. E. 3, 51: his se stimulis dolor ipse lacessit, Luc. 2, 42: Nilus spuma astra lacessit, id. 10, 320: taurus lacessit campum, Stat. Th. 12, 604: clamore sidera, Sil. 17, 387: deos (precibus), to assail, importune , Hor. C. 2, 18, 12: pelagus carinā, to stir, chafe , id. ib. 1, 35, 7.—
B To call forth, arouse, produce : sermones, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 7: ferrum, Verg. A. 10, 10.