pessum, adv. [prob. contr. from pedis-versum, πέξα, πέδον, towards the feet; like susum, sursum, from sub-versum; hence, in gen.], to the ground, to the bottom, down (mostly ante-class. and postAug.; esp. freq. in the connection pessum ire and pessum dare).
I Lit.: nunc eam (cistellulam) cum navi scilicet abisse pessum in altum, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 64: quando abiit rete pessum, id. Truc. 1, 1, 15; and: ne pessum abeat (ratis), id. Aul. 4, 1, 12: multae per mare pessum Subsedere urbes, have gone to the bottom , been swallowed up , Lucr. 6, 589: ubi dulcem caseum demiseris in eam (muriam), si pessum ibit, etc. (opp. si innatabit), goes to the bottom , sinks , Col. 12, 6, 2 (cf. also the fig. taken from a ship, in II.): ut (lacus) folia non innatantia ferat, sed pessum et penitus accipiat, Mel. 3, 9, 2: sidentia pessum Corpora caesa tenent, Luc. 3, 674: quam celsa cacumina pessum Tellus victa dedit, sent to the bottom , id. 5, 616: pessum mergere pedes, Prud. praef. ap. Symm. 2, 36.—
II Trop.
A Pessum ire, and rarely pessum sidere, to fall to the ground , go to ruin; to sink , perish : quia miser non eo pessum, etc., Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 12: pessum ituros fecundissimos Italiae campos, si, etc., Tac. A. 1, 79: pessum iere vitae pretia, Plin. H. N. 14 prooem. § 5: vitia civitatis degenerantis et pessum suā mole sidentis, Sen. Const. Sap. 2, 3.—
B Pessum dare (less correctly, in one word, pessumdare or pessundare), rarely pessum premere, agere, deicere, to send to the bottom , to sink , ruin , destroy , undo; to put out of the world , put an end to : pessum dare aliquem verbis, Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 8, 6, 47: pessum dedisti me blandimentis tuis, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 23; id. Merc. 5, 2, 6: exemplum pessumum pessum date, do away with , remove , id. Rud. 3, 2, 3: quae res plerumque magnas civitates pessum dedit, Sall. J. 42, 4: quae, si non astu providentur, me aut erum pessum dabunt, Ter. And. 208: multos etiam bonos pessum dedit, Tac. A. 3, 66 fin. : ingentes hostium copias, Val. Max. 4, 4, 5: sin (animus) ad inertiam et voluptates corporis pessumdatus est, has sunk into indolence , Sall. J. 1, 4: aliquem pro suis factis pessumis pessum premere, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 49: aetate pessum actā, i. e. brought to an end , Auct. ap. Lact. 1, 11: nec sum mulier, nisi eam pessum de tantis opibus dejecero, Ap. Met. 5, 10, 18; cf. id. ib. 5, 26, 20.