prae-ĕo (sometimes written in inscrr. with one e, PRAERAT, etc.), īvi and ĭi, ĭtum, īre, v. n. and a., to go before, lead the way, precede (syn.: praegredior, antecedo).
I Lit.
α Neutr. : ut consulibus lictores praeirent, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 55: domino praeire, Stat. Th. 6, 519: Laevinus Romam praeivit, Liv. 26, 27 fin. : praetor dictus, qui praeiret jure et exercitu, Varr. L. L. 5, § 80 Müll.; cf.: in re militari praetor dictus, qui praeiret exercitui, id. ib. 5, 16, § 87 ib.: praeeunte carinā, Verg. A. 5, 186; Ov. F. 1, 81.—
β Act. : per avia ac derupta praeibat eum, Tac. A. 6, 21: ludos Circenses eburna effigies (Germanici) praeiret, id. ib. 2, 83.—
II Trop.
A In gen., to go before , precede (rare but class.).
α Neutr. : naturā praeeunte, Cic. Fin. 5, 21, 58.—
β Act. : acto raptim agmine, ut famam sui praeiret, to outstrip , Tac. A. 15, 4.—
B In partic., a relig. and publicist's t. t., to precede one in reciting a formula (as of prayer, consecration, an oath, etc.), i. e. to repeat first , to dictate any thing (the predom. signif. of the word); constr. most freq. with aliquid ( alicui ), and less freq. with verbis , voce , or absol.
α Aliquid ( alicui ): praei verba, quibus me pro legionibus devoveam, Liv. 8, 9, 4: aedem Concordiae dedicavit, coactusque pontifex maximus verba praeire, to dictate the formula of consecration , id. 9, 46, 6; cf. id. 4, 21, 5; 5, 41, 3; 10, 28, 14: praeeuntibus exsecrabile carmen sacerdotibus, id. 31, 17: sacramentum, Tac. H. 1, 36; 2, 74: obsecrationem, Suet. Claud. 22: cum scriba ex publicis tabulis sollemne ei praecationis carmen praeiret, Val. Max. 4, 1, 10.—
β Praeire verbis: praei verbis quid vis, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 48.—
γ Absol. , with dat. of the person : praeivimus commilitonibus jusjurandum more sollemni praestantibus, Plin. Ep. 10,52 (60): de scripto praeire, to read before , Plin. 28, 2, 3, § 12: ades, Luculle, Servili, dum dedico domum Ciceronis, ut mihi praeeatis, Cic. Dom. 52, 133.—
2 Transf., apart from technical lang., to recite , read , sing , or play before one (rare but class.): ut vobis voce praeirent, quid judicaretis, Cic. Mil. 2, 3: si legentibus singulis praeire semper ipsi velint, wish to read before , Quint. 2, 5, 3; 1, 2, 12; and: praeeunte aliquā jucundā voce, id. 1, 10, 16: tibiam Caio Graccho cum populo agenti praeisse ac praemonstrasse modulos ferunt, Gell. 1, 11, 10.—
b In partic., to lead the way , by orders, directions, precepts: omnia, uti decemviri praeierunt, facta, Liv. 43, 13 fin. (cf. praefor): si de omni quoque officio judicis praeire tibi me vis, Gell. 14, 2, 12.
XIV —Hence, praeiens , Part., going before; as subst.: praeiens , euntis, m., he who precedes another, as a precentor or leader : lectio non omnis nec semper praeeunte eget, Quint. 1, 2, 12.