sē-cēdo, cessi, cessum, 3, v. n., to go apart, go away, separate, withdraw (class.; not in Caes.; but cf. secessio).
I Lit.
A In gen., absol. : secedant improbi, secernant se a bonis, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32; Ov. M. 6, 490: prosecutus eram viatico secedentem, Plin. Ep. 3, 21, 2: abite et de viā secedite, Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 2: de coetu, Ov. M. 2, 465: a vestro potui secedere lusu, Prop. 1, 10, 9: utinam nostro secedere corpore possem! Ov. M. 3, 467.—
2 Poet., of inanim. subjects, to remove , withdraw; and in the perf. , to be distant : (luna) quantum solis secedit ab orbe, Lucr. 5, 705: ab imis terra, Ov. F 6, 279: (villa) decem et septem milibus passuum ab urbe secessit, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 2; Claud. Epith. Pall. et Cell. 63.—
B In partic.
1 To go aside , withdraw , retire : secede huc nunc jam procul, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 23; so, huc, id. Am. 2, 2, 139; id. As. 3, 3, 49; id. Capt. 2, 2, 13: in abditam partem aedium, Sall. C. 20, 1: in utraque latera (cohortes), Front. Strat. 6, 6, 3: ad deliberandum, Liv. 45, 36: ad consultandum, Suet. Ner. 15: lex Spartana vetat secedere amantes, Prop. 3, 14 (4, 13), 21: secedit humumque Effodit, Ov. M. 11, 185. —
b In post-Aug. authors (esp. in Suet.), to retire from public into private life; absol. : integrā aetate ac valetudine statuit repente secedere seque e medio quam longissime amovere, Suet. Tib. 10: illuc e comitatu suo, id. Aug. 98; so Plin. Ep. 1, 9, 3: ab Urbe, Suet. Gram. 3: in insulam, etc., Quint. 3, 1, 17; Suet. Vesp. 4; id. Gram. 5; cf. Rhodum, id. Caes. 4.—
c To seek the exclusive society of any one, to retire from the world : ad optimos viros, Sen. Ot. Sap. 1, 1. —
2 Polit., to separate one's self by rebellion, to revolt , secede (syn.: deficio, descisco): ut anno XVI. post reges exactos propter nimiam dominationem potentium secederent, Cic. Corn. 1, p. 450 Orell.: saepe ipsa plebes armata a patribus secessit, Sall. C. 33, 3; Suet. Tib. 2: injussu consulum in Sacrum Montem secessisse, to have marched out in rebellion , Liv. 2, 32; so, in Sacrum Montem, id. 7, 40; Flor. 1, 23: in Janiculum (plebs), Plin. 16, 10, 15, § 37.—
II Trop. (very rare; perh. only poet. and in post-Aug. prose): antequam ego incipio secedere et aliā parte considere, to dissent from the opinion , Sen. Ep. 117, 4: a fesso corpore sensus, Cat. 64, 189: qui solitarius separatusque a communi malo civitatis secesserit, has withdrawn himself , Gell. 2, 12, 1: cum ad stilum secedet, shall give himself up to writing , Quint. 1, 12, 12: in te ipse secede, retire within yourself , Sen. Ep. 25, 7.