vendĭto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [vendo], to offer again and again for sale, to try to sell (class., esp. in the trop. sense).
I Lit.: Tusculanum venditat, Cic. Att. 1, 14, 7: mercem, Auct. Her. 4, 6, 9: agellum (opp. emere), Plin. Ep. 1, 24, 1: piscinas grandi aere, Col. 8, 16, 5: olus, Plin. 22, 22, 38, § 80: mutationes stativorum, Tac. H. 1, 66: hordeum colonis, Ap. Met. 7, 15, 21; non ego possum, quae ipsa sese venditat, tutarier, i. e. prostitutes herself , Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 41; cf. id. Curc. 4, 1, 21.—
II Trop., to cry up , praise , commend , recommend , blazon : istius omnia decreta, imperia, litteras peritissime et callidissime venditabat, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 135; cf. id. ib. 2, 4, 59, § 133: pacem pretio, Liv. 38, 42, 11: munera principis et adipiscendorum honorum jus, Tac. A. 1, 49 med. : suam operam, Liv. 44, 25, 5; Quint. 12, 7, 6: ingenii venditandi aut memoriae ostentandae causā, Auct. Her. 2, 30, 47: obsequium amatori, Liv. 39, 43, 9: valde te venditavi, i. e. have praised you , Cic. Att. 1, 16, 16.—
B Esp.: se alicui, pay court to , conciliate , etc.: quo modo se venditant Caesari? i. e. do they ingratiate themselves with him , Cic. Att. 8, 16, 1: existimationi hominum, id. Verr. 2, 3, 58, § 132: quod non florentibus se venditavit, Nep. Att. 11, 3: se plebi, Liv. 3, 35, 5: se senatui litteris, Vell. 2, 63, 3.—
C To betray : qui perduellionis venditat patriam, Auct. Her. 4, 10, 15.