(verb) : as-sĕquor (ads-, Fleck., B. and K., Halm), sĕcūtus (or sĕquutus; v. sequor), 3
* To follow one in order to come up to him, to pursue.
* In gen. (only ante-class. in the two foll. exs.): ne sequere, adsequere, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Varr. L. L. 6, § 73 Müll.: Adsequere, retine,Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 89.—Far more freq.
* Esp., to reach one by pursuing him: sequendo pervenire ad aliquem: nec quicquam sequi, quod adsequi non queas,Cic. Off. 1, 31, 110.—Hence, to overtake, come up with a person or thing (with the idea of active exertion; while consequi designates merely a coming up with, a meeting with a desired object, the attainment of a wish; cf. Doed. Syn. III. p. 147 sq. According to gen. usage, adsequor is found only in prose; but consequor is freq. found in the poets): si es Romae jam me adsequi non potes, sin es in viā, cum eris me adsecutus, coram agemus,Cic. Att. 3, 5; poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 39, 94: Pisonem nuntius adsequitur,Tac. A. 2, 75.—In the histt. also absol.: ut si viā rectā vestigia sequentes īssent, haud dubie adsecuturi fuerint,Liv. 28, 16: in Bruttios raptim, ne Gracchus adsequeretur, concessit,id. 24, 20: nondum adsecutā parte suorum,arrived,id. 33, 8; Tac. H. 3, 60.
* Trop.
* To gain, obtain, procure: eosdem honorum gradus adsecuti,Cic. Planc. 25, 60: immortalitatem,id. ib. 37, 90: omnes magistratus sine repulsā,id. Pis. 1, 2; so Sall. J. 4, 4: regnum,Curt. 4, 6 al.: nihil quicquam egregium,Cic. de Or. 1, 30, 134; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 57: quā in re nihil aliud adsequeris, nisi ut, etc.,id. Rosc. Am. 34, 96: adsecutas virtute, ne, etc.,Just. 2, 4.
* Transf. to mental objects, to attain to by an effort of the under standing, to comprehend, understand: ut essent, qui cogitationem adsequi possent et voluntatem interpretari,Cic. Inv. 2, 47, 139: quibus (ratione et intellegentiā) utimur ad eam rem, ut apertis obscura adsequamur,id. N. D. 3, 15, 38: ut scribas ad me, quid ipse conjecturā adsequare,id. Att. 7, 13 A fin.: Quis tot ludibria fortunae ... aut animo adsequi queat aut oratione complecti?Curt. 4, 16, 10; Sex. Caecil. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 5: quid istuc sit, videor ferme adsequi,Gell. 3, 1, 3: visum est et mihi adsecuto omnia a principio diligenter ex ordine tibi scribere,Vulg. Luc. 1, 3: adsecutus es meam doctrinam,ib. 2 Tim. 3, 10; ib. 1 Tim. 4, 6.!*? Pass. acc. to Prisc. p. 791 P., but without an example; in Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 73 fin., instead of the earlier reading, it is better to read, ut haec diligentia nihil eorum investigare, nihil adsequi potuerit; cf. Zumpt ad h. l., and Gronov. Observ. 1, 12, 107; so also B. and K.