I.to cling to one fawningly, to fawn as a dog; and trop., of cringing flattery, which is exhibited in words and actions, to flatter in a cringing manner, to fawn upon (while assentari signified to yield to one in everything, to assent to what he says, and is used only of men; and blandiri, to be soft and pleasing in manner, to flatter by honeyed words as well as by captivating manners; cf. Cic. Lael. 25).— Constr. with acc., more rarely with dat., Rudd. II. p. 136; Zumpt, § 389.
I. In gen.: “ferarum Agmen adulantum,” Ov. M. 14, 45: “Quin etiam blandas movere per aëra caudas, Nostraque adulantes comitant vestigia,” id. ib. 14, 257. caudam more adulantium canum blande movet, Gell. 5, 14: “hi (canes) furem quoque adulantur,” Col. 7, 12.—Meton.: “horrentem, trementem, adulantem omnīs videre te volui: vidi,” Cic. Pis. 41: “aperte adulantem nemo non videt,” id. Lael. 26: “aut adulatus aut admiratus fortunam sum alterius,” id. Div. 2, 2, 6; “Liv 45, 31: quemcunque principem,” Tac. H. 1, 32: “Neronem aut Tigellium,” id. A. 16, 19: dominum, Sen. de Ira, 2, 31; Nep., Liv., and Curt. have the dat.: Antonio, Nep. Att. 8: “praesentibus,” Liv. 36, 7: “singulis,” Curt. 4, 1, 19.—In the time of Quint. the use of the dat. was predominant: huic non hunc adulari jam dicitur, 9, 3, 1; yet Tac. preferred the acc., v. the passages cited above.—
II. Esp. of the servile reverence paid to Asiatic kings, προσκυνεῖν; cf. “adulatio: more adulantium procubuerunt: conveniens oratio tam humili adulationi fuit,” Liv. 30, 16: “more Persarum,” Val. Max. 4, 7, ext. 2; so id. ib. 6, 3, ext. 2.—Hence, ădū-lans , antis, P. a., flattering, adulatory: “verba,” Plin. Pan. 26: “quid adulantius?” Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 27.—Sup. is wanting.—* Adv.: ădūlanter , flatteringly, fawningly, Fulg. Contin. Verg. p. 153.
