I.v. dep. a., to begin a web, to lay the warp, to weave (class.).
I. Lit.: “funem longum pedes LXXII.,” Cato R. R. 135, 4; cf. “trop.: neque exordiri primum, unde occipias, habes, Neque detexundam ad telam certos terminos,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 7; and: “pertexe modo, Antoni, quod exorsus es,” Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 145.—
II. Transf., in gen., to begin, commence, esp. a speech; constr. with the acc., an inf., with ab or absol.
(α).
With acc. (so perh. not in Cic.): “consilia,” Plaut. As. 1, 1, 102: “argutias adversus aliquem,” id. Bacch. 1, 2, 19: “facinus,” id. ib. 4, 4, 71: “hanc rem facete et callide,” id. Pers. 4, 1, 7: “bellum ab causa tam nefanda,” Liv. 4, 17, 6: “classicum ingenti spiritu,” Suet. Caes. 32: “tragoediam magno impetu,” id. Aug. 85: “causam,” Quint. 4, 1, 2: “preces,” Ov. M. 10, 483: “parricidia et caedes a Claudio,” Suet. Ner. 33 et saep.—
(β).
With inf. (Ciceronian): “imitabor ergo Aratum, qui magnis de rebus dicere exordiens, a Jove incipiendum putat,” Cic. Rep. 1, 36: “tunc dicere exorsus est,” id. Fin. 1, 8 fin.; cf. id. Div. 2, 49, 101; and Nep. Pelop. 1 fin. —
(γ).
With ab (class.): “aut ab adversarii dicto exordiemur, aut, etc.,” Auct. Her. 1, 6, 10: “ab ipsa re,” Cic. de Or. 2, 79, 320: “a veritate, a dignitate,” id. ib. 2, 8, 31.—
(δ).
Absol. (class.): “ancilla hoc pacto exordiri coepit,” Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 31: “jubent exordiri ita, ut eum, qui audiat, benevolum nobis faciamus, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 80; so, “ita, quasi, etc., Quint. prooem. § 4: in hunc modum,” Tac. A. 3, 50: “his verbis,” id. ib. 6, 6: “clamore,” Cic. Cael. 15, 38.!*? exorsus , a, um, in pass. signif., begun, commenced: “exorsa tela,” Plaut. Bacch. 2, 4, 116; Visell. ap. Prisc. p. 793 P.; cf.: “reperiunt ea, quibus ante exorsa et potius detexta prope retexantur,” Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 158.—In the plur. subst.: exorsa , ōrum, n., a beginning, commencement: “per ambages et longa exorsa aliquem tenere,” a long preamble, Verg. G. 2, 45: “sua cuique exorsa laborem Fortunamque ferent,” beginning, undertaking, id. A. 10, 111 (opp. exitus), Amm. 14, 11, 26.