I.inf. pres. grassarier, Prud. Ham. 651; act. collat. form grassabamus, App. M. 7, 7), v. dep. n. and a. [gradior], to go, go about (not in Cic. and Cæs.; cf.: gradior, incedo, vado, pergo).
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (mostly ante-class.): “hoc grassari gradu,” Plaut. Poen. 3, 1, 11: “siccine hic cum uvida veste grassabimur?” id. Rud. 1, 4, 31; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 19: sine eam pedibus grassari, Titin. ap. Non. 316, 3: “recte grassatur via,” Nov. ib. 5; Ov. Tr. 2, 477: “certum'st moriri, quam hunc pati grassari lenonem in me,” come about me, approach me, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 22.—
b. Of things: “(aranĕus) quanta arte celat pedicas scutulato rete grassantes,” going about, moving around, Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 81: “per omnes nervos articulosque humore pestifero grassante,” Just. 23, 2: “neque avaritia solum, sed etiam crudelitas in capta urbe grassata est,” Curt. 5, 6, 6.—
B. In partic.
1. To go loitering or rioting about (cf. grassator, I.): se in juventutem grassantem in Subura incidisse, Liv. 3, 13, 2: “per omnia clandestina grassari scelera latrociniorum, id 42, 18, 1: ubi Caesarem esse qui grassaretur pernotuit,” Tac. A. 13, 25.—Hence, of parasites, i. q. adulari, to pay one's court to, to flatter, fawn upon: grassari antiqui ponebant pro adulari, Paul. ex Fest. p. 97 Müll.—
2. To go about with thievish designs, to lie in wait: grassari dicuntur latrones vias obsidentes, Paul. ex Fest. p. 97 Müll. (cf. grassator, II.): “in umbris,” Anthol. Lat. 2, 186, 42 sq.: “silurus grassatur, ubicumque est, omne animal appetens,” Plin. 9, 15, 17, § 45.—Hence,
b. With acc., to fall upon, assault, attack: “turmas,” Stat. Th. 8, 571.
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to go, proceed, or act in any manner: saepe hac eadem sum grassatus via, Nov. ap. Non. 316, 7; cf.: “consimili grassantur via,” Afran. ib. 9: “ubi animus ad gloriam virtutis via grassatur,” Sall. J. 1, 3: “grassandum ad clara periclis,” Sil. 1, 570: “(assertor) ait, se jure grassari, non vi,” that he was proceeding, Liv. 3, 44, 8: “longe alia via grassabantur,” id. 2, 27, 7: “consilio grassandum, si nihil vires juvarent, ratus,” id. 10, 14, 13: “mutua dissimulatione et iisdem, quibus petebatur, artibus grassatur,” Tac. H. 4, 56: “cupidine atque irā, pessimis consultoribus,” Sall. J. 64, 5: “obsequio,” to act obsequiously, Hor. S. 2, 5, 93: “dolo,” to act cunningly, Tac. H. 4, 16: “assentando multitudini grassari,” Liv. 45, 23, 9: “superbe avareque in provincia grassatos,” Suet. Aug. 67.—
B. In partic., to attack, proceed against; to proceed with violence, act harshly, rage, rage against.—Constr.: in aliquid and in or adversus aliquem: “trecenti conjuravimus principes juventutis Romanae, ut in te hac via grassaremur,” Liv. 2, 12, 15; cf.: “in possessionem agri publici grassari,” id. 6, 5, 4: “in externos grassari,” Suet. Ner. 36: “adversus omnis aevi hominum genus grassari,” id. Calig. 34; cf.: “qui cum contemptu religionis grassatus etiam adversus deos fuerat,” Just. 1, 9: “ita bacchantem atque grassantem adoriri,” Suet. Calig. 56: “omni rapinarum genere grassati,” id. Vesp. 6: “diverso vitiorum genere,” id. Galb. 14; cf.: “placuit veneno grassari,” Tac. H. 3, 39; id. A. 15, 60.—Absol.: “Ii (sagitarii) dum eminus grassabantur,” Tac. A. 4, 47.— “Of abstract subjects: accusatorum major in dies et infestior vis sine levamento grassabatur,” Tac. A. 4, 66: “ut clausis unam intra domum accusatoribus et reis, paucorum potentia grassaretur,” id. ib. 13, 4: “dicemus de his (malis), quae totis corporibus grassantur,” Plin. 26, 11, 67, § 107; cf.: “haec (vitia) in pueris grassari, illa in adultis,” id. 26, 1, 3, § 4: “mala vestra, ... alia grassantia extrinsecus, alia in visceribus ipsis ardentia,” Sen. Vit. B. 27, 6: “rabidorum more luporum Crimina persultant toto grassantia campo,” Prud. Psych. 468: “grassandi in re familiari facultas,” of wasting, plundering, Dig. 26, 10, 6.—Fig.: “nec ferro grassatur saepius ullum mentis vitium quam cupido, etc.,” Juv. 14, 174.—
b. With acc. (cf. above, I. B. 2. b.): “simulque Romam pestilentia grassabatur,” Aur. Vict. Caes. 33, 5.—P. a.: grassans , ntis, m., as subst., a robber, thief: “quicquid Lycurgi villa grassantibus praebuisset,” Petr. 117, 3; App. M. 8, p. 209, 3: “sublatis susceptoribus grassantium cupido conquiescit,” Paul. Sent. 5, 3, 4.
