I.perf. subj. mactassint, Enn., Afran., and Pompon. ap. Non. 342, 12 sq.), v. freq. a. macto, kindr. to Sanscr. makh, mah; intens. māmahyata, to slaughter, sacrifice; maha, victim; the ct in macto like vectum from veho; hence,
I. Within the religious sphere, to offer, sacrifice, immolate any thing in honor of the gods: “ferctum Jovi moveto et mactato sic,” Cato, R. R. 134, 2; so id. ib. § 4: pultem dis mactat, Varr. ap. Non. 341, 28: “nigras pecudes,” Lucr. 3, 52: “lectas de more bidentes Cereri,” Verg. A. 4, 57; Varr. ap. Non. 114, 27: “mactatus vitulus concidit propter aras,” Lucr. 2, 353: “manibus divis mactata,” id. 6, 759: “mactata veniet lenior hostia,” Hor. C. 1, 19, 16: “mactata Polyxena,” Ov. M. 13, 448: “trecenti ex dediticiis hostiarum more mactati,” Suet. Aug. 15: “vite caper morsa Bacchi mactandus ad aras,” Ov. M. 15, 114: “suovetaurilia mactanda, Fronto de Fer. Als. 3 Mai.: se Orco,” Liv. 9, 40: “hostium legiones Telluri ac diis Manibus mactandas dabo,” id. 10, 28; cf.: “ruptores pacis ultioni et gloriae,” Tac. A. 2, 13.—
II. Beyond the relig. sphere.
A. To present, reward, honor with any thing good or bad: Livius inde redit magno mactatu' triumpho, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 641 (Ann. v. 302 Vahl.): “eos ferunt laudibus et mactant honoribus,” heap honors on, extol, Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 67 (also ap. Non. 342, 5); id. Vatin. 6, 14; id. Div. 1, 11, 18.—
B. Far more freq. in a bad sense, to afflict, trouble, punish with any thing: illum di deaeque magno mactassint malo, Enn. ap. Non. 342, 15 (Trag. v. 377 Vahl.); Afran. ib. 16; Cic. Vatin. 15, 36; cf. without abl., Pompon. ib. 12: “dotatae mactant et malo et damno viros,” Plaut. Aul. 3, 5, 61; cf.: “mactare malo adficere significat,” Non. 342, 8: “aliquem infortunio,” Plaut. Poen. 3, 1, 14: faxo tali eum mactatum, atque hic est, infortunio, * Ter. Phorm. 5, 9, 39: “hostes patriae aeternis suppliciis vivos mortuosque mactabis,” pursue, punish, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 33; cf.: “divisores omnium tribuum domi ipse suae crudelissima morte mactaret,” id. Harusp. Resp. 20, 42: “aliquem summo supplicio,” id. ib. 1, 11, 27: “aliquem morte,” id. Rep. 2, 35, 60: “mactantur comminus uno exitio,” Sil. 17, 500.—
C. To kill, slaughter, put to death: “hic mactat Ladona, Pheretaque Demodocumque,” Verg. A. 10, 413: “illigatas mollibus damas plagis,” Mart. 1, 50, 24: haec dextra Lernam taetra mactata excetra Pacavit, Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 9, 22.—
D. To magnify; trop, to extol, glorify, honor; esp. to glorify honor a deity with sacrifices, to worship: “Liberum patrem fanorum consecratione mactatis,” Arn. 1, 24: “puerorum extis deos manes mactare,” Cic. Vatin. 6, 14.—
E. Poet., to give splendor to a festival: lacte Latinas, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18.—
F. Aliquem or aliquid, to overthrow, ruin, destroy, Cic. Fl. 22, 52: “quorum ego furori nisi cessissem, in Catilinae busto vobis ducibus mactatus essem,” should have been sacrificed, id. ib. 7, 16: “perfidos et ruptores pacis ultioni et gloriae mactandos,” to offer up, immolate, Tac. A. 2, 13: “cum videant jus civitatis illo supplicio esse mactatum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 11, § 26: aut naves uram, aut castra mactabo, to destroy, Att. ap. Non. 341, 18.—Hence, mactus , a, um, Part., sync. for mactatus: “boves mactae,” Lucr. 5, 1339 (better referred to maco, q. v.).
