I.to carry or conduct forwards, to carry or convey along, to conduct, convey, transport, etc., to a place; and freq. pass. in mid. signif., to go, proceed, advance, move, drive, ride, sail, etc., to a place (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.: “eam pol provexi: avehere non quivi,” I took her on board the ship, Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 24: “alvos apum mulis,” Plin. 21, 13, 43, § 74: “aër a tergo quasi provehat atque propellat,” Lucr. 6, 1026.—Mid.: “cum classe freto provehi,” Caes. B. C. 2, 3; id. B. G. 5, 8: “provehimur portu,” Verg. A. 3, 72: “huc se provecti deserto in litore condunt,” id. ib. 2, 24; Plin. 6, 31, 36, § 199: “provectus equo,” Liv. 23, 47: “a terrā provectae naves,” Caes. B. C. 3, 8: “naves provectae in altum,” id. B. G. 4, 28 fin.—
II. Trop., to carry on, along, or forwards, to lead on; to promote, advance, exalt, raise: “ecquo te tua virtus provexisset?” promoted, exalted, Cic. Phil. 13, 11, 24: “ad summos honores alios scientia juris provexit,” Liv. 39, 40, 5; so, “quosdam infimi generis ad amplissimos honores,” Suet. Caes. 72; and: “aliquem in consulatūs, censuras et triumphos,” Vell. 2, 128; cf.: “studiosos amat, fovet, provehit,” Plin. Ep. 8, 12, 1: “vim temperatam di quoque provehunt In majus,” Hor. C. 3, 4, 66: haec spes provexit, ut ad conspecta procul pecora decurrerent, carried them so far, brought them to such a pitch, that, etc., Liv. 2, 50, 5; cf. absol.: “illo etiam (forsitan pravo) gaudio provehente, quod, etc.,” id. 40, 14: “quem e gregario milite Alexander virtutis causā provexerat,” Just. 13, 4, 10: “quos (reges) ad fastigium majestatis spectata moderatio provehebat,” id. 1, 1, 1: “quos provexerat, fortuna destitit,” Sen. Contr. 1, 1, 5: “in consulare provectus fuerat vestigium,” Vell. 2, 69, 1: vitam in altum, qs. to drive it into a sea, i. e. into disquietude, Lucr. 5, 1434.—
B. Mid., to advance, proceed, go onwards, make progress, etc.: “ne videlicet ultra quam homini datum est nostra provehantur,” Quint. 6, prooem. § 10: “ sentio me esse longius provectum quam proposita ratio postularet,” have been carried farther, have gone farther, Cic. Fin. 3, 22, 74: “quod si qui longius in amicitiā provecti essent,” id. Lael. 10, 34: provectus longius quam voluit, id. Har. Resp. 20, 43: “imbecillitas in altum provehitur,” id. Tusc. 4, 18, 42: “provehi in maledicta,” Liv. 35, 48: “per altercationem ad continuas et infestas orationes provecti sunt,” Tac. H. 4, 7.—
2. Of speech, to draw out, protract, prolong: “orationem,” Cic. Dom. 12, 32: “quid ultra Provehor?” why do I say more? Verg. A. 3, 481.—Hence, prōvectus , a, um, P. a. of time, advanced: “eum colere coepi non admodum grandem natu, sed tamen jam aetate provectum,” Cic. Sen. 4, 10: “provectā aetate mortua est,” id. Tusc. 1, 39, 94: “provecta nox erat,” Tac. A. 13, 20: “cum aetate jam provectus esset,” Nep. Timol. 4, 1: “senectute provectior,” Arn. 6, 195; Aus. Epigr. 19: “equis provectioribus tempora cavari incipiunt,” Pall. 4, 13, 9: “aetatis provectae,” Vulg. Gen. 18, 11.