I.to fall upon, assault, assail, attack (perh. not ante-Aug.).
I. Lit.: “quae (pars corporis) cum jaculis saxisque incesseretur,” Liv. 8, 24, 15: “vagos suos pro hostibus lapidibus incessebant,” id. 26, 10, 7; cf.: “infestis digitis ora et oculos,” Suet. Calig. 25; id. Claud. 8: “feras argenteis vasis incessivere tum primum noxii,” Plin. 33, 3, 16, § 53: “telorum lapidumque jactu,” Ov. M. 13, 566: “a pueris ii more quodam gentis saxis globosis, funda mare apertum incessentes exercebantur,” Liv. 38, 29, 4 Weissenb. ad loc.: “jaculis et voce superba Tecta incessentem,” Stat. Th. 11, 361; Sil. 1, 473.—Absol.: “saevis telis,” Ov. M. 14, 402: “stercore et caeno,” Suet. Vit. 17. —
II. Trop., to attack, assault, esp. with words, to reprove, reproach, accuse: “reges dictis protervis,” Ov. M. 13, 232: “aliquem verbis amaris,” Sil. 11, 209; cf. Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 31: “aliquem conviciis,” Suet. Tib. 11; id. Ner. 35: “adversarios maledictis,” id. ib. 23: “senatum diris exsecrationibus,” id. Claud. 12: “Sallustium noto epigrammate,” Quint. 8, 3, 29: “juvenes objurgatione justa,” Gell. 1, 2, 6: “nomen hominis acerba cavillatione,” Suet. Tib. 57 al.: “aliquem bello,” Stat. S. 1, 4, 76: “aliquem poenis,” id. Th. 1, 245: “aliquem criminibus,” to accuse him, Tac. H. 2, 23: “aliquem occultis suspicionibus,” id. ib. 3, 65: “aliquem ut tumidiorem,” Quint. 12, 10, 12: “aliquem ut impium erga parentes,” Suet. Rhet. 6: “nomen ut argumentum morum incessit,” Quint. 5, 10, 31; cf.: “aliquem tamquam superbe saeveque egisset,” Tac. H. 3, 77: “sermonem cum risu aliquos incessentem,” Quint. 6, 3, 21: “si aut nationes totae aut ordines incessantur,” id. 6, 3, 35: “paucitatem, conspirationem, vilitatem, gratiam,” id. 5, 7, 23: “ne incesse moras,” Stat. Th. 11, 390.—Of a disease: “pestilentia incesserat pari clade in Romanos Poenosque,” Liv. 28, 46, 15: “tanta incesserit in ea castra vis morbi,” id. 29, 10, 3.—Of fear, etc.: “timor deinde patres incessit, ne, etc.,” Liv. 1, 17, 4: “super haec timor incessit Sabini belli,” id. 2, 27, 10: “tantus terror Tarquinium incessit,” id. 2, 7, 1.—Of other feelings: “cupido incessit animos juvenum, sciscitandi, etc.,” Liv. 1, 56, 10: “tanta admiratio miseratioque viri incessit homines, ut, etc.,” id. 9, 8, 11: “cura incesserat patres,” id. 4, 50, 7: “incessit omnes stupor et admiratio,” Just. 22, 6, 11.
