I.a depositary, trustee, into whose hands the thing contested was placed until the dispute was settled: “sequester dicitur, apud quem plures eandem rem, de quă controversia est, deposuerunt,” Dig. 50, 16, 110: nunc ut apud sequestrum vidulum posivimus, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 898 P.; Dig. 16, 3, 33: “tu istunc hodie non feres, nisi das sequestrum aut arbitrum, Quoius haec res arbitratu fiat,” Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 65: “jam sequestri placebant,” Petr. 14, 4: “cum sequestro recte agetur depositi sequestrariā actione,” Dig. 16, 3, 12; cf.: in sequestrum depositi actio competit; “si tamen cum sequestro convenit, ut, etc.,” ib. 16, 3, 5.—Subst.: sĕ-questrum , i (rarely sĕquestre , is), n., the deposit of a subject of dispute with a third person: vitulum hic apponite: ego servabo quasi sequestro detis: neutri reddibo, donicum res judicata erit haec, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 692 P.: “sequestro data,” id. Merc. 4, 3, 36: “sequestro ponere: quod apud sequestrem depositum erat, sequestro positum per adverbium dicebant,” Gell. 20, 11, 5: “aut ad arbitrum redditur aut sequestro ponitur,” Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 79; “and in later jurid. Lat.: in sequestro deponere (aliquid),” to put in sequestration, Dig. 16, 3, 6. —Form sequestre: pecuniam sequestre ponere, Dig. 16, 3, 33: in sequestri deponere, Ps.-Ascon. ad Cic. Verr. 1, 12.—
II. Transf.
A. In cases of bribery of judges, electors, etc., an agent or go-between, with whom the money promised was deposited (so always in Cic.; cf. “internuntius): aut sequestres aut interpretes corrumpendi judicii,” Cic. Verr. 1, 12, 36; so (with interpres) id. ib. 2, 2, 44, § 108; Quint. 12, 8, 4: “venditor et corruptor et sequester,” Cic. Planc. 16, 38; 19, 48: “aliquo sequestre in indice corrumpendo uti,” id. Clu. 8, 25; 26, 72: “adulter, impudicus, sequester, convicium est, non accusatio,” id. Cael. 13, 30: “candidatus per sequestrem agit,” Sen. Ep. 118, 3: “gregarii,” Amm. 15, 5, 31.—
B. After the Aug. period, a mediator.
1. Lit.: “Menenius Agrippa, qui inter patres et plebem publicae gratiae sequester fuit,” Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 12, 4: “pacis,” Sil. 6, 347; Luc. 10, 472: “ego sequester et medius fui,” Vulg. Deut. 5, 5.—In this sense also a fem. form, sĕquestra , ae, a mediatress: “ubi nunc fidei pacisque sequestra Mater eras?” Stat. Th. 7, 542: “anus quaedam stupri sequestra et adulterorum internuntia,” App. M. 9, p. 224, 1; “and, in apposition: bis senos pepigere dies et pace sequestrā Per silvas Teucri mixtique impune Latini Erravere jugis,” i. e. under the protection of the truce, Verg. A. 11, 133; so, “pace sequestrā,” Stat. Th. 2, 425.—*
2. Trop., a means of negotiating, i. e. price, etc.: “qui suam pudicitiam sequestrem perjurii fieri passi sunt,” Val. Max. 9, 1, 7.