praecedo
κοινὴ γὰρ ἡ τύχη καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἀόρατον → fortune is common to all, the future is unknown | fortune is common to all and the future unknown | fate is common to all and the future unknown
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
prae-cēdo: cessi, cessum, 3, v. a. and n.,
I to go before, precede (seems not to occur in Cic., Nep., Tac., or Sall.; once in Cæs.; syn.: antecedo, anteverto).
I Act., to go before, precede a person or thing.
A Lit. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): aliquem, Suet. Dom. 14: custodes, Just. 14, 4: agmen, Verg. A. 9, 47: is praecedens agmen militum ad tribunal pergit, Liv. 7, 13, 2: praetoriā nave praecedente classem, id. 35, 26, 7; 38, 41, 12: taurus armenta praecedit, Sen. Ep. 90, 4; id. Contr. 3, 16, 8: exsequias fax cereusque praecessit, id. Tranq. 11, 7: gradum nostrum aut praecedentes aut sequentes, Vell. 2, 114, 1.—Of inanimate subjects: at quae venturas praecedet sexta Calendas, Ov. F. 1, 705; Vell. 2, 129, 3.—
B Trop., to surpass, outstrip, outdo, excel, be superior to (rare but class.): Helvetii reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, excel in bravery, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 4: ego vestros honores rebis gerendis praecessi, Liv. 38, 51, 11: ceteras omnis sapore praecedere, Col. 3, 2, 7: omnes, Val. Max. 1, 1, 14: Baetica cunctas provinciarum divite cultu praecedit, Plin. 3, 1, 3, § 7: in quo praecessit omnes D. Silanus, id. 18, 3, 5, § 23: omnes sapientiā, Vulg. Eccl. 1, 16.—
II Neutr., to go before, precede, lead the way (class.).
A Lit.: opus esse et ipsos praecedere ad confirmandam civitatem, Caes. B. G. 7, 54: cum equite, ut prius venisse quam venturum sciant, praecedam, Liv. 22, 51, 2: praecedebat ipse vinctus, sequebatur grex, etc., id. 30, 13, 2; 39, 39, 8; 42, 59, 1: equitem ex Paeoniā praecedere jubet, Curt. 4, 12, 22; 3, 4, 13; 5, 8, 5; Suet. Galb. 12; id. Calig. 32: cervi maria tranant capita imponentes praecedentium clunibus, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 114.—
2 Of inanim. subjects: fama loquax praecessit ad aures, Deïanira, tuas, Ov. M. 9, 137: umbra, id. ib. 5, 614; Plin 31, 6, 33, § 64: nullā praecedente injuriā, without previous injury, id. 11, 37, 55, § 149.—
B Transf., to be older: decem et octo annis, Just. Inst. 1, 11, 4.—
C Trop., to surpass, excel; with the dat. (ante-class.): ut vostrae fortunae meis praecedunt longe, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 39.
