arcesso (and accerso), īvi, ītum, 3, v. a. (inf. arcessire and arcessiri, like lacessiri instead of lacessi, freq. and in the best class. writers, though the MSS. and editt. vary very much; cf. Struve, p. 198.

—The form accerso, used freq. by Sall., has been unjustly repudiated; cf. Doed. Syn. III. p. 281 sq.; Kritz ad Sall. C. 40, 6, and the grammarians cited by both; Dietsch, Sall. II. p. 145; Rib. prol. in Verg. p. 388) [causat. from accedo; cf. incesso from incedo; ar = ad]. Lit., to cause any one to come, to call, send for, invite, summon, fetch (while accio designates merely the calling, without indicating the coming of the person called, Doed. Syn. III. p. 283). In gen.: aliquem ad aliquem, Plaut. Cas. 3, 2, 1: Blepharonem arcessat, qui nobiscum prandeat, id. Am. 3, 2, 70: quaeso, hominem ut jubeas arcessi, id. Capt. 5, 1, 29; so id. Bacch. 2, 3, 120; 4, 6, 26; id. Truc. 1, 2, 28; so, arcessiturus, id. Cas. 3, 2, 23; 3, 4, 11: arcessitum, id. Rud. 4, 4, 12: jussit me ad se accersier, Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 4 Bentl., where Fleck. reads arcessier: obstetricem arcesse, id. Ad. 3, 2, 56; so id. ib. 5, 7, 6; and id. Eun. 3, 5, 44 al.: cum ab aratro arcessebantur, qui consules fierent, Cic. Rosc. Am. 18: sacra ab exteris nationibus ascita atque arcessita, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 51 fin.; so id. ib. 5, 18: ejus librum arcessivi, id. Att. 16, 11: ex continenti alios (fabros) accersi jubet, Caes. B. G. 5, 11 Dinter: Gabinium accersit, Sall. C. 40, 6; so id. ib. 52, 24; 60, 4: cunctos senatorii ordinis accersiri jubet, id. J. 62, 4; so id. ib. 113, 4: Agrippam ad se arcessi jussit, Nep. Att. 21, 4: Pisonem arcessi jubet, Tac. H. 1, 14 al.: placere patrem arcessiri, Liv. 3, 45: aliquem ab Epidauro Romam arcessendum, id. 10, 47: Ityn huc arcessite, Ov. M. 6, 652; so id. ib. 15, 640; Hor. S. 2, 3, 261: sin melius quid (sc. vini) habes, arcesse, order it, let it be brought, id. Ep. 1, 5, 6 al.

—Trop.: Illic homo a me sibi malam rem arcessit jumento suo, prov., this man brings misfortunes upon his own head, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 171: quies molli strato arcessita, Liv. 21, 4; so, somnum medicamentis, Cels. 3, 18: gloriam ex periculo, Curt. 8, 13 fin. al.

— Esp. in judic. lang., to summon, arraign one, before a court of justice; hence, in gen., to accuse, inform against; constr. aliquem alicujus rei: ut hunc hoc judicio arcesseret, Cic. Fl. 6; so id. Rab. Perd. 9: ne quem umquam innocentem judicio capitis arcessas, to accuse of a capital crime, id. Off. 2, 14, 51: aliquem capitis, id. Deiot. 11: pecuniae captae, Sall. J. 32, 1: majestatis, Tac. A. 2, 50: tumultus hostilis, id. ib. 4, 29: veneni crimine, Suet. Tib. 53; also absol.: arcessiri statim ac mori jussus est, id. Claud. 37.

—Trop.: inscitiae, Nigid. ap Gell. 19, 14.

— Transf. to mental objects, to bring, fetch, seek, or derive a subject, thought, quality, etc.: a capite quod velimus, Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 117; so id. Top. 9: translationes orationi splendoris aliquid arcessunt, id. de Or. 3, 38, 156: ex medio res arcessere, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 168: longe arcessere fabulas coepi, to fetch from far, Petr. 37.

—Hence, arcessitus (in opp. to that which comes of itself, and is therefore natural), far-fetched, forced, unnatural (syn. durus): cavendum est, ne arcessitum dictum putetur, that an expression may not appear forced, far-fetched, Cic. de Or. 2, 63, 256: frigidi et arcessiti joci, Suet. Claud. 21: in Lysiā nihil est inane, nihil arcessitum, Quint. 10, 1, 78; cf. id. 2, 4, 3; 9, 3, 74; 12, 10, 40 al.