I.to cause to eat, to feed, pasture.
I. Lit.
A. Of animals, to pasture, drive to pasture, to feed, attend to the feeding of, etc. (cf. pabulor): “cum sues puer pasceret,” Cic. Div. 1, 17, 31: “greges armentaque pavit,” Ov. M. 6, 395: “non, me pascente, capellae, cytisum carpetis,” Verg. E. 1, 78: “turpes sub gurgite phocas,” id. G. 4, 395: “ut pasceret porcos,” Vulg. Luc. 15, 15. —
2. = depasco, of land, to pasture, give as a pasture: “et vomere duros Exercent collis atque horum asperrima pascunt,” Verg. A. 11. 319.—
B. In gen., to feed, supply with food: “quot greges et quantos sit pasturus,” Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 24: “bestias pascere,” Cic. Off. 2, 4, 14: “a quo (Catone) cum quaereretur, quid maxime in re familiari expediret? respondit: Bene pascere. Quid secundum? Satis bene pascere. Quid tertium? Male pascere,” id. ib. 2, 25, 89: “quid refert, quantum pascat aut feneret?” Sen. Ep. 2, 5: “plures calones atque caballi Pascendi,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 103.—
2. To feed, nourish, maintain, support (syn.: “alo, nutrio): olusculis nos soles pascere,” used to feed us with vegetables, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 13: “quos, dives Anagnia, pascis, quos, Amasene pater,” Verg. A. 7, 684: “servi, ad quos pascendos transmarinarum regionum est optanda fertilitas,” Sen. Ep. 17, 3; so, “servos,” Juv. 3, 141: “viginti ventres pasco et canem,” Petr. 57: “nullā provinciarum pascente Italiam,” Plin. 18, 3, 4, § 15: Juv. 7, 93.—Of one who gives frequent entertainments, to feast, entertain: “cum plurimos suis sumptibus pasceret,” Spart. Hadr. 17; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 41: se sutoris arte pascere, earn a living, Aug. Civ. Dei, 22, 8.—Rarely of things: “et volsis pascunt radicibus herbae (sc. me),” Verg. A. 3, 650.—
3. To cherish, cultivate, let grow, feed, etc.—Poet.: barbam, i.e. to cherish, to let grow, πωγωνοτροφεῖν, Hor. S. 2, 3, 35: “sacrum (Baccho) crinem,” Verg. A. 7, 391: “genas Phoebo, crinem Iaccho,” Stat. Th. 8, 493: “Danaas paverunt Pergama flammas,” fed, Ov. M. 14, 467: “ubi Taurica dira Caede pharetratae pascitur ara deae,” id. Tr. 4, 4, 63: “polus dum sidera pascet,” Verg. A. 1, 608; Luc. 10, 258: “umbra pascens sata,” Plin. 17, 12, 18, § 90: “brevitate crassitudinem pascens,” Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 13: “agros,” to till, cultivate, Mart. 10, 58, 9: “nummos alienos,” to keep adding to, heap debt on debt, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 35.—
4. Of animals, to graze, browse (poet.): “pascentes capellae,” Verg. E. 3, 96: “columbae,” id. A. 6, 199: “saltibus in vacuis pascunt,” id. G 3, 143: “sed tunc pascebant herbosa Palatia vaccae,” Tib. 2, 5, 25: “ire vis, mula, pastum foras,” Plaut. Most. 4, 1, 22.—Esp.
b. In pass. reflex., with dep. force: “cetera pascuntur viridis armenta per herbas,” Verg. G. 3, 162: “pascitur in magnā Silā formosa juvenca,” id. ib. 3, 219: “frondibus et victu pascuntur simplicis herbae,” id. ib. 3, 528: “carice pastus acutā,” id. ib. 3, 231; 341: “si pulli non pascentur,” Liv. 6, 41, 8: “iterum pasto pascitur ante cibo,” chews the cud, Ov. Am. 3, 5, 17 sq.—
(β).
Like depascere, with acc.: “silvas,” Verg. G. 3, 314: “mala gramina,” id. A. 2, 471: “apes arbuta,” id. G. 4, 181: “beluae pastae radices fruticum,” Plin. 9, 3, 2, § 7.—
II. Trop.
1. To feast, to gratify: “quos P. Clodii furor rapinis et incendiis et omnibus exitiis pavit,” Cic. Mil. 2, 3: “alicujus cruciatu atque supplicio pascere oculos animumque exsaturare,” to feast, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 26, § 65; cf.: “in ejus corpore lacerando ... oculos paverit suos,” id. Phil. 11, 3, 8; Sen. Ep. 6, 6, 25: “animum picturā pascit inani,” Verg. A. 1, 464: “spes inanes,” to cherish, id. ib. 10, 627.—Of style: “omnia quasi eodem cibo pasta,” Petr. S. 2.—
b. Pass. reflex.: “his ego rebus pascor, his delector,” feast myself, Cic. Pis. 20, 45: “pasci discordiis civium et seditione,” id. Sest. 46, 99: “ego hic pascor bibliothecā Fausti,” id. Att. 4, 10, 1: “qui maleficio et scelere pascuntur,” live by, id. Off. 2, 11, 40: “otia corpus alunt: animus quoque pascitur illis,” Ov. P. 1, 4, 21: “pasci dolore alicujus,” id. M. 6, 280.—