excursio

excursĭo, ōnis, f. [excurro], a running out or forth.

I.

Lit.

A.

In gen.:

status (oratoris) erectus et celsus: excursio moderata eaque rara,

a stepping forwards, Cic. Or. 18, 59; so,

nec vultu nec manu nec excursionibus nimius,

Quint. 1, 11, 3:

an intentione rei familiaris obeundae crebris excursionibus avocaris?

excursions, Plin. Ep. 1, 3, 2:

longinquae aut breves,

Dig. 33, 1, 13 fin. —

B.

In partic., milit. t. t., a sally, onset, attack; an excursion, inroad, invasion:

crebras ex oppido excursiones faciebant,

Caes. B. G. 2, 30, 1:

copiae, quibus fines suos ab excursionibus hostium et latrociniis tueretur,

Cic. Deiot. 8, 22:

equitatus,

id. de Imp. Pomp. 6, 16:

via excursionibus barbarorum infesta,

id. Prov. Cons. 2, 4; cf.:

oram maris infestam regiae naves excursionibus crebris faciebant,

Liv. 37, 14, 3; 30, 11, 6; 30, 8, 4; 37, 38, 9 al.—

II.

Trop.

A.

In gen.: relinquendae erunt vacuae tabellae, in quibus libera adiciendo sit excursio. free room or play for insertions, Quint. 10, 3, 32:

ne qua ex ea narratione fiat excursio,

digression, id. 4, 2, 103.—

B.

In partic. (acc. to I. B.), outset, commencement of a speech:

sed haec fuerit nobis, tamquam levis armaturae, prima orationis excursio,

Cic. Div. 2, 10, 26:

prooemium, proxima huic narratio: propositio post hanc, vel ut quibusdam placuit, excursio,

Quint. 2, 13, 1.