petitio

pĕtītĭo, ōnis, f. [peto].

I.

Lit., an attack, a blow, thrust, pass:

tuas petiti ones effugi,

Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 15; cf.:

petitiones proprie dicimus impetus gladiorum,

Serv. Verg. A. 9, 439.—

B.

Trop., an attack made in words before a court of justice, Cic. Or. 68, 228;

or in debate,

id. Cat. 1, 6, 15; cf.:

novi omnis hominis petitiones rationesque dicendi,

methods of attack, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 14, 44; id. de Or. 3, 54, 206.—

II.

In gen., a requesting, beseeching; a request, petition for any thing (postAug.), Plin. 29, 4, 19, § 66: huic quoque petitioni tuae negare non sustineo, Traj. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 7 (23); Gell. 11, 16, 8 al.—

2.

Esp. (eccl. Lat.), a request offered to God, a prayer:

impleat Dominus omnes petitiones tuas,

Vulg. Psa. 19, 6; id. Phil. 4, 6; id. 1 Johan. 5, 15: petitionem offerre Domino Deo, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 16, 1, 4.—

B.

In partic.

1.

An applying or soliciting for office, an application, solicitation, candidacy, Cic. Att. 1, 1, 1:

petitioni se dari,

to become a candidate for office, id. Fam. 13, 10, 2:

consulatus,

Caes. B. C. 1, 22:

pontificatūs,

Sall. C. 49, 2:

regni,

Just. 1, 10, 17:

tribunatūs et aedilitatis,

Val. Max. 6, 9, 14:

dare alicui petitionem consulatūs,

to admit one as a candidate for the consulship, Suet. Caes. 26:

abstinere petitione honorum,

Tac. A. 2, 43; Suet. Caes. 28:

petitioni se dare,

to solicit an office, Cic. Fam. 13, 10.—

2.

A laying claim to any thing, a suit, petition, in private or civil cases (opp. the accusatio, in criminal cases):

petitio pecuniae,

Quint. 4, 4, 6:

hereditatis,

Dig. 44, 5, 3:

integram petitionem relinquere,

Cic. Rosc. Com. 18, 56.—

3.

A right of claim, a right to bring an action of recovery:

cavere, neminem, cujus petitio sit, petiturum,

Cic. Brut. 5, 18; Dig. 2, 14, 56.