petitor

pĕtītor, ōris, m. [peto].

I.

In gen., a seeker, striver after any thing ( poet. ):

famae,

Luc. 1, 131.—

II.

In partic.

A.

Polit. t. t., an applicant or candidate for an office (very rare for candidatus; not in Cic.), Scip. Afric. ap. Macr. S. 2, 10:

e petitoribus non alios adjuvare aut ad honorem pati pervenire,

Suet. Caes. 23:

hic generosior Descendat in campum petitor,

Hor. C. 3, 1, 10.—

B.

Judicial t. t., a claimant, plaintiff, in private or civil suits (whereas he who prefers the complaint in a criminal case is termed accusator;

class.): quis erat petitor? Fannius: quis reus? Flavius,

Cic. Rosc. Com. 14, 42:

petitoris personam capere, accusatoris deponere,

id. Quint. 13, 45; Gai. Inst. 4, 94 et saep.—

C.

A suitor, wooer (post-class.), App M. 4, p. 309 Oud.; Sen. Fragm. § 39 Haas; Cod. Th. 3, 7, 1; Ambros. in Luc. 8, 70 fin. —

D.

In late Lat.:

MILITIAE,

a recruiting officer, Inscr. Grut. 531, 10; ib. Murat. 788, 7; 794, 7.