I.to fall or sink down (cf.: occido, obeo, oppeto); hence,
I. To go down, to set, of the heavenly bodies (postclass.): “cometes cum oriretur occumberetque,” Just. 37, 2, 3: “cum sol occumberet,” Vulg. Gen. 15, 12; id. 3 Reg. 22, 36.—
II. To fall dying, to die (the class. signif. of the word); constr. absol. or with mortem, morte, or morti.
(α).
Absol.: cum veter occubuit Priamus, fell, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 607 P. (Ann. v. 17 Vahl.): “aut occubuissem honeste, aut victores hodie viveremus,” Cic. Att. 3, 15, 4: pro libertate cos occubuisse, Suet. Aug. 12 fin.: “circa se dimicans occubuerat,” id. Tit. 4: “fertur et ante annos occubuisse suos,” Ov. A. A. 3, 18: “dederat ne ferro occumbere posset,” id. M. 12, 207: “acie,” Suet. Ner. 2.—
(β).
With mortem or morte (the vacillation of MSS. between these two forms makes it difficult to ascertain which was the prevailing one; cf. Zumpt, Gr. § 387; “Krebs, Antibarb. p. 790): pro patriā mortem (al. morte) occumbere,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 42, 102 (Kühner, Moser, Orelli, and Baiter have mortem, Klotz and Fischer morte): “quod liberata patria ... mortem occubuisset,” Liv. 2, 7, 8; 3, 50, 8; 26, 25, 14: “qui pugnantes mortem occubuissent,” id. 31, 18, 6. —So, too, letum, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 725 P. (Ann. v. 390 Vahl.): “necem voluntariam,” Suet. Aug. 13 (al., with inferior MSS., nece voluntariā): “ictus clavā morte occubuit,” Liv. 1, 7, 7 Weissenb. ad loc.: “morte occumbentis,” id. 8, 10, 4: “ambo pro republicā morte occubuisse,” id. 38, 58.—
(γ).
With morti (perh. only poet.): pro vostrā vitā morti occumbant obviam. Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 2, 62 (Trag. v. 176 Vahl.); so, “certae morti, Verg. A. l. l.: neci,” Ov. M. 15, 499.—
(δ).
To succumb to, fall by the hand of one (poet.).—With dat.: “Rullo ditissimus agri Occumbis,” Sil. 5, 260; Claud. B. Get. 74.—With per: “per te vidit Vulcani occumbere prolem,” Ov. M. 7, 437. —*
III. Like accumbere, to lie at table, Afran. ap. Non. 97, 29.
