I.to come around something; hence (the coming being considered as accomplished; cf. advenio and adventus, II.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen., to be around (a thing), to encircle, encompass, surround (rare): “quibus succensis circumventi flammā exanimantur homines,” Caes. B. G. 6, 16; cf.: “donec ignium jactu circumveniretur,” Tac. A. 15, 11; 15, 38: “illum frequentia ingens circumvenit cum plausu,” Petr. 92, 8: Cocytos sinu labens circumvenit atro, * Verg. A. 6, 132: “omnium operum magnitudinem circumveniunt cavernae ingentes,” Curt. 5, 1, 28: “Rhenus insulas circumveniens,” flowing around, Tac. A. 2, 6: “planities locis paulo superioribus circumventa,” Sall. J. 68, 2: “rami, quos comprehensos manus possit circumvenire,” to grasp, Col. 5, 9, 2; cf. id. 4, 29, 10; Val. Fl. 1, 400; Petr. 114: “singulas urbes,” to go around from one city to another, Sall. J. 88, 4 Dietsch.—Far more freq. (esp. in the histt.),
B. Specif., to surround in a hostile manner, to encompass, beset, invest: “ex itinere nostros latere aperto aggressi circumvenere,” Caes. B. G. 1, 25: “ne per insidias ab eo circumveniretur,” id. ib. 1, 42: “consulem,” Nep. Hann. 4, 3: aciem. Curt. 5, 13, 30: “montem opere,” Caes. B. C. 3, 97: “multos ab tergo,” Sall. J. 97, 5: “cuncta moenia exercitu,” id. ib. 57, 2; cf. id. ib. 76, 2: “legio circumventa,” Liv. 10, 26, 9; cf. id. 10, 2, 11, ; Tac. A. 3, 74: “armis regiam,” id. ib. 12, 50 fin.; cf. id. ib. 1, 25; “12, 16: cerva circumventa lupis,” Stat. Th. 5, 165: “hostili custodiā,” Sen. Ep. 9, 6.—
II. Trop.
A. To encompass, beset, oppress, distress, afflict, overthrow: circumventus morbo, exilio atque inopiā, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 58, 218; cf. id. Fin. 4, 23, 62 (Trag. v. 42 Vahl.); “Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 46: quasi committeret contra legem, quo quis judicio circumveniretur,” Cic. Brut. 12, 48; cf. id. Tusc. 1, 41, 98; Quint. 5, 13, 32; 6, 2, 31: “aliquem per arbitrum circumvenire,” i. e. to lay hold of, Cic. Rosc. Com. 9, 25: “jam te non Siculi, non aratores circumveniunt,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 37, § 93: “te a Siciliae civitatibus circumveniri atque opprimi dicis?” id. ib. 2, 4, 8, § “17: potentis alicujus opibus circumveniri urgerique,” id. Off. 2, 14, 51: “ut neque tenuiores proper humilitatem circumveniantur,” id. ib. 2, 24, 85; so, “falsis criminibus,” Sall. C. 34, 2: “omnibus necessitudinibus,” id. ib. 21, 3; cf. Tac. A. 1, 13: “his difficultatibus,” Sall. J. 7, 1: “odio accolarum, simul domesticis discordiis,” Tac. A. 12, 29: “securitate pacis et belli malo,” id. H. 2, 12: “testimonio,” id. ib. 4, 10: multa senem circumveniunt incommoda, * Hor. A. P. 169.—
B. (Cf. circumeo, II. B.) To circumvent, deceive, cheat, defraud one (syn.: “decipio, fraudo, fallo): circumventum esse innocentem pecuniā,” Cic. Clu. 29, 79: “an placeret, fenore circumventa plebs,” Liv. 6, 36, 12: “ignorantiam alicujus,” Dig. 17, 1, 29: “aliquem falso testimonio,” ib. 42, 1, 33: “non sine calliditate circumventus,” ib. 43, 28, 3; cf. ib. 23, 3, 12.—
2. In the jurists, to evade, to violate by evading: “leges,” Dig. 30, 123, § 1; 1, 3, 29: “voluntatem defuncti,” ib. 29, 4, 4: “orationem,” ib. 2, 15, 8; 1, 3, 29.—
