in Roman Antiquity, a kind of gladiators, whose office was to excite and animate the combatants during the engagement. The orthography of the word is contested: the first edition of Terullian, by Rhenanus, has it accedones; an ancient manuscript, accendones. Aquinas adheres to the former, Pitiscus to the latter. The origin of the word, supposing it accedones, is from accedo, I kindle; supposing it accedones, from accedo, I accede, am added to. The former places their distinguishing character in enlivening the combat by their exhortations and suggestions: the latter supposes them to be much the same with what among us are called seconds, among the Italians patroni; excepting that these latter only stand by to see the laws of the sword duly observed, without intermeddling to give advice or instruction.