I.“bonorum officio praestus fui,” Inscr. Grut. 669, 4), adv. dat. from praestus, a sup. form from prae, so that praesto esse alicui = to be or stand in the foremost place for or as respects one, at hand, ready, present, here; usually with esse (very freq. and class.).
I. Lit.: “ni tua propitia pax foret praesto,” Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 18: sed ubi est frater? Chaer. Praesto adest, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 20; id. Heaut. 1, 1, 120; so Att. Tr. 498: “quod adest praesto in primis placet,” Lucr. 5, 1412; Lact. 3, 7, 10: “sacrificiis omnibus praesto adesse,” id. 2, 16, 10; “more freq., praesto esse: ibi mihi praesto fuit L. Lucilius,” Cic. Fam. 3, 5, 1: “togulae lictoribus ad portam praesto fuerunt,” id. Pis. 23, 55: “tibi nulla fuit clementia praesto?” hadst thou no compassion? Cat. 64, 137: praesto esse, to arrive, appear: “hirundines aestivo tempore praesto sunt,” Auct. Her. 4, 48, 61.—Without esse (poet.): “era, eccum praesto militem,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 1: “ipsum adeo praesto video,” Ter. And. 2, 5, 4; Stat. Th. 6, 643.—
II. In partic: praesto esse or adire
A. To be at hand, to attend or wait upon, to serve, aid: “ero meo ut omnibus locis sine praesto,” Plaut. Men. 5, 6, 26: “jus civile didicit, praesto multis fuit,” Cic. Mur. 9, 19: “praesto esse clientem tuum?” id. Att. 10, 8, 3: “saluti tuae praesto esse, praesto esse virtutes ut ancillulas,” id. Fin. 2, 21, 69; id. Fam. 4, 14, 4: “ut ad omnia, quae tui velint, ita assim praesto, ut, etc.,” id. ib. 4, 8, 1; id. Att. 4, 12, 1 fin.; “also with videor,” id. ib. 4, 12, 1 fin.—With adire: “pauper erit praesto semper tibi, pauper adibit primus,” will be at hand, at your service, Tib. 1, 5, 61.—