lībĕro — Lewis & Short
lībĕro, āvi, ātum, 1 (old form of the
I fut. perf. liberasso, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 66), v. a. 1. liber, to make or set free, to free, liberate (syn. vindico).
I Lit., to release from slavery, to free, manumil:
amicas emite, liberate,Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 22:
liberem ego te?id. Men. 5, 7, 35:
servos,Caes. B. C. 3, 9:
sese,Cic. de Or. 1, 40, 182:
aliquem vindictā liberare,Plin. Ep. 7, 16, 4.—
II Transf.
A In gen., to free, release, extricate, deliver (cf. levo) a person or thing from something (an obligation, debt, difficulty, etc.); constr.: aliquem (aliquid) ab aliqua re, with simple abl.; less freq. with gen.
a With personal objects.
(a) With ab:
teque item ab eo vindico ac libero,Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1:
se a Venere,to release one's self from one's duty to Venus, id. Div. in Caecil. 17, 53.—
(b) With abl.: divortio te liberabo incommodis, Poët. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 24, 38:
defensionum laboribus senatoriisque muneribus liberatus,Cic. Tusc. 1, 1, 1:
aliquem culpā,id. Att. 13, 22, 3:
aliquem invidiā,id. N. D. 1, 6, 13:
aliquem suspicione crudelitatis,id. Fam. 1, 2, 3:
aliquem magnā sollicitudine,id. Att. 6, 1, 10; cf.:
populum metu,id. Rep. 1, 16, 25:
liberatus omni perturbatione animi,id. ib. 1, 17, 28:
aliquem periculo,Caes. B. C. 3, 83:
obsidione,id. B. G. 4, 19:
se aere alieno,to pay a debt, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 4.—
(g) With gen.:
aliquem culpae,Liv. 41, 19:
voti liberari,id. 5, 28.—*
(d) With ex:
multos ex incommodis pecuniā,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 23.—(e) With simple acc.:
vectigales multos ac stipendiarios liberavit,exempted from taxes, Cic. Prov. Cons. 5, 10:
Volusii liberandi, meum fuit consilium,to release from obligation, id. Fam. 5, 20, 4:
Buthrotios cum Caesar decreto suo liberavisset, viz.,from a division of their lands, id. Att. 16, 16, C, 11:
amotusque post triumphum abdicatione dictaturae terror et linguam et animos liberaverat hominum,Liv. 6, 16, 8:
(debitores) capitis deminutione liberantur,i. e. from debt, Gai. Inst. 3, 84 al.—
b With inanim. and abstr. objects:
eum (mundum) ab omni erratione liberavit,Cic. Univ. 6; cf.
below, at the end of this number: quorum linguae sic inhaererent, ut loqui non possent, eae scalpello resectae liberarentur,would be set free, id. Div. 2, 46, 96: liberare agros, to free or exempt from taxes, id. Agr. 1, 4, 10:
publica liberare,id. ib. 2, 21, 57; cf.:
liberari omnia Asiae emporia portusque,Liv. 32, 33:
liberata vectigalia,id. 41, 28:
fundum alii obligatum liberare,Dig. 18, 1, 41:
liberare fidem,to discharge one's promise, keep one's word, Cic. Fl. 20, 47:
liberare promissa,to cancel promises, to make them void and of no effect, id. Off. 1, 10, 33:
nomina,to settle debts, Liv. 7, 21: impensam, to clear or repay expenses, Col. 3, 3.—Of an abstr. object:
divinum animum corpore liberatum cogitatione complecti,Cic. Tusc. 1, 22, 51.—
B In partic.
1 To absolve or acquit in a court of justice (syn.:
absolvo, solvo): aliquem, opp. condemnare,Cic. Clu. 22, 60:
aliquem crimine aliquo,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 29, § 71: liberatur Milo, non eo consilio profectus esse, is acquitted of the charge of having undertaken a journey with the design, etc., id. Mil. 18, 47:
reum a judicibus hoc defensionis modo liberari non posse,Quint. 7, 4, 20.—Very rarely with acc. of the charge:
crimen libidinis confessio intemperantiae liberavit,Val. Max. 8, 1, 12.—
2 To clear, i. e. to pass, traverse, cross over a place without hinderance (post - Aug.):
flumen,Front. Strat. 1, 5, 3; 4, 7, 28; Hyg. Fab. 257:
angustias freti,Front. Strat. 1, 4, 13:
limen,Petr. 136.—
3 Templa liberata, freed from buildings that obstructed the view, i. e. having a free prospect, Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 21.