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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.
(α). 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.—
(γ). With gen.: “aliquem culpae,Liv. 41, 19: “voti liberari,id. 5, 28.—*
(δ). With ex: “multos ex incommodis pecuniā,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 23.—(ε) 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.
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