I.at length, at last, in the end, finally (cf.: denique, postremo).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
1. Alone: Juppiter tibi summe tandem male re gestā gratulor, Enn. ap. Non. 116, 29 (Trag. v. 242 Vahl.): “ne navigarem tandem hoc aetatis senex,” Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 109: “haec illic est pugnata pugna usque a mane ad vesperum ... Sed proelium id tandem diremit nox interventu suo,” id. Am. 1, 1, 99: “tandem cognosti, qui siem,” Ter. And. 3, 4, 7: “tandem reprime iracundiam,” id. Ad. 5, 3, 8: “quod si animi vis in capite esse posset ... soleret tandem in eodem homine manere,” in the end, after all, Lucr. 5, 137: “tandem vulneribus defessi pedem referre coeperunt,” Caes. B. G. 1, 25: “tandem milites conscendere in naves jubet,” id. ib. 5, 7; “7, 67: tandem desine sequi,” Hor. C. 1, 23, 11; 3, 15, 2; id. S. 2, 5, 68: “finiat ut poenas tandem rogat,” Ov. M. 1, 735; Curt. 6, 7, 12.—
2. Strengthened,
(α).
By jam: “jam tandem aedes igitur,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 39 Brix; cf. Cic. Agr. 2, 37, 103: “jam tandem Italiae fugientis prendimus oras,” Verg. A. 6, 61; so id. ib. 10, 890; “12, 497 (cf.: jam denique,” id. ib. 2, 70.—
(β).
By aliquando: “aliquando tandem huc animum ut adjungas tuum,” Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 61; cf.: “tandem aliquando L. Catilinam ... ex urbe ejecimus,” Cic. Cat. 2, 1, 1; so, “tandem aliquando,” id. ib. 1, 7, 18; id. Quint. 30, 94; id. Fam. 11, 27, 5; 16, 9, 4; v. aliquando.—
(γ).
Pleon., with denique: “tandem denique asinali verecundiā ductus,” App. M. 4, p. 153, 3; so, “tandem denique,” id. ib. 3, p. 138, 39; 10, p. 245, 16; cf.: “recreatus denique tandem,” Amm. 17, 12, 10.—
B. In partic., in interrogative clauses, pray, pray now, now, then: quid tandem, what in the world, etc. (very freq. in class. prose): “quid tandem admisi in me, ut loqui non audeam?” Plaut. Men. 5, 1, 12: quid tandem agebatis, Cic. Rep. 1, 13, 19: “quae res tandem inciderat?” id. ib. 1, 11, 17: “quod genus tandem est istud ostentationis et gloriae?” id. Roab. Post. 14, 38; id. Leg. 1, 1, 1; cf.: “quonam tandem modo?” id. Tusc. 3, 4, 8; id. Part. Or. 4, 12; id. Fin. 2, 19, 60: “(id) quo tandem animo tibi ferendum putas?” id. Cat. 1, 7, 16: “hoc, per ipsos deos, quale tandem est?” id. N. D. 1, 38, 105: “quanto tandem illum moerore afflictum esse putatis?” id. Cat. 2, 1, 2: “quorsum tandem? aut cur ista quaeris?” id. Leg. 1, 1, 4: “quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientiā nostrā?” id. Cat. 1, 1, 1: “quae quousque tandem patiemini?” Sall. C. 20, 9; Cic. Caecin. 17, 48; so, “utrum tandem ... an,” id. Fl. 10, 24: “scis Quo tandem pacto deceat, etc.,” Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 2: “ain' tandem ita esse ut dicis?” Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 19; so, “ain' tandem?” id. Trin. 4, 2, 145; id. Truc. 2, 7, 47; Ter. And. 5, 3, 4; id. Phorm. 2, 3, 26; Cic. Rep. 1, 15, 23; id. Att. 9, 21, 1: “itane aiebat tandem?” Plaut. Mil. 1, 66; so, “itane tandem?” id. Trin. 3, 2, 16; Ter. And. 3, 2, 12; id. Heaut. 5, 2, 1; id. Phorm. 2, 1, 1; 3, 2, 42. —
II. Transf., for denique, finally, to mark the final clause of a series (very rare), Quint. 12, 1, 25.