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.—
(β).
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.—
(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.