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rĕpens , entis, adj. etymology unknown.
I. Lit., sudden, hasty, unexpected, unlooked for (class., but less freq. than the deriv. repentinus; for the most part only in nom. sing.; a favorite word with Liv.; cf. Drak. ad Liv. 8, 29, 1): “ne me inparatum cura laceraret repens, Cic. poët. Tusc. 3, 14, 29: hostium adventus (opp. exspectatus, and with maris subita tempestas),” id. Tusc. 3, 22, 52: “adventus consulis,” Liv. 9, 41: “bellum,” id. 4, 14; 10, 7: “casus Attali,” id. 33, 2: “clades,” id. 22, 7; 8: “defectio,” id. 8, 29: “fama belli,” id. 6, 42: “cum fama repens alio avertit bellum,” id. 22, 21, 6: “religio,” id. 29, 10: “terror,” id. 21, 30; 33, 15: “tumultus,” id. 1, 14; 10, 18; 21, 26: “discordia,” Verg. A. 12, 313: “seditio,” Ov. M. 12, 61: “clamor,” Sil. 3, 220: “singultus vocis,” Stat. Th. 7, 360: “sonus,” Sen. Med. 971: “vox,” Val. Fl. 2, 91: “consternatio,” Curt. 10, 2, 15. — In abl.: “repenti fulminis ictu,” Lucr. 5, 400.—
II. Transf. (in Tac.), opp. to earlier, more ancient, i. e. for recens, new, fresh, recent: “neque discerneres, quid repens aut vetustate obscurum,” Tac. A. 6, 7; 11, 24: “causa,” id. ib. 15, 68: “cogitatio,” id. H. 1, 23; 2, 49: “perfidia,” id. ib. 4, 25.—Adv., in two forms, suddenly, unexpectedly.
a. rĕpens : “(Janus) Bina repens oculis obtulit ora meis,” Ov. F. 1, 96.—
b. rĕpentē (class. and freq.): “abripuit repente sese subito,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 21; so (corresp. to subito) Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 252: repente exortus sum, repentino occidi, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 37: “repente celeriterque,” Caes. B. G. 1, 52: “repente e vestigio,” Cic. Div. in Caecil. 17, 57: “repente a tergo signa canere,” Sall. J. 94, 5: “repente praeter spem,” Cic. Fam. 4, 4, 3: “repente ex inopinato,” Suet. Galb. 10; cf.: “cunctisque repente Improvisus ait,” Verg. A. 1, 594: “lapsa repente (turris),” id. ib. 2, 465: “amicitias repente praecidere (opp. sensim dissuere),” Cic. Off. 1, 33, 120: “repente collectam auctoritatem tenebant,” Caes. B. G. 6, 12 fin.; cf.: “modo egens, repente dives,” Cic. Phil. 2, 27, 65: “an dolor repente invasit?” Ter. Hec. 3, 2, 21: “me repente horum aspectus repressit,” Cic. Sest. 39, 144: “abjectus conscientiā repente conticuit,” id. Cat. 3, 5, 10; id. Rep. 1, 16, 25: “cum circumfusa repente Scindit se nubes,” Verg. A. 1, 586 et saep.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (42 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (42):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 4.4.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.52
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 6.12
    • Cicero, Divinatio against Q. Caecilius, 17.57
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 3.5.10
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 39.144
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.27.65
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 12.61
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 1.1
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 12.313
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.586
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.594
    • Tacitus, Annales, 6.7
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 1.23
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 2.2
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.59
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.400
    • Suetonius, Galba, 10
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8, 29
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 22, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 33, 2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 42
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 14
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 26
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 30
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 22, 21
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 29, 10
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 18
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 41
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 14
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 33, 15
    • Seneca, Medea, 971
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.16
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.22
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.33
    • C. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 2.91
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 94
    • Statius, Thebias, 7
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 10.2.15
    • Ovid, Fasti, 1
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