Lewis & Short

tandem, adv. [tam and the demonstr. termination dem; prop. just so far; hence, transf. to time, after so long, after a long time], implying the end of long delay or expectation, at length, at last, in the end, finally (cf.: denique, postremo).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.
      1. 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. 2. Strengthened,
          1. (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.
          2. (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.
          3. (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.
    2. 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.
  2. II. Transf., for denique, finally, to mark the final clause of a series (very rare), Quint. 12, 1, 25.