quippe, adv. and conj. [quī-pe], a particle of corroboration, similar to nempe (from nam-pe), surely, certainly, to be sure, by all means, indeed, in fact.
- 1. Recte igitur diceres te restituisse? Quippe: quid enim facilius est quam probari iis, qui? etc., Cic. Caecin. 19, 55: leve nomen habet utraque res: quippe; leve enim est hoc totum, risum movere, id. de Or. 2, 54, 219: a te quidem apte (dictum est); quippe; habes enim a rhetoribus, etc., id. Fin. 4, 3, 7.
Ironically, certainly, indeed, forsooth: quippe, vetor fatis, I, forsooth, am forbidden by the fates! Verg. A. 1, 39: movet me quippe lumen curiae, Cic. Mil. 12, 33.
- 2. Introducing an explanation, for, for in fact: quippe benignus erat, Hor. S. 1, 2, 4: quippe color nivis est, Ov. M. 2, 852; 14, 91; 11, 495: quippe homo jam grandior Se continebat ruri, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 15: quidam contra miseriti, periturae quippe, Phaedr. 3, 2, 5.
So parenthet.: non illi contempsere, quippe toties fusi fugatique … se et vos novere, Liv. 3, 67; Curt. 3, 4, 8 sq.
- 3. Hence, introducing a fact given as a reason or cause, = nam, enim, for, because, inasmuch as (not in Cic. or Cæs.): quippe si hercle rescivere inimici consilium tuom, etc., Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 9; Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 9: intellego aequos bonosque mihi favere, quippe beneficia mea rei publicae procedunt, Sall. J. 85, 5: duo exercitus periculi magis praesentis quam curae expertes, quippe imperium agebatur in tam paucorum virtute positum, Liv. 1, 25, 2; cf. Sall. C. 19; Liv. 5, 24; 6, 6.
- 4. In connection with the causal particles, enim, etenim, quia, etc., for indeed, since in fact, inasmuch as, Lucr. 6, 617: quippe etenim, id. 1, 104: insanabilis non est credendus, quippe quoniam in multis sponte desiit, Plin. 26, 10, 64, § 100: quippe quando mihi nihil credis, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 106.
Esp. freq.: quippe cum, Cic. Att. 10, 3, 1; cf.: neque Cimoni fuit turpe, sororem habere in matrimonio, quippe cum cives ejus eodem uterentur instituto, Nep. praef. § 4; Liv. 26, 39, 9: quippe ubi dimidiae partis pars semper habebit Dimidiam partem, Lucr. 1, 617; 990.
Also absol., Verg. A. 1, 661.
- 5. In connection with the relative pronouns, qui, quae, quod, prop., as one in fact who, which, or that, i. e. since or inasmuch as I, thou, he, it, etc.
- (α) With indic.: dicat, argenti minas se habere quinquaginta: quippe ego qui nudiustertius meis manibus dinumeravi, since or seeing that I paid, Plaut. Ep. 3, 2, 30: tametsi pro imperio vobis quod dictum foret, Scibat facturos; quippe qui intellexerat, Vereri vos se et metuere, since he knew that you revered, etc., id. Am. prol. 22: aperite januam hanc Orci: nam equidem haud aliter esse duco: quippe quo nemo advenit, nisi quem spes reliquere omnes, since no one comes here, id. Bacch. 3, 1, 2; Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 27: multa de meā sententiā questus est Caesar, quippe quod etiam Ravennae Crassum ante vidisset, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 9: plurimum terroris Romam celeritas hostium tulit, quippe quibus aegre ad undecimum lapidem occursum est, and in fact they met them, Liv. 5, 37.
- (β) With subj. (class.): convivia cum patre non inibat: quippe qui ne in oppidum quidem, nisi perraro, veniret, Cic. Rosc. Am. 18, 52: nihil attinet eam ex lege considerare, quippe quae in lege scripta non sit, id. Inv. 2, 45, 131: cum a tyranno crudeliter violatus esset, quippe quem venundari jussisset: tamen, Nep. Dion, 2, 3.
- 6. In connection with etiam and et, since indeed, for even (poet.): quippe etiam festis quaedam exercere diebus, Fas et jura sinunt, Verg. G. 1, 268: quippe et Collinas ad fossam moverit herbas, Stantia currenti diluerentur aquā, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 11.
- 7. With ut, so that (post-class.), Just. 4, 3, 2.