Lewis & Short

rĕd-ĭmo, ēmi, emptum, 3, v. a. [emo].

  1. I. To buy back, repurchase (freq. and class.; syn.: recupero, reparo).
    1. A. In gen.: eam (domum) non minoris, quam emit Antonius, redimet, Cic. Phil. 13, 5, 10: neque adeo hasce emi mihiilli redemi rursum, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 145: aut emendum sibi quod non habebat, aut redimendum quod habebat, Cic. Sest. 30, 66: de fundo redimendo, id. Att. 11, 13, 4: orabo, ut mihi pallam reddat, quam dudum dedi, Aliam illi redimam meliorem, will buy in return, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 115; 4, 3, 6; cf. Plin. 6, 28, 32, § 162.
    2. B. In partic., to buy back, ransom, release, redeem a prisoner, slave, etc.: Li. Tu redimes me, si me hostes interceperint? De. Redimam, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 93; Ter. Eun. 1, 1, 29: ut is homo redimatur illi, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 91; cf. id. Merc. 3, 1, 31: captos, captivos ab hoste, a praedonibus, etc., Cic. Off. 2, 16, 55; id. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 90; cf.: haec benignitas, redimi e servitute captos, id. Off. 2, 18, 63; Plaut. Pers. 4, 6, 14: servi in publicum redempti ac manumissi, ransomed, liberated at public cost, Liv. 26, 27: me raptum pugnā pretiove redemptum Mandere humo, Verg. A. 9, 213; Ov. H. 3, 39; id. Am. 1, 8, 63.
      Hence,
      1. 2. In gen., to buy off from any thing; to set free, release, rescue: aliquem a piratis publicā civitatium pecuniā, Vell. 2, 42, 3: pecuniā se a judicibus, palam redemerat, Cic. Mil. 32, 87; cf.: se ab inquisitoribus pecuniā, Suet. Caes. 1: se a Gallis auro, Liv. 22, 59: se a cane, Petr. 72 fin.: se ab invidiā fortunae, Plin. 37, 1, 2, § 3: aliquem suo sanguine ab Acheronte, Nep. Dion, 10, 2; cf.: fratrem Pollux alternā morte redemit, Verg. A. 6, 121: corpus (sc. a morbo), Ov. R. Am. 229: redimite armis civitatem, quam auro majores vestri redemerunt, Liv. 9, 4, 9; 15, 34, 5: so, redemit Dominus Jacob, Vulg. Jer. 31, 11; id. 1 Pet. 1, 18 et saep.
  2. II. To buy up.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. In gen. (rare): statim redemi fundos omnes, qui patroni mei fuerant, Petr. 7: essedum sumptuose fabricatum, Suet. Claud. 16: libros suppressos, id. Gram. 8.
          1. (β) Of persons, to hire, bribe: auditores conducti et redempti, Plin. Ep. 2, 14, 4; so, plausor redemptus, Petr. 5, 8: tutor aut curator redemptus, Cod. Just. 5, 1, 4: aemuli corrupti ac redempti, ib. 10, 54.
            More freq. and class.,
      2. 2. In partic., a mercant. and jurid. t. t., to take or undertake by contract; to hire, farm, etc.: Dumnorigem portoria reliquaque omnia Aeduorum vectigalia parvo pretio redempta habere, Caes. B. G. 1, 18; Varr. L. L. 6, § 92 Müll.; cf.: picarias de censoribus, Cic. Brut. 22, 85: opus, id. Verr. 2, 1, 54, § 141: istum eripiendum, id. ib. 2, 1, 11, § 31: vestimenta texenda vel insulam, vel navem fabricandam, Dig. 7, 8, 12 fin.: litem, to undertake, Cic. Rosc. Com. 12, 35.
        Esp., in law, t. t., to undertake the risk of a suit for a consideration (which was held dishonorable; opp. to the authorized stipulation of a fee): litem te redemisse contra bonos mores, Cod. Just. 2, 12, 15; cf. also: redimit eventum litium majoris pecuniae praemio contra bonos mores (procurator), Dig. 17, 1, 7: qui alios actionum suarum redimunt exactores, i. e. who engage persons to undertake their suits in their own names, Cod. Just. 2, 13, 2; so ib. 2, 13, 1; cf., respecting redimere litem, Mühlenbruch, Die Lehre von der Cession, p. 362 sq.
    2. B. Trop., to buy, purchase.
      1. 1. To gain, acquire, obtain, procure any thing desirable: ut ab eo (praetore) servorum sceleris conjurationisque damnatorum vita vel ipso carnifice internuncio redimeretur, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 6, § 14: ego vitam omnium civiumquinque hominum amentium ac perditorum poenā redemi, id. Sull. 11, 33: non vitam liberum sed mortis celeritatem pretio, id. Verr. 2, 5, 45, § 119: sepeliendi potestatem pretio, id. ib.: pacem sibi sempiternam, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11, § 34: pacem Ariovisti ne obsidibus quidem datis, Caes. B. G. 1, 37: pacem ab aliquo, Just. 43, 5, 9: omnium gratiam atque amicitiam ejus morte, Caes. B. G. 1, 44 fin.: militum voluntates largitione, id. B. C. 1, 39: primo tantummodo belli moram, Sall. J. 29, 3: neve auro redimat jus triste sepulcri, Ov. M. 13, 472: mutuam dissimulationem mali, Tac. Agr. 6: quidquid homines vel vitā aestimant vel morte redimunt, Curt. 5, 5, 18; 5, 9, 3.
      2. 2. To buy off, i. e. to ward off, obviate, avert an evil: quam (acerbitatem) ego a re publicā meis privatis et domesticis incommodis libentissime redemissem, Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 4: haec vero, quae vel vitā redimi recte possunt, aestimare pecuniā non queo, id. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 23: qui se uno quaestu decumarum omnia sua pericula redempturum esse dicebat, id. ib. 2, 3, 19, § 49: metum virgarum pretio, id. ib. 2, 5, 44, § 117: ignominiam assiduo labore, Front. Strat. 4, 1, 21: bellum ab Illyriis pactā mercede redimere, Just. 7, 5, 1; cf. bella, id. 6, 1, 6; 7, 5, 1; 7, 6, 5: si mea mors redimenda tuā esset, Ov. P. 3, 1, 105; cf.: nec te pugnantem tua forma redemit, id. M. 12, 393: qui delatorem redemit, has bought off, hushed up, Dig. 49, 14, 29.
      3. 3. To pay for; to make amends, atone, compensate for a wrong: flagitium aut facinus redimere, Sall. C. 14, 3: multa desidiae crimina morte, Vell. 2, 87 Ruhnk.: nullam congiario culpam, Plin. Pan. 28, 2; cf. simply culpam, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 8: vitium auctore (sc. Jove), Ov. H. 17, 49: sua perjuria per nostram poenam, id. Am. 3, 3, 21.
      4. 4. Of one’s word or promise, to redeem, keep: verba sua, Sen. Ben. 4, 36, 1.