Lewis & Short

vindex, ĭcis, comm. [vindico].

  1. I. One who lays legal claim to a thing, a claimant; hence, also, a maintainer, defender, protector, deliverer, liberator, vindicator: vindex ab eo, quod vindicat, quominus is, qui prensus est, ab aliquo teneatur, Fest. p. 376 Müll.: ASSIDVO. VINDEX. ASSIDVVS. ESTO. PROLETARIO. CIVI. QVOI. QVIS. VOLET. VINDEX. ESTO, XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 16, 10, 5: habeat sane populus tabellam quasi vindicem libertatis, Cic. Leg. 3, 17, 39: aeris alieni, a defender, protector of debtors, id. Att. 2, 1, 11: majestatis imperii, Liv. 28, 28, 14: legum ac libertatis (M. Brutus), Suet. Rhet. 6: injuriae, a protector from wrong, Liv. 3, 46, 6: periculi, in peril, id. 10, 5, 5: terrae (Hercules), Ov. M. 9, 241: aurum Vindice decepto Graias misistis in urbes, id. ib. 7, 214: nec deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus Inciderit, Hor. A. P. 191: honori posterorum tuorum ut vindex fieres, a preserver, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 18.
    In apposition: audita vox una (provoco) vindex libertatis, Liv. 3, 56, 6: vindicibus pacatus viribus orbis, Ov. H. 9, 13.
  2. II. An avenger, punisher, revenger: conjurationis, Cic. Fam. 5, 6, 2: custos ac vindex cupiditatum, id. Agr. 2, 9, 24: vindex ultorque parentis, Ov. M. 5, 237.
    Fem.: Furiae deae … vindices facinorum et scelerum, Cic. N. D. 3, 18, 46; of Tisiphone, Stat. Th. 1, 80.
    In apposition: vindice flammā, Ov. M. 1, 230: poena, Cat. 64, 192.