Lewis & Short

vindĭco (on account of a supposed derivation from venum-dico, also written vendĭco), āvi, ātum, 1 (collat. form, acc. to the 3d conj., VINDICIT, XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1 fin.), v. a. [vim-dico, prop. to assert authority, viz. in a case where legal possession of a thing claimed is refused; hence, transf.], to lay legal claim to a thing, whether as one’s own property or for its restoration to a free condition.

  1. I. Lit.: IN. IVS. DVCITO. NI IVDICATVM FACIT AVT QVIS ENDO EOM IVRE VINDICIT, i. e. eum in jure vindicat, XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 45; cf., on the form of laying claim to disputed personal property, Gai Inst. 4, 16: vindicare sponsam in libertatem, Liv. 3, 45, 11; cf. id. 3, 48, 5; 3, 46, 7: puellam, id. 3, 46, 3: ita vindicatur Virginia spondentibus propinquis, id. 3, 46, 8.
  2. II. Transf., in gen. (freq. and class.; cf. assero).
    1. A. To lay claim to as one’s own, to make a claim upon, to demand, claim, arrogate, assume, appropriate a thing: omnia non Quiritium sed sapientium jure pro suis vindicare, Cic. Rep. 1, 17, 27: videor id meo jure quodam modo vindicare, id. Off. 1, 1, 2: Homerum … Chii suum vindicant, id. Arch. 8, 19: ortūs nostri partem patria vindicat, id. Off. 1, 7, 22: maximam partem quasi suo jure Fortuna sibi vindicat, id. Marcell. 2, 6: ceterarum rerum quae sunt in oratore, partem aliquam sibi quisque vindicat, id. Or. 19, 69: quod neque summi imperatores … sibi umquam vindicare sunt ausi, Quint. 1, prooem. § 14: partem oneris tui mihi vindico, Plin. Ep. 6, 32, 2: majestatem sibi, id. Pan. 42, 1: partis sibi aequas potentiae, Suet. Tib. 50; id. Tit. 5; Sen. Ira, 3, 30, 3; id. Cons. Helv. 3, 9; id. Q. N. 1, 1, 10; Val. Max. 4, 3, 1; 5, 3, ext. 2; cf. Plin. Pan. 8, 2; Val. Max. 4, 5, 3: iniquissima haec bellorum condicio est; prospera omnes sibi vindicant, adversa uni imputantur, Tac. Agr. 27: victoriae majore parte ad se vindicatā, Liv. 44, 14, 8: decus belli ad se, id. 9, 43, 14: tanta tamen universae Galliae consensio fuit libertatis vindicandae, ut, etc., should be maintained, vindicated, Caes. B. G. 7, 76: Trasimenum pro Tarsimeno multi auctores … vindicaverunt, have adopted, Quint. 1, 5, 13; so id. 1, 5, 26: vindicet antiquam faciem, vultusque ferinos Detrahat, reassume, Ov. M. 2, 523.
      Poet., with inf.: vindicat hoc Pharius dextrā gestare satelles, Luc. 8, 675.
    2. B. To place a thing in a free condition.
      1. 1. In libertatem vindicare, to set free, to free, emancipate: in libertatem rem populi, Cic. Rep. 1, 32, 48: ex dominatu Ti. Gracchi in libertatem rem publicam, id. Brut. 58, 212: rem publicam afflictam et oppressam in veterem dignitatem ac libertatem, i. e. to restore, id. Fam. 2, 5, 2: Galliam in libertatem, Caes. B. G. 7, 1: se et populum Romanum in libertatem, id. B. C. 1, 22.
      2. 2. To deliver, liberate, protect, defend: te ab eo vindico et libero, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3, § 9: nos a verberibus, ab unco, a crucis terrore neque res gestae neque acta aetas neque vestri honores vindicabunt? id. Rab. Perd. 5, 16: sapientia sola nos a libidinum impetu et formidinum terrore vindicat, id. Fin. 1, 14, 46: quin ab hoc ignotissimo Phryge nobilissimum civem vindicetis? id. Fl. 17, 40: aliquem a miseriis morte, id. Brut. 96, 329: a molestiā, id. Q. Fr. 1, 4, 2: a labore, id. Sull. 9, 26: domum suam a solitudine, id. de Or. 1, 45, 199: laudem summorum oratorum ab oblivione hominum atque a silentio, rescue, id. ib. 2, 2, 7: sed ab hac necessitate egregie vos fortuna vindicat, Liv. 37, 54, 10: corpora a putrescendo (sal), Plin. 31, 9, 45, § 98: ebur a carie (vetus oleum), id. 15, 7, 7, § 32: capillum a canitie, id. 28, 11, 46, § 164: se non modo ex suspitione tanti sceleris, verum etiam ex omni hominum sermone, Cic. Sull. 20, 59: perpetienda illa fuerunt, ut se aliquando ad suos vindicaret, might restore, id. Rab. Post. 9, 25: quam dura ad saxa revinctam Vindicat Alcides, sets free, Ov. M. 11, 213: tandem absolutus vindicatusque est (reus), Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 1.
    3. C. With respect to some wrong perpetrated (cf. ulciscor), to avenge, revenge, punish; to take vengeance on any one; make compensation for: omnia quae vindicaris in altero, sibi ipsi vehementer fugienda sunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 2, § 4: maleficium in aliis vindicare, id. Sull. 6, 19: facinus in nullo etiam, id. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 194: dolum malum et legibus, id. Off. 3, 15, 61. acerrime maleficia, id. Rosc. Am. 5, 12: consensionem improborum supplicio omni, id. Lael. 12, 43: eam rem quam vehementer, id. Quint. 7, 28: Ti. Gracchi conatus perditos, id. Off. 1, 30, 109: necem Crassi, Ov. F. 6, 468: offensas ense, id. Tr. 3, 8, 40: fortuita non civium tantummodo sed urbium damna principis munificentia vindicat, Vell. 2, 126, 4.
      Impers. pass.: fateor non modo in socios, sed etiam in cives militesque nostros persaepe esse severe ac vehementer vindicatum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 50, § 133: vindicandum in eos, Sall. J. 31, 18: vindicatum in eos, qui, etc., id. C. 9, 4; cf.: in quos (Venetos) eo gravius Caesar vindicandum statuit, quo diligentius, etc., Caes. B. G. 3, 16.
      1. 2. Transf. (after the analogy of ulcisci): vindicare se ab (de) aliquo, to revenge one’s self upon one: se ab illo, Sen. Ben. 6, 5, 3: se de fortunā praefationibus, Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 14.
        Pass.: quantā saevitiā opus erat, ut Sulla de Mario vindicaretur, Flor. 3, 21, 19.