Lewis & Short

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ex-pĕdĭo, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 4 (archaic fut. expedibo, Enn., Pac., Att., and Pompon. ap. Non. 505, 15 sq.; 477, 2; Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 36), v. a. [pes], orig., to free the feet, i. e. from a snare; hence, in gen., to extricate, disengage, let loose, set free, liberate any thing entangled, involved (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.; syn.: extrico, enodo, enucleo, explico, expono, interpretor, etc.).

  1. I. Lit.: videte, in quot se laqueos induerit, quorum ex nullo se umquam expediet, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 42, § 102; cf. id. ib. 43, § 106: mortis laqueis caput, Hor. C. 3, 24, 8; cf. also: vix illigatum te triformi Pegasus expediet Chimaera, id. ib. 1, 27, 24: flammam inter et hostes Expedior, make my way through, Verg. A. 2, 633: errantem nemori, Ov. F. 4, 669 et saep.
    With inanim. and abstr. objects: aditus expediunt, open a passage, Caes. B. G. 7, 86 fin.: sibi locum, id. B. C. 2, 9, 6: iter fugae per invias rupes, Liv. 38, 2, 14: agrum saxosum lectione lapidum, Col. 2, 2, 12: capillus pectine quotidie expediendus est, disentangled, Fronto de Eloqu. init.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. In gen., to fetch out, bring forward, procure, make ready, prepare any thing folded up, put away, etc.: funes expediunt, Sisenn. ap. Non. 297, 1: vela, Ov. H. 17, 200: hominem nudari et virgas expediri jubet, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 62, § 161: cererem canistris, Verg. A. 1, 702: convivia mediis tectis (famulae), Val. Fl. 2, 341; cf.: cibaria pastoribus, to provide, Varr. R. R. 2, 10, 6: merces suas (institor), Ov. A. A. 1, 422: pecuniam, to procure, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 298, 22; Suet. Caes. 4: arma, to hold in readiness, Caes. B. G. 7, 18 fin.; Tac. A. 2, 79; Verg. A. 4, 592: tela equosque, Liv. 38, 25, 14: ferrum, id. 24, 26, 10: naves, Caes. B. C. 2, 4 fin.: vineas in occulto, id. B. G 7, 27, 2: copias, Tac. A. 13, 7: se celeriter (Galli equites), Caes. B. C. 1, 51, 4: se, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 52; Liv. 38, 21, 2; cf. mid.: exercitum expediri ad bellum jubet, Tac. H. 2, 99.
      2. 2. to send away, despatch (poet.): me ex suis locis pulcre ornatum expedivit, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 3: saepe disco, Saepe trans finem jaculo nobilis expedito, despatched, i. e. hurled, Hor. C. 1, 8, 12.
      3. 3. Absol., for expedire se, to arm one’s self for battle (only in Tac.), Tac. H. 1, 10: multos secum expedire jubet, id. ib. 1, 88; 2, 99.
  2. II. Trop., to bring out, extricate, release, free from any evil, obstacle, etc.: impeditum animum, Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 17; cf.: sapientis est, cum stultitiā suā impeditus sit, quoquo modo possit, se expedire, Cic. Rab. Post. 9, 24: haererem, nisi tu me expedisses, id. Pis. 30, 74: ex servitute filium, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 94; cf.: se ex turba, Ter. Ad. 4, 4, 5: se ab omni occupatione, Cic. Att. 3, 20, 2: aliquem omni molestiā, id. ib. 2, 25, 2; so, se aerumnis, Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 8: se crimine, id. ib. 5, 1, 28: se cura, id. Phorm. 5, 4, 4: civitatem malis obsidionalibus, Amm. 16, 4, 3: amor Lycisci me tenet, Unde expedire non queant amicorum consilia, Hor. Epod. 11, 25: curae sagaces Expediunt (Claudiae manus) per acuta belli, bring or help through, id. C. 4, 4, 76; cf.: per quot discrimina rerum Expedior? escape, Val. Fl. 1, 217: me multa impediverunt quae ne nunc quidem expedita sunt, Cic. Fam. 14, 19: si vita nostra in aliquas insidias incidisset, omnis honesta ratio esset expediendae salutis, of obtaining safety, id. Mil. 4, 10.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. To put in order, arrange, set right: cum Antonio loquare velim, et rem, ut poteris, expedias, Cic. Att. 11, 18, 2: expedire et conficere res, id. Brut. 42, 154: rem frumentariam, Caes. B. G. 7, 36, 1; id. B. C. 1, 54 fin.: negotia (with explicare), Cic. Fam. 13, 26, 2; cf. id. ib. 1, 3, 1: nomina mea, per deos, expedi, exsolve, settle, pay, id. Att. 16, 6, 3: nomen, id. ib. 13, 29, 3: Faberianum, id. ib. 12, 29, 2; cf. in a pun respecting a scholar unable to pay his debts: omnes solvere posse quaestiones, Unum difficile expedire nomen, Bibacul. ap. Suet. Gram. 11: quemadmodum expediam exitum hujus institutae orationis, non reperio, settle, arrange, Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 2; cf.: expediri quae restant vix poterunt. si hoc relinqueris, id. Rep. 1, 35, 55: consilia sua, Tac. H. 3, 73: docte hanc fallaciam, put into operation, Plaut. Capt. prol. 40.
      2. 2. Of speech, to disclose, unfold, explain, relate, narrate (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic., Cæs., or Quint.): qui tu misera’s? mi expedi, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 50 (639 Ritschl): id ego aequum ac jus fecisse expedibo atque eloquar, will show, Enn. ap. Non. 505, 19; Pac., Att., Pompon. ib. 15 sq.: agedum, hoc mihi expedi, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 27: altius omnem Expediam prima repetens ab origine famam, Verg. G. 4, 286: pauca tibi e multis … expediam dictis, id. A. 3, 379: priusquam hujuscemodi rei initium expedio, Sall. J. 5, 2: nunc originem, mores, et quo facinore dominationem raptum ierit, expediam, Tac. A. 4, 1: me non tantum praevisa, sed subita expedire docuisti, id. ib. 14, 55: ea de caede quam verissime expediam, id. H. 4, 48: promptius expediam quot, etc., i. e. it will take me a shorter time to recount, Juv. 10, 220.
      3. 3. Reflex. of events, to develop, run their course, proceed: amoris arteis eloquar quem ad modum se expediant, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 10; cf.: ut res vostrorum omnium bene expedire voltis, to make favorable progress, id. Am. prol. 5 (Lorenz ad Plaut. Trin. 2, 36; but Ussing reads me expedire, benefit me).
      4. 4. Absol., res expedit, or impers., expedit (alicui—lit., it helps out, furthers, promotes; hence), it is serviceable, profitable, advantageous, useful, expedient (class.): nequiter paene expedivit prima parasitatio, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 23: non igitur faciat, dixerit quis, quod utile sit, quod expediat? Immo intelligat, nihil nec expedire nec utile esse, quod sit injustum, Cic. Off. 3, 19, 76; cf.: quid intersit sua, quid expediat, id. Agr. 2, 25, 66: ex utilitatis varietatibus, cum aliis aliud expediat, nasci discordias, id. Rep. 1, 32; cf.: ut non idem expediret, incidere saepe, id. Lael. 10, 33: quidquam Caesari ad diuturnitatem victoriae et dominationis, id. Att. 7, 22, 1: non idem ipsis expedire et multitudini, Nep. Milt. 3, 5 al.
        With an inf. clause as subject: expedit bonas esse vobis, Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 8; cf.: omnibus bonis expedit salvam esse rem publicam, Cic. Phil. 13, 8, 16: cui (reo) damnari expediret, id. Verr. 2, 1, 3 fin.: cum eam (pecuniam) in praediis collocari maxime expediret, id. Caecin. 6, 16: ubi vinci necesse est, expedit cedere, Quint. 6, 4, 16; Hor. C. 2, 8, 9 et saep.
        With subj. clause as subject after ut or ne (post-class.): expedire omnibus dicunt, ut singulae civitates suas leges habeant, Just. 34, 1, 7 Benecke ad loc.: expedit rei publicae, ne sua re quis male utatur, Just. Inst. 1, 8, 2: neque expedire ut ambitione aliena trahatur, Tac. A. 3, 69.
        Absol.: tu si ita expedit, velim quamprimum conscendas, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 2, 4: sic magis expedit, Quint. 4, 2, 67: ut expediat causae, id. 7, 3, 18.
        Hence, ex-pĕdītus, a, um, P. a., unimpeded, unincumbered, disengaged, free, easy, ready, at hand.
    1. A. Of persons: cum ceteris quae habebat vadimonia differt, ut expeditus in Galliam proficisci posset, Cic. Quint. 6, 23: incrmos armati, impeditos expediti interficiunt, i. e. without baggage, Sisenn. ap. Non. 58, 8; cf.: eo circiter hominum numero XVI. milia expedita cum omni equitatu Ariovistus misit, Caes. B. G. 1, 49, 3: legiones expeditae, id. B. C. 1, 42, 1; so of soldiers without baggage, id. ib. 2, 19, 2; 6, 25, 1; 1, 27 fin. et saep.
      As subst.: expĕdī-tus, i, m., a soldier lightly burdened, a swiftly marching soldier: latitudo (silvae) novem dierum iter expedito patet, Caes. B. G. 6, 25, 1: obviam fit ei Clodius expeditus in equo, Cic. Mil. 10, 28; cf. Sagana, tucked up, Hor. Epod. 5, 25: expedito nobis homine et parato opus est, ready, at hand, prompt, Cic. Phil. 11, 10, 26; cf.: expeditus ad caedem, id. Agr. 2, 30, 82: ad pronuntiandum, id. de Or. 2, 30, 131; cf.: facilis et expeditus ad dicendum, id. Brut. 48 fin.
    2. B. Of inanim. or abstr. things, convenient, at hand: iis expedito loco actuaria navigia relinquit, commodious, Caes. B. C. 1, 27; cf.: via expeditior ad honores, Cic. Fl. 41, 104: reditum in caelum patere optimo et justissimo cuique expeditissimum, id. Lael. 4, 13: pecunia expeditissima quae erat, tibi decreta est, the readiest, the nearest at hand, id. Fam. 11, 24, 2; cf. rationes, id. ib. 10, 25, 2: cena (with parca), Plin. Ep. 3, 12, 1: expeditissimum unguentorum, Plin. 13, 1, 2, § 8: probabili expedito, soluto, libero, nullā re implicato, Cic. Ac. 2, 33, 105: expedita erat et perfacile currens oratio, id. Brut. 63, 227; cf.: expedita ac profluens dicendi celeritas, id. ib. 61, 220: inops ad ornandum, sed ad inveniendum expedita Hermagorae disciplina, id. ib. 76, 263: prope jam expeditam Caesaris victoriam interpellaverunt, achieved, Caes. B. C. 3, 70 fin.
        1. b. In the neutr. absol.: in expedito esse, habere, etc., to be or have in readiness or at hand: quaedam sunt quidem in animo, sed parum prompta: quae incipiunt in expedito esse, quum dicta sunt, Sen. Ep. 94 med.; cf.: promptum hoc et in expedito positum, Quint. 10, 7, 24: in expedito haberent integras copias ad opem ferendam, ready for action, Liv. 36, 16, 10.
          Hence, adv.: ex-pĕdīte, without impediment, without difficulty, readily, promptly, quickly: in iis rebus celeriter expediteque percipiendis, quae, etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 12 fin.: expedite explicans quod proposuerat, id. Brut. 67, 237: fabulatu’s, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 63: loqui, Suet. Aug. 89.
          Comp.: non implicite et abscondite, sed patentius et expeditius, Cic. Inv 2, 23, 69: navigare, id. Att. 6, 8, 4: fit putatio, Col. Arb. 11, 1.
          Sup.: ex quo te, quocumque opus erit, facillime et expeditissime conferas, Cic. Fam. 6, 20, 2.

expĕdītus, a, um, Part. and P. a., from expedio.