Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

ex-pĭo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to make satisfaction, amends, atonement for a crime or a criminal; to purify any thing defiled with crime; to atone for, to expiate, purge by sacrifice (freq. and class.; syn.: pio, lustro, placo, paco).

  1. I. Relig. t. t.
    1. A. Lit.: SACRVM COMMISSVM QVOD NEQVE EXPIARI POTERIT, IMPIE COMMISSVM ESTO: QVOD EXPIARI POTERIT, PVBLICI SACERDOTES EXPIANTO, Cic. Leg. 2, 9, 21: scelus, Hor. C. 1, 2, 29; cf.: tua scelera di immortales in nostros milites expiaverunt, i. e. have avenged, Cic. Pis. 35, 85: in iis sine illius suffimentis expiati sumus, id. Leg. 1, 14, 40; cf.: imperatum patri, ut filium expiaret pecunia publica, Liv. 1, 26, 12: aliquem, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 34: puerum lustralibus salivis, Pers. 2, 33: quae violata sunt, expiabuntur, Cic. Att. 1, 17, 7; cf.: expiandum forum Romanum a nefarii sceleris vestigiis, id. Rab. Perd. 4, 11; id. Phil. 1, 12, 30.
    2. B. To avert an omen or sign, i. e. to prevent the evil indicated by it: quae di significent, quemadmodum ea procurentur atque expientur, Cic. Div. 2, 63, 139: prodigia quae neque hostiis neque votis piare fas habet gens superstitioni obnoxia, Tac. H. 5, 13 init.: arma nondum expiatis uncta cruoribus, Hor. C. 2, 1, 5: dira detestatio nulla expiatur victima, id. Epod. 5, 90 et saep.
  2. II. Transf., beyond the relig. sphere.
    1. A. To atone for, make amends for, repair, make good: haec superioris aetatis exempla expiata Saturnini atque Gracchorum casibus docet, Caes. B. C. 1, 7, 5: malam potentiam servili supplicio, Tac. H. 4, 11: legatorum injurias regisque caedem, Liv. 1, 14, 3: errorem, Plin. Ep. 8, 10, 1 et saep.: incommodum virtute, Caes. B. G. 5, 52 fin.: cladem victoriis, Flor. 1, 12.
    2. B. To appease (very rare): a me etiam poenas expetistis, quibus conjuratorum manes mortuorum expiaretis, Cic. Pis. 7, 16: tutelam navis, Petr. 105: iram, Sen. Oet. 857.