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.

spondĕo, spŏpondi, sponsum, 2 (perf. spepondi, Cic., Caes., and Val. Antias ap. Gell. 7, 9, 12 sq.; Inscr. Orell. 4358; without redup. sponderat, Tert. Carm. adv. Mart. 3, 135; subj. sponsis = spoponderis, an ancient formula of prayer in Fest. p. 351 Müll.), v. a. [akin with σπένδω, to pour out, = libare; cf. σπονδαί, league].

  1. I. Jurid. and publicists’ t. t.
    1. A. In bargains, covenants, treaties, etc., to promise solemnly, to bind, engage, or pledge one’s self (class.; syn.: recipio, stipulor, promitto; cf.: vadimonium obire, vadari); according to the civil law in its original form, it was essential to a binding contract verbally made (verbis) that a proposition and its acceptance should be expressed by the question spondes? and the answer spondeo; and only at a later period was the use of promitto, etc., valid (v. Sandars, Introd. ad Just. Inst. p. LV): verbis obligatio fit ex interrogatione et responsione, velut, Dari spondes? Spondeo. Dabis? Dabo. Promittis? Promitto; sed haec quidem verborum obligatio: dari spondes? spondeo, propria civium Romanorum est, cetera vero juris gentium sunt, Gai. Inst. 3, 91 sq.; Dig. 45, 1, 126; 45, 1, 133; cf. the whole title, ib. 45, 1: De verborum obligationibus: He. Aeternum tibi dapinabo victum, si vera autumas … Er. Sponden’ tu istut? He. Spondeo, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 118: qui stulte spondet, Cato ap. Rufin. 18, p. 210: quis stipulatus est? Ubi? Quo die? Quis spopondisse me dicit? Nemo, Cic. Rosc. Com. 5, 13: ut aliquando spondere se diceret, id. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 142: si quis quod spopondit, quā in re verbo se obligavit uno, si id non facit, etc., id. Caecin. 3, 7: faeneris, quod stipulanti spoponderam tibi, reliquam pensiunculam percipe, Col. 10 praef.: ego meā fide spondeo futurum ut omnia invenias, etc., Plin. Ep. 1, 14, 10.
    2. B. To promise for another, to become security for a person, to enter bail, etc.: quod multis benigne fecerit, pro multis spoponderit, has become security, Cic. Planc. 19, 47: sed tamen scire velim quando dicar spopondisse et pro patre anne pro filio, id. Att. 12, 14, 2: quod pro Cornificio me abhinc annis XXV. spopondisse dicit Flavius, id. ib. 12, 17: et se quisque paratum ad spondendum Icilio ostendere, Liv. 3, 46, 7: sponsum diceres advocasse, Cic. Fragm. Clod. et Cur. 3, 4, p. 29 B. and K.: hic sponsum vocat, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 67: sponsum descendam, quia promisi, Sen. Ben. 4, 39, 2.
      1. 2. Transf., of promises or pledges made in behalf of a government, etc.: non foedere pax Caudina, sed per sponsionem facta est … Spoponderunt consules, legati, quaestores, tribuni militum, Liv. 9, 5, 4: quod spondendo pacem servassent exercitum, id. 9, 8, 15: quid tandem si spopondissemus urbem hanc relicturum populum Romanum? id. 9, 9, 6: ea demum sponsio esset, quam populi jussu spopondissemus, id. 9, 9, 13: hosti nihil spopondistis, civem neminem spondere pro vobis jussistis, id. 9, 9, 16.
    3. C. Esp., to promise or engage in marriage, betroth: qui uxorem ducturus erat ab eo unde ducenda erat, stipulabatur eam in matrimonium ductam iri; qui daturus erat itidem spondebat. Tum quae promissa erat sponsa appellabatur, qui spoponderat ducturum, sponsus, Sulp. Dot. ap. Gell. 4, 4, 2: Ly. Istac lege filiam tuam sponden’ mihi uxorem dari? Ch. Spondeo. Ca. Et ego spondeo idem hoc, Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 38 sq.; 2, 4, 172: Me. Etiam mihi despondes filiam? Eu. Illis legibus, Cum illā dote quam tibi dixi. Me. Sponden’ ergo? Eu. Spondeo, id. Aul. 2, 2, 78: Ph. Spondesne, miles, mi hanc uxorem? Th. Spondeo. Ph. Et ego huic victum spondeo, id. Curc. 5, 2, 73 sq.: sponden tu ergo tuam gnatam uxorem mihi? Ch. Spondeo et mille auri Philippum dotis, id. Trin. 5, 2, 34.
      Hence, of women, alicui sponsam esse, to be betrothed, engaged to a man: si volt Demipho Dare quantum ab hac accipio, quae sponsa est mihi, Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 52: scis, sponsam mihi (esse)? id. Eun. 5, 9 (8), 6; Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 101 sq.; 2, 4, 172; 2, 4, 174; id. Poen. 5, 3, 43.
    4. D. = sponsionem facere (v. sponsio, II.), to lay a judicial wager, to enter into an agreement to pay contingent on the truth or falsity of an assertion: si hoc ita est, qui spondet mille nummūm? P. Afric. ap. Gell. 6 (7), 11, 9.
      So, absol.: cum illi jacenti latera tunderentur, ut aliquando spondere se diceret, should declare that he made the required wager, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 142 (cf. sponsum, P. a. fin. infra); Dig. 11, 5, 3.
  2. II. In gen., to promise sacredly, to warrant, vow (class.).
      1. 1. With fut. inf.: promitto, recipio, spondeo, C. Caesarem talem semper fore civem, qualis hodie sit, Cic. Phil. 5, 18, 51: ut (eum) inimicissimum huic conjurationi futurum esse, promittam et spondeam, id. Mur. 41, 90: et ipse spondeo et omnes hoc tibi tui pro me recipient, te fructum esse capturum, etc., id. Fam. 13, 50, 2: quis est qui spondeat eundum, si differtur bellum, animum postea fore, Liv. 5, 5, 9: quae si perpetua concordia sit, quis non spondere ausit, maximum hoc imperium brevi futurum esse? id. 5, 3, 10: spondebant animis id (bellum) P. Cornelium finiturum, with full conviction, id. 28, 38, 9; cf. id. 3, 59, 3: sponde affore reges, Val. Fl. 3, 504.
      2. 2. With inf. pres., to warrant, give assurance of an existing fact: spondebo enim tibi, vel potius spondeo in meque recipio, eos esse M’. Curii mores, Cic. Fam. 13, 17, 2.
      3. 3. With acc. of thing (and often dat. pers.): quibus cum consulem suum reliquissent, honores et praemia spopondistis, Cic. Phil. 5, 11, 28: mihi sex menses sati’ sunt vitae, septimum Orco spondeo, Poët. ap. Cic. Fin. 2, 7, 22: ea spondent, confirmant, quae, quidem mihi exploratiora essent, si remansissem, Cic Att. 11, 6, 3: quod ego non modo de me tibi spondere possum, sed de te etiam mihi, id. Fam. 15, 21, 1: ac de infante (Tiberio) Scribonius mathematicus praeclara spopondit, Suet. Tib. 14: tantum sibi vel de viribus suis, vel de fortunā spondentes, Just. 3, 4, 1; Amm. 24, 1, 8: illius et dites monitis spondentibus Indi, Val. Fl. 6, 117: non si mihi Juppiter auctor Spondeat, hoc sperem Italiam contingere caelo, Verg. A. 5, 18: spondere fidem, Ov. M. 10, 395: officium Amori, id. ib. 10, 418.
      4. 4. Transf., of inanim. or abstract subjects (mostly poet. and post-Aug.): nec quicquam placidum spondentia Martis Sidera presserunt, Ov. Ib. 217: quod prope diem futurum spondet et virtus et fortuna vestra, Liv. 7, 30, 8: eorum hominum erat, qui, quantum spes spopondisset, cuperent, ni, etc., id. 45, 19, 7: magna de illo (Philippo) spes fuit propter ipsius ingenium, quod magnum spondebat virum, Just. 7, 6, 1.
        Hence, sponsus, a, um, P. a., promised, engaged, betrothed, affianced; substt,
    1. A. sponsus, i, m., a betrothed man, a bridegroom: virgo Sponso superba, Titin. ap. Non. 305, 5: accede ad sponsum audacter, id. ib. 227, 15; Cic. Inv. 2, 26, 78: sponsus regius, Hor. C. 3, 2, 10.
      Poet., of Penelope’s suitors, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 28.
    2. B. spon-sa, ae, f., a betrothed woman, a bride: scio equidem, sponsam tibi esse et filium ex sponsā tuā, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 12; Ter. And. 2, 1, 24: flebilis sponsa, Hor. C. 4, 2, 21 et saep.
      Prov.: suam cuique sponsam, mihi meam, i. e. every one to his taste, Atil. ap. Cic. Att. 14, 20, 3.
    3. C. sponsum, i, n., a covenant, agreement, engagement: sponsum negare, to break or disown one’s pledge, Hor. S. 1, 3, 95: sponsus contra sponsum rogatus, Varr. L. L. 7, § 107 Müll.
          1. (β) Esp., a judicial wager (cf. sponsio, II.): ex sponso egit, Cic. Quint. 9, 32.

sponsum, i, v. spondeo, P. a., C.

1. sponsus, a, um, Part. and P. a. of spondeo.

2. sponsus, i, v. spondeo, P. a., A.

3. sponsus, ūs, m. [spondeo], an engagement, betrothal; bail, suretyship (rare but class.): quod sponsu erat alligatus, Varr. L. L. 6, § 71 sq. Müll.: de sponsu si quid perspexeris, Cic. Att. 12, 19, 2: agere cum aliquo ex sponsu, Varr. 1. 1.: sponsu locare, Phaedr. 1, 16, 1; Sulp. ap. Gell. 4, 4, 2: lex Furia de sponsu adversus eum, qui, etc., Gai. Inst. 4, 22.