crēdo, dĭdi, dĭtum, 3 (pres. subj. creduam, Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 2: creduas, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 72; id. Trin. 3, 1, 5: creduat, id. Bacch. 3, 4, 5; 4, 7, 6: creduis, id. Am. 2, 2, 49; id. Capt. 3, 4, 73: creduit, id. Truc. 2, 2, 52; inf. credier, id. Poen. 2, 43; crevi for credidi, id. Cist. 1, 1, 1), v. a. [Sanscr. crat, crad, trust, and dha-; v. 2. do].
I Orig. belonging to the lang. of business, to give as a loan, to loan, lend, make or loan to any one: (vilicus) injussu domini credat nemini; quod dominus crediderit, exigat, Cato R. R. 5, 4: quibus credas male, Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 20; cf. populis, Cic. Rab. Post. 2, 4: alicui grandem pecuniam, id. ib. 2, 4; so, pecunias ei, id. Fam. 1, 7, 6; and: pecuniae creditae, id. Prov. Cons. 4, 7: centum talenta, Quint. 5, 10, 111: solutio rerum creditarum, Cic. Off. 2, 24, 84 et saep.—Hence,
B crēdĭtum , i, n., a loan , Sall. C. 25, 4; Liv. 6, 15, 5; 6, 27, 3; 8, 28, 3; Sen. Ben. 2, 34, 1; Quint. 5, 10, 105; 5, 10, 117; Dig. 12, 1, 19 sq. et saep.—
II Transf. beyond the circle of business (very freq. in every period and species of composition).
A With the prevailing idea of intended protection, to commit or consign something to one for preservation, protection, etc., to intrust to one , = committo, commendo (cf. concredo): ubi is obiit mortem, qui mihi id aurum credidit, Plaut. Aul. prol. 15 (credere est servandum commendare, Non. p. 275, 9); so, nummum, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 112 (for which id. ib. 4, 2, 115, concredere): alicujus fidei potestatique (with committere), Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 9, § 27; cf. id. ib. 1, 1, 4, § 14: vitam ac fortunas meas, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 275, 8; cf. Ter. And. 272: militi arma, Liv. 2, 45, 10: se suaque omnia alienissimis, Caes. B. G. 6, 31: se ponto, Ov. M. 14, 222: se perfidis hostibus, Hor. C. 3, 5, 33: se ventis, Quint. 12, prooem. § 2: pennis se caelo, Verg. A. 6, 15; cf. Ov. M. 2, 378: se pugnae, Verg. A. 5, 383 et saep.: crede audacter quid lubet, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 118: facinus magnum timido pectori, id. Ps. 2, 1, 3: illi consilia omnia, Ter. Ad. 872: arcanos sensus tibi, Verg. A. 4, 422; cf.: arcana libris, Hor. S. 2, 1, 31: aliquid cerae, Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 67.—Poet., with in and acc.: inque novos soles audent se germina tuto Credere, Verg. G. 2, 333.—
B With the prevailing idea of bestowing confidence, to trust to or confide in a person or thing, to have confidence in, to trust.
1 With dat.: virtuti suorum satis credere, Sall. J. 106, 3; cf. id. ib. 72, 2: praesenti fortunae, Liv. 45, 8, 6: consules magis non confidere quam non credere suis militibus, rather mistrusted their intentions than their valor , id. 2, 45, 4: nec jam amplius hastae, Verg. A. 11, 808: ne nimium colori, id. E. 2, 17: bibulis talaribus, Ov. M. 4, 731.—Freq. in eccl. Lat.: Moysi et mihi, Vulg. Johan. 5, 46: verbis meis, id. Luc. 1, 20.—
2 Esp., with in and acc. of pers., to believe in, trust in (eccl. Lat.): hoc est ergo credere in Deum, credendo adhaerere ad bene coöperandum bona operanti Deo, Aug. Enarr. in Psa. 77, 8: qui fidem habet sine spe ac dilectione, Christum esse credit, non in Christum credit, id. Serm. 144, 2: qui credit in Filium habet vitam aeternam, Vulg. Johan. 3, 36 et saep.—
C To trust one in his declarations, assertions , etc., i. e. to give him credence, to believe : injurato, scio, plus credet mihi, quam jurato tibi, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 284 sq.: vin' me istuc tibi, etsi incredibile'st, credere? Ter. Heaut. 624: credit jam tibi de isto, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 53: cui omnium rerum ipsus semper credit, in every thing , id. As. 2, 4, 59; cf. id. Truc. 2, 2, 52: diu deliberandum et concoquendum est, utrum potius Chaereae injurato in suā lite, an Manilio et Luscio juratis in alieno judicio credatis, Cic. Rosc. Com. 15, 45.—
b Mihi crede, believe me, confide in my words, upon my word , ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ, an expression of confirmation, Plaut. Ep. 3, 2, 4; Cic. Cat. 1, 3, 6; id. Mur. 19, 40; 38, 82; id. de Or. 2, 17, 72; id. Off. 3, 19, 75; id. Tusc. 1, 31, 75; 1, 43, 103; id. Fin. 2, 21, 68 et saep.; Hor. S. 1, 7, 35; 2, 6, 93 al.; cf.: mihi credite, Cic. Cat. 2, 7, 15; id. Agr. 3, 4, 16; Liv. 24, 22, 17; Ov. M. 15, 254 al.—In the same sense (but more rare in Cic.): crede mihi, Cic. Att. 6, 6, 1; 14, 15, 2; 11, 6, 1; id. Verr. 2, 4, 59, § 133; Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 4; Ov. A. A. 1, 66; id. M. 1, 361; id. Tr. 3, 4, 25: crede igitur mihi, Cic. Fam. 10, 6, 2: credite mihi, Curt. 6, 11, 25.—
c Credor in poets several times equivalent to creditur mihi: certe credemur, ait, si verba sequatur Exitus, Ov. F. 3, 351; so id. Tr. 3, 10, 35: creditus accepit cantatas protinus herbas, etc., id. M. 7, 98; so in part. , id. H. 17, 129; cf.: (Cassandra) non umquam credita Teucris, Verg. A. 2, 247.—
d Sibi, to believe one's self, trust one's own convictions, be fully convinced : cum multa dicta sunt sapienter et graviter, tum vel in primis, crede nobis, crede tibi, Plin. Pan. 74: fieri malunt alieni erroris accessio, quam sibi credere, Min. Fel. 24, 2: non satis sibi ipsi credebant, Auct. B. Alex. 6:—
2 With simple reference to the object mentioned or asserted, to believe a thing, hold or admit as true : velim te id quod verum est credere, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 275, 6; cf.: credo et verum est, Afer ap. Quint. 6, 3, 94: me miseram! quid jam credas? aut cur credas? Ter. Ad. 330: quod fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt, Caes. B. G. 3, 18; cf. Quint. 6, 2, 5: audivi ista ... sed numquam sum addictus ut crederem, Cic. Brut. 26, 100: ne quid de se temere crederent, Sall. C. 31, 7: res Difficilis ad credundum, Lucr. 2, 1027; cf. Caes. B. G. 5, 28 et saep.— Pass. : res tam scelesta ... credi non potest, Cic. Rosc. Am. 22, 62.— Pass. impers. : in quo scelere, etiam cum multae causae convenisse unum in locum atque inter se congruere videntur, tamen non temere creditur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 22, 62.—
b In gen. = opinor, arbitror, to be of opinion, to think, believe, suppose .
α With acc.: timeo ne aliud credam atque aliud nunties, Ter. Hec. 844: quae deserta et inhospita tesqua credis, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 20: fortem crede bonumque, id. ib. 1, 9, 13: quos gravissimos sapientiae magistros aetas vetus credidit, Quint. 12, 1, 36.— Pass. : potest ... falsum aliquid pro vero credi, Sall. C. 51, 36: origo animi caelestis creditur, Quint. 1, 1, 1; 8, prooem. § 24: Evander venerabilior divinitate creditā Carmentae matris, Liv. 1, 7, 8.—
β With acc. and inf. (so most freq.): jam ego vos novisse credo, ut sit pater meus, Plaut. Am. prol. 104: cum reliquum exercitum subsequi crederet, Caes. B. G. 6, 31: caelo tonantem credidimus Jovem Regnare. Hor. C. 3, 5, 1 et saep.: victos crederes, one would have thought, one might have imagined , Liv. 2, 43, 9; so Curt. 4, 10, 23; cf. Zumpt, Lat. Gr. § 528.— Pass. : navis praeter creditur ire, Lucr. 4, 389: quem (Athin) peperisse Limnate creditur, Ov. M. 5, 49: creditus est optime dixisse, Quint. 3, 1, 11; cf. id. 10, 2, 125 al.— Impers. : credetur abesse ab eo culpam, Quint. 11, 1, 64: neque sine causā creditum est, stilum non minus agere cum delet, id. 10, 4, 1 al.— So in the abl. part. pass. credito, with acc. and inf., Tac. A. 3, 14; 6, 34.—
γ Absol. : credo inserted, like opinor, puto, etc., and the Gr. οἶμαι, as a considerate, polite, or ironical expression of one's opinion, I believe, as I think, I suppose, I dare say , etc.: credo, misericors est, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 144; so placed first, id. Cas. 2, 6, 3; Ter. And. 313; Cic. Cat. 1, 2, 5; id. Sull. 4, 11; Caes. B. C. 3, 70; Sall. C. 52, 13; Liv. 4, 17, 7; Hor. S. 2, 2, 90: Mulciber, credo, arma fecit, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 32; so id. Truc. 2, 5, 27; Caes. B. C. 2, 31; Cic. Fin. 1, 3, 7; id. Tusc. 1, 22, 52; Verg. A. 6, 368 et saep.: aut jam hic aderit, credo hercle, aut jam adest, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 74.