ergō (rarely with short o in Ov. and the post-Aug. poets, Ov. H. 5, 59 Lennep.; id. Tr. 1, 1, 87; Luc. 9, 256; Val. Fl. 2, 407; Claud. Ep. 4, 17), adv. [for e-regō, from ex and root rag-, to extend upward; cf. Gr. ὀρέγω, L. rego, Germ. ragen; v. erga, and Corss. Ausspr. 1, 448 sqq.], proceeding from or out of.
I With gen. (placed after it, like causa and gratia), in consequence of , on account of , because of (ante-class, but not in Plaut. or Ter.): quojus rei ergo, Cato R. R. 141, 2: hujus rei ergo, id. ib. § 3; 4; ib. 139; Tab. Publica ap. Liv. 40, 52 fin. ; 41, 28 fin. : dono militari virtutis ergo donari, S. C. ap. Liv. 25, 7; so, virtutis ergo, Lex ap. Cic. Opt. Gen. 7, 19; Sisenn. ap. Non. 107, 16: ejus victoriae ergo, Inscr. ap. Nep. Paus. 1, 3: funeris ergo, Lex ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 23 fin. ; 25 fin. : ejus legis ergo, Cic. Att. 3, 23, 2; Quadrig. ap. Gell. 3, 8, 8: formidinis ergo, Lucr. 5, 1246: illius ergo, Verg. A. 6, 670.
II Absol. (for cujus rei ergo), consequently , accordingly , therefore , then (class.): unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem: ergo postque magisque viri nunc gloria claret, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 4, 10; Lucil. ap. Cic. Fin. 1, 3, 9; Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 74: Polemoni et jam ante Aristoteli ea prima visa sunt, quae paulo ante dixi. Ergo nata est sententia veterum Academicorum, etc., Cic. Fin. 2, 11, 34: Albano non plus animi erat quam fidei, nec manere ergo, nec transire aperte ausus, etc., Liv. 1, 27; Verg. E. 5, 58 et saep.—The reason or cause sometimes follows with quia, quod: ergo istoc magis, quia vaniloquus, vapulabis, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 222; cf. id. Mil. 4, 6, 18.—Ante- and postclass. pleonast.: ergo igitur, Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 27; and: igitur ergo, Ap. Met. 1, 5, 18 al. —So in Ter. and Liv.: itaque ergo, Ter. Eun. 316; Liv. 1, 25, 2 Drak.; 3, 31, 5 Gron.; 9, 31 fin. ; 39, 25.—
B Transf.
1 In a logical conclusion, consequently , therefore : negat haec filiam me suam esse: non ergo haec mater mea est, Plaut. Ep. 4, 2, 20; Varr. L. L. 8, § 47; 48; 49; 59 sq. al.: nullum dicere causae esse genus amentia est, etc. ... Relinquitur ergo, ut omnia tria genera sint causarum, Cic. Inv. 1, 9 fin. : quis est enim, in quo sit cupiditas, quin recte cupidus dici possit? Ergo et avarus erit, sed finite, id. Fin. 2, 9, 27; 5, 9, 24: quis tam esset ferreus qui eam vitam ferre posset, etc.? Verum ergo illud est, quod a Tarentino Archyta dici solitum, id. Lael. 23, 88 et saep.; corresponding to igitur, id. ib. 14, 51 fin. and 15, 52 init. ; so consecutively, igitur ... ergo ... ergo ... igitur ... id. N. D. 2, 21, 56 sq.—So with si, cum, quia, etc.: ergo ego nisi peperissem, Roma non oppugnaretur, Liv. 2, 40, 8; Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 34; id. Capt. 2, 3, 63; id. Aul. 4, 10, 25. —So esp. in Cicero, like an (v. an I. D.), in interrogative argumentation, a minore ad majus, or ex aequo, so , so then : ergo haec veteranus miles facere poterit, doctus vir sapiensque non poterit? Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 39; so with the future , id. ib. § 41; 1, 14, 31; 3, 15, 31; id. Off. 1, 31, 114; id. Fin. 2, 33 fin. : ergo illi intelligunt, quid Epicurus dicat, ego non intelligo? id. ib. 2, 4, 13; cf. id. Arch. 9: ergo Ennio licuit vetera contemnenti dicere, etc. ... mihi de antiquis eodem modo non licebit? id. Or. 51, 171; cf. id. Arch. 8, 9 fin. —
2 In interrogations.
a When an explanation is asked, do you say? do you mean? then: S. Quo agis? P. Quo tu? ... S. Quo ergo, scelus? Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 23: Ipsus es? Ch. Ipsus Charmides sum. S. Ergo ipsusne es? id. Trin. 4, 2, 145; id. Ep. 1, 1, 19; Hor. S. 2, 3, 156.—
b When a consequence is inquired for, Engl. then: Ps. lstuc ego jam satis scio. Si. Cur ergo, quod scis, me rogas? Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 10: ergo in iis adolescentibus bonam spem esse dicemus, quos? etc., Cic. Fin. 2, 35, 117: dedemus ergo Hannibalem? dicet aliquis, Liv. 21, 10 fin. et saep.: num ergo is excaecat nos aut orbat sensibus, si? etc., Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 23, 74; so, num ergo, Quint. 10, 1, 5; cf. id. 6, 3, 79: quid stamus? quin ergo imus? why not then? Plaut. Merc. 3, 3, 21; so, quin ergo, id. As. 1, 1, 15; 2, 2, 113; id. Merc. 5, 2, 88; id. Mil. 4, 2, 93.— Esp. freq., quid ergo? like the Gr. τί οὖν, why then? but why? quid ergo hanc dubitas colloqui? Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 17; cf. Cic. Fin. 4, 14; Ter. Phorm. 948; Tib. 3, 6, 51: quid ergo? hujusne vitae propositio Thyesten levare poterit? Cic. Tusc. 3, 18; id. Off. 3, 20, 81; 3, 15, 61; 3, 18, 73; id. Rosc. Am. 1, 2; id. Caecin. 20; id. Mur. 23, 47 et saep.; Caes. B. G. 7, 77, 10 et saep.—
3 With imperatives and words used imperatively, then , now , accordingly : dato ergo istum symbolum illi, Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 57: vide ergo, hanc conclusionem probaturusne sis, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 30, 96: desinite ergo, Caes. B. C. 3, 19 fin. : sequere ergo, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 83; id. Rud. 1, 2, 94; id. Stich. 5, 2, 20; cf.: amplectere ergo, id. Curc. 1, 3, 16: tace ergo, id. Aul. 3, 2, 14; id. Ep. 2, 2, 57: dic ergo, id. Pers. 2, 2, 57: ausculta ergo, id. ib. 4, 6, 19; id. Cas. 2, 4, 18 et saep.: quin tu ergo i modo, come now , begone! id. Merc. 5, 2, 114; cf.: quin tu ergo omitte genua, id. Rud. 3, 2, 14: agedum ergo, id. ib. 3, 4, 15.—So with the subj.: age eamus ergo, intro ergo abeant, Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 17; id. Mil. 1, 1, 78: abeamus ergo intro, id. ib. 3, 3, 69: ergo des minam, id. ib. 5, 27; Cic. Fin. 5, 8 fin. ; id. Brut. 43.—And with the future : ergo, si sapis, mussitabis, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 66.—
4 Like igitur, in resuming an interrupted train of thought, as I was saying; I say , then; well then : tres viae sunt ad Mutinam, quo festinat animus, ut, etc. ... Tres ergo ut dixi viae, Cic. Phil. 12, 9, 22; cf. id. Part. 13, 46; id. de Or. 1, 57; id. Top. 19, 73; id. Tusc. 1, 2, 4.—So (like igitur and inquam) after parenthetical sentences, Cic. Tusc. 1, 7, 14; id. Fin. 2, 34, 113; id. Fam. 15, 10, 1.—Less freq. for inquam in a mere repetition: mihi tuus pater, Pater hujus ergo, hospes Antidamas fuit, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 91; or in beginning a subject with reference to the expectation of the auditors (cf. Gr. ἄρα), then , now : accipite ergo animis, Verg. A. 10, 109; id. Cir. 29. See Hand Turs. II. pp. 440-467.