postĕā (in some edd. also separately, post ĕa), adv. [post- and acc. plur. ea, orig. eā, Corss. Ausspr. 1, 769].
I After this or that , hereafter , thereafter , afterwards : P. Considius, qui in exercitu P. Sullae, et postea in M. Crassi fuerat, Caes. B. G. 1, 21; Cic. N. D. 2, 35, 90; id. Brut. 3, 12: postea, cum mihi nihil scriberetur, verebar ne, etc., id. Fam. 2, 19, 1: postea vero quam equitatus in conspectum venit, Caes. B. G. 4, 37; Cato R. R. 156. —With abl. of difference of time (class.): postea aliquanto, a little while after , Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154: paucis postea mensibus, id. Clu. 47, 130: brevi postea mortuus est, id. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 142: non multo postea, not long after , id. Cat. 1, 6, 15: paulo postea, Amm. 26, 10, 5: multo postea, id. 28, 4, 3.— So with adv. of time (post-class.): non diu postea, Amm. 14, 11, 24: haud longe postea, id. 14, 7, 17: longe autem postea, id. 17, 4, 5.—With deinde , inde , or deinceps , then , after that , afterwards : legati deinde postea missi ab rege, Liv. 41, 24: inde postea, id. 44, 24: postea deinceps, id. 45, 14.
II — postea quam (also as one word, posteaquam), after that (very freq. in Cic.): postea quam ego in Siciliam veni, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 56, § 138: posteaquam honoribus inservire coepi, id. Off. 2, 1, 4; 3, 2, 8: postea quam nuntii venerint, Caes. B. G. 6, 10; 7, 82; 5, 32: posteaquam Agesilaum misere, Just. 6, 2, 7.—Rarely with pluperf. : postea quam tantam multitudinem conlegerat emblematum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 54 (cf. Zumpt, § 507 b).—So, too, postea vero quam, Caes. B. G. 4, 37; Cic. Fam. 3, 7, 5; Sall. J. 29, 3; Nep. Dion, 4, 3 al.; cf.: postea autem quam ei nuntiatum est, Cic. Clu. 67, 192: postea (or post ea) loci for postea: post ea loci consul pervenit in oppidum, Sall. J. 102, 1.—
II Transf.
A Afterwards , for then , besides (ante-class.), Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 35; id. Most. 1, 3, 131 (dub.).—
B Then , in consequence of this : nonne haec justa tibi videntur postea? Ter. Ad. 660.— Hence, quid postea? what next? what further? what then? Ter. Eun. 793: quid postea, si Romae assiduus fui? Cic. Rosc. Am. 33, 94: at enim nemo post reges exactos de plebe consul fuit: quid postea? Liv. 4, 4.