vădĭmōnĭum, ii, n. [1. vas]; jurid. t. t., a promise secured by bail for appearance on a particular day before a tribunal, bail, security, recognizance.
I Lit.: cum autem in jus vocatus fuerit adversarius ni eo die finitum fuerit negotium, vadimonium ei faciendum est, id est, ut promittat, se certo die sisti, Gai Inst. 4, 184; cf. as to the several kinds of vadimonia, id. ib. 4, 185 sqq.: ubi tu's, qui me convadatu's Veneriis vadimoniis? to appear before Venus , Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 5: se jam neque vadari amplius neque vadimonium promittere, Cic. Quint. 6, 23: hominem in praesentia non vadatur; ita sine vadimonio disceditur, id. ib. 6, 23: ne quis extra suum forum vadimonium promittere cogatur, etc., id. Verr. 2, 3, 15, § 38; id. Quint. 20, 63; so, promittere (alicui Romam Lilybaeum, etc.), id. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 141; id. Tull. 8, 20: constituere, to fix by agreement , id. Sen. 7, 21: concipere, to draw up a form of recognizance , id. Q. Fr. 2, 15, 3; cf.: aptius hae capiant vadimonia garrula cerae, Ov. Am. 1, 12, 23: res esse in vadimonium coepit, comes to giving bail , i. e. is to be tried by due course of law , Cic. Quint. 5, 22: vadimonium est mihi cum aliquo, am under recognizance , am bound to appear , id. ib. 18, 56: sistere, to keep one's recognizance , make one's appearance , present one's self in court , Cato ap. Gell. 2, 14, 1; Cic. Quint. 8, 29; Nep. Att. 9, 4; v. sisto, I. C. 2.: ad vadimonium venire, Cic. Quint. 21, 67; 5, 22: non venire, id. ib. 15, 48; 16, 52 sq.: quā (horā) tibi vadimonium non sit obitum, id. ib. 16, 53; so, obire, id. ib. 17, 54; Plin. Ep. 8, 12, 3: descendere ad vadimonium, Sen. Ep. 8, 5: occurrere ad vadimonium, Suet. Calig. 39: ad vadimonium currere, Prop. 4 (5), 2, 57: facere, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 19; Cic. Quint. 18, 57; Val. Max. 3, 7, 1; Liv. 23, 32, 1; Juv. 3, 298: differre, to put off the day of appearance , Cic. Att. 2, 7, 2; id. Fam. 2, 8, 1: ceteris quae habebat vadimonia differt, id. Quint. 6, 23 fin. : imponere alicui, to exact , Nep. Timo l. 5, 2: deserere, to forfeit one's recognizance , fail to appear , Cic. Quint. 23, 75; id. Cat. 2, 2, 5; Plin. prooem. § 23: missum facere, to release one's bail , Cic. Quint. 14, 46; cf. on the vadimonium, Dict. of Antiq. s. v.—
II Transf., an appointment , a fixed time : ex eventu significationum intellegi sidera debebunt, non ad dies utique praefinitos exspectari tempestatum vadimonia, Plin. 18, 26, 62, § 231: tibi amatorem vadimonio sistam, Ap. Met. 9, 22, 7; 10, 4, 18 al.