I.to look to or upon a person or thing, to behold, look at, see.
I. Lit., constr. in the ante - class. per. sometimes with ad; but afterwards with the acc., with a finite clause, or absol.; in eccl. Lat., with in with acc., and super with acc.
(α).
With ad: “aspice ad me,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 38: “aspicient ad me,” Vulg. Zach. 12, 10: “aspicere ad terram,” Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 25: “ad caelum,” Vulg. 2 Macc. 7, 28: “Aspice nunc ad sinisteram,” Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 38 (Ritschl, spice): “ad Scrofam,” Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 26; cf. the epitaph of Pacuvius: Adulescens, tametsi properas, te hoc saxum rogat, Ut se[se] aspicias, etc., ap. Gell. 1, 24 fin.—(β With acc.: Aspice hoc sublimen candens, Enn. ap. Cic. N. D. 2, 25, 65: templum Cereris, id. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, 2, 82: me, Pac. ap. Non. p. 470, 20: aspicite (me) religatum asperis Vinctumque saxis, Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 10, 23; Plaut. As. 4, 1, 25: “me huc aspice,” id. Am. 2, 2, 118: “faciem alicujus,” id. Ps. 1, 2, 9.—In Plaut. twice with contra: aspiciam aliquem contra oculis, Cas. 5, 3, 2: Th. Aspicedum contra me. Tr. Aspexi. Th. Vides? Tr. Video, Most. 5, 1, 56; so, “non audebat aspicere contra Deum,” Vulg. Exod. 3, 6: “formam alicujus aspicere,” Ter. Heaut. 4, 5, 25: “tergum alicujus,” Vulg. Exod. 33, 8: “aspicite ipsum: contuemini os, etc.,” Cic. Sull. 27: “me,” Vulg. Job, 7, 8: “sic obstupuerant, sic terram intuebantur, sic furtim non numquam inter se aspiciebant, etc.,” Cic. Cat. 3, 5, 13; so Vulg. Jer. 4, 23: “aspicis me iratus,” Cic. Phil. 2, 30 fin.: “hominis omnino aspiciendi potestatem eripere,” id. Lael. 23, 87: “ut nemo eorum forum aut publicum aspicere vellet,” Liv. 9, 7, 11: “aliquid rectis oculis,” Suet. Aug. 16: “Aspicit hanc torvis (oculis),” Ov. M. 6, 34: “aspiciunt oculis Superi mortalia justis,” id. ib. 13, 70: “aliquid oculis aequis,” Verg. A. 4, 372: “aspice vultus Ecce meos,” Ov. M. 2, 92 al.: “horrendae aspectu,” Hor. S. 1, 8, 26: “aspice nos hoc tantum,” look on us thus much only, Verg. A. 2, 690 Wagner: Aspice Felicem sibi non tibi, Romule, Sullam, poët. ap. Suet. Tib. 59.—In pass. (rare): “unde aliqua pars aspici potest,” Cic. Mil. 3: “pulvis procul et arma adspiciebantur,” Tac. H. 2, 68; id. G. 13: “super triginta milia armatorum aspiciebantur,” id. Agr. 29; 40; id. A. 3, 45; 11, 14: “Septentrionem ibi adnotatum primā tantum parte noctis adspici,” Plin. 2, 73, 75, § 185: “quasi eum aspici nefas esset,” Cic. Verr. 5, 67; 5, 187; id. Har. Resp. 8: “adspici humana exta nefas habetur,” Plin. 28, 1, 2, § 5.—
(γ).
Absol.: “Vide amabo, si non, quom aspicias, os inpudens videtur,” Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 22: “postquam aspexi, ilico Cognovi,” id. Heaut. 4, 1, 43.—
(δ).
With in with acc.: “in terram aspicere,” Vulg. Psa. 101, 20; ib. Isa. 5, 30: “in caelum,” ib. Matt. 14, 9.—(ε) With super with acc.: “super castra aspicere,” Vulg. Judith, 9, 7 al.—
B. Transf.
1. a.. Of things in space, to look toward, lie toward: “tabulatum aspiciat meridiem,” Col. 8, 8, 2: “cryptoporticus non aspicere vineas, sed tangere videtur,” Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 29: “ea pars Britanniae, quae Hiberniam aspicit,” Tac. Agr. 24: “terra umidior quā Gallias, ventosior quā Noricum aspicit,” id. G. 5.—
b. Of persons: “nobilissimi totius Britanniae eoque in ipsis penetralibus siti nec servientium litora aspicientes,” Tac. Agr. 30.—
2. With the access. idea of purpose (cf.: adeo, aggredior, etc.), to look upon something in order to consider or examine it; and in gen. to consider, survey, inspect (freq. in Liv.): “hujus ut aspicerent opus admirabile,” Ov. M. 6, 14: “Boeotiam atque Euboeam aspicere jussi,” Liv. 42, 37: “in Boeotiā aspiciendae res,” id. 42, 67 fin.: “Ap. Claudium legatum ad eas res aspiciendas componendasque senatus misit,” id. 42, 5; 26, 51; 32, 5 al.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen.: sic in oratione Crassi divitias atque ornamenta ejus ingenii per quaedam involucra perspexi; “sed ea cum contemplari cuperem, vix aspiciendi potestas fuit,” Cic. de Or. 1, 35, 161: “sic evolavit oratio, ut ejus vim atque incitationem aspexerim, vestigia ingressumque vix viderim,” observed, noticed, id. ib. 1, 35, 161: “in auctorem fidei,” Vulg. Heb. 12, 2: “in remunerationem,” ib. ib. 11, 26.—So esp., to examine, reflect upon, to consider, weigh, ponder (most freq. in the imperat.: aspice, see, ponder, consider, etc.).
a. With acc.: “Postea [tu] aspicito meum, quando ego tuum inspectavero,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 50: “neque tanta (est) in rebus obscuritas, ut eas non penitus vir ingenio cernat, si modo (eas) aspexerit,” attends to them, Cic. de Or. 3, 31, 124: aspice, ait, Perseu, nostrae primordia gentis, Ov M. 5, 190.—
b. With a finite clause.
(α).
In the subj.: “qui semel aspexit, quantum dimissa petitis Praestent, etc.,” has weighed, considered, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 96: “aspiciebant, quomodo turba jactaret aes etc.,” Vulg. Marc. 12, 41: “aspiciebant, ubi (Jesus) poneretur,” ib. ib. 15, 47: “Quin tu illam aspice, ut placide adcubat,” Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 168: “quin aspice, quantum Aggrediare nefas,” Ov. M. 7, 70: “Aspice, venturo laetentur ut omnia saeclo!” Verg. E. 4, 52: “Aspice, Plautus Quo pacto partes tutetur amantis ephebi, ut patris attenti ... Quantus sit dossennus,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 170 sqq.: “Aspice, num mage sit nostrum penetrabile telum,” Verg. A. 10, 481: “aspice, si quid loquamur,” Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 4 sq.: “Aspice, qui coeant populi,” Verg. A. 8, 385: “Qualem commendes, etiam atque etiam aspice,” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 76: aspice, Quanto cum fastu, quanto molimine circumspectemus etc., id. ib. 2, 2, 92.—
(β).
In the indic. (rare): “Aspice, ut antrum Silvestris raris sparsit labrusca racemis,” Verg. E. 5, 6: “Aspice, ut insignis spoliis Marcellus opimis Ingreditur,” id. A. 6, 855: “quantas ostentant, aspice, vires,” id. ib. 6, 771: “Aspice, quem gloria extulerat,” id. Cat. 12, 1: “aspicite, quae fecit nobiscum,” Vulg. Tob. 13, 6.—Also, to take into consideration, to have in view: “si genus aspicitur, Saturnum prima parentem Feci,” Ov. F. 6, 29.—
B. Esp.
1. To look upon with respect, admiration: “erat in classe Chabrias privatus, sed eum magis milites quam qui praeerant, aspiciebant,” Nep. Chabr. 4, 1.—
2. Aliquem, to look one boldly in the face, to meet his glance: “Lacedaemonii, quos nemo Boeotiorum ausus fuit aspicere in acie,” Nep. Epam. 8, 3 (cf. supra, I., the passage from Suet. Aug. 16). —
3. Lumen aspicere, to see the light for to live: “odi celebritatem, fugio homines, lucem aspicere vix possum,” Cic. Att. 3, 7; id. Brut. 3, 12; cf. the foll. number fin.—
4. Ad inchoative (as in addubito, addormio, aduro, etc.), to get a sight of, to see, perceive, descry: “perii, si me aspexerit,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 164: “forte unam aspicio adulescentulam,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 91; id. Ad. 3, 3, 19: “respexit et equum alacrem laetus aspexit,” Cic. Div. 1, 33, 73; so id. Har. Resp. 1, 2: “tum vero Phaëthon cunctis e partibus orbem Aspicit accensum,” Ov. M. 2, 228; 7, 651: “aspicit hanc visamque vocat,” id. ib. 2, 443; 2, 714; 3, 69; 3, 356; 3, 486; 7, 384; “7, 791 et saep.: Quem simul aspexit scabrum intonsumque,” Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 90.—Hence trop.: lumen aspicere, to see the light for to be born: “ut propter quos hanc suavissimam lucem aspexerit, eos indignissime luce privārit,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 22 fin.; cf. supra, II. B. 3.