Lewis & Short

2. adversus or adversum (archaic advor-) (like rursus and rursum, prorsus and prorsum, quorsus and quorsum), adv. and prep., denoting direction to or toward an object (syn.: contra, in with acc., ad, erga).

  1. A. Adv.: opposite to, against, to, or toward a thing, in a friendly or hostile sense: ibo advorsum, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 29: facito, ut venias advorsum mihi, id. Men. 2, 3, 82: obsecro te, matri ne quid tuae advorsus fuas, Liv. And. ap. Non. s. v. fuam, 111, 12 (Trag. Rel. p. 3 Rib.): quis hic est, qui advorsus it mihi? Plaut. Men. 3, 2, 22: adversus resistere, Nep. Pelop. 1, 3: nemo adversus ibat, Liv. 37, 13, 8 al. In Plaut. and Ter. advorsum ire, or venire, to go to meet; also of a slave, to go to meet his master and bring him from a place (hence adversitor, q. v.): solus nunc eo advorsum hero ex plurimis servis, Plaut. Most. 4, 1, 23: ei advorsum venimus, id. ib. 4, 2, 32; Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 2 Ruhnk.
  2. B. Prep. with acc., toward or against, in a friendly or a hostile sense.
    1. 1. In a friendly sense.
        1. (α) Of place, turned to or toward, opposite to, before, facing, over against: qui cotidie unguentatus adversum speculum ornetur, before the mirror, Scipio ap. Gell. 7, 12: adversus advocatos, Liv. 45, 7, 5: medicus debet residere illustri loco adversus aegrum, opposite to the patient, Cels. 3, 6: adversus Scyllam vergens in Italiam, Plin. 3, 8, 14, § 87: Lerina, adversum Antipolim, id. 3, 5, 11, § 79.
        2. (β) In the presence of any one, before: egone ut te advorsum mentiar, mater mea? Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 9: idque gratum fuisse advorsum te habeo gratiam, I am thankful that this is acceptable before (to) thee, Ter. And. 1, 1, 15: paululum adversus praesentem fortitudinem mollitus, somewhat softened at such firmness (of his wife), Tac. A. 15, 63.
          Hence very often with verbs of speaking, answering, complaining, etc., to declare or express one’s self to any one, to excuse one’s self or apologize, and the like: te oportet hoc proloqui advorsum illam mihi, Enn. ap. Non. 232, 24 (Trag. v. 385 Vahl.): immo si audias, quae dicta dixit me advorsum tibi, what he told me of you, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 47: de vita ac morte domini fabulavere advorsum fratrem illius, Afran. ap. Non. 232, 25: mulier, credo, advorsum illum res suas conqueritur, Titin. ib. 232, 21: utendum est excusatione etiam adversus eos, quos invitus offendas, Cic. Off. 2, 19, 68; Tac. A. 3, 71.
          With that to which a reply is made, to (= ad): adversus ea consul … respondit, Liv. 4, 10, 12; 22, 40, 1; cf. Drak. ad 3, 57, 1.
        3. (γ) In comparison, as if one thing were held toward, set against, or before another (v. ad, I. D. 4.); against, in comparison with, compared to: repente lectus adversus veterem imperatorem comparabitur, will be compared with, Liv. 24, 8, 8: quid autem esse duo prospera bella Samnitium adversus tot decora populi Rom., id. 7, 32, 8.
        4. (δ) Of demeanor toward one, to, toward: quonam modo me gererem adversus Caesarem, Cic. Fam. 11, 27, 11: te adversus me omnia audere gratum est, i. e. on my account, on my behalf, for my advantage, id. ib. 9, 22, 15: lentae adversum imperia aures, Tac. A. 1, 65.
          Esp. often of friendly feeling, love, esteem, respect toward or for one (cf. Ruhnk. ad Ter. And. 4, 1, 15; Manut. ad Cic. Fam. 9, 22; Heusing. ad Cic. Off. 1, 11, 1; Hab. Syn. 49): est enim pietas justitia adversus deos, Cic. N. D. 1, 41, 116; id. Off. 3, 6, 28: adhibenda est igitur quaedam reverentia adversus homines, id. ib. 1, 28, 99 Beier: sunt quaedam officia adversus eos servanda, a quibus injuriam acceperis, id. ib. 1, 11, 33: adversus merita ingratissimus, Vell. 2, 69, 5: summa adversus alios aequitas erat, Liv. 3, 33, 8: ob egregiam fidem adversus Romanos, id. 29, 8, 2; so id. 45, 8, 4 al.: beneficentiā adversus supplices utendum, Tac. A. 11, 17.
          More rarely (ε) of the general relation of an object or act to a person or thing (v. ad, I. D. 1.), in relation, in respect, or in regard to a thing: epistula, ut adversus magistrum morum, modestior, as addressed to a censor of manners, Cic. Fam. 3, 13, 8: quasi adversus eos acquieverit sententiae, in regard to the same, Dig. 49, 1; 3, 1.
    2. 2. In a hostile sense, against (the most usual class. signif. of this word): “Contra et adversus ita differunt, quod contra, ad locum, ut: contra basilicam; adversus, ad animi motum, ut: adversus illum facio; interdum autem promiscue accipitur,” Charis. p. 207 P.; cf. Cort. ad Sall. J. 101, 8: advorsum legem accepisti a plurimis pecuniam, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 48: advorsum te fabulare illud, against thy interest, to thy disadvantage, id. Stich. 4, 2, 11: stultus est advorsus aetatem et capitis canitudinem, id. ap. Fest. s. v. canitudinem, p. 47: advorsum animi tui libidinem, Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19: adversum leges, adversum rem publicam, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 195: respondebat, SI PARET, ADVERSUM EDICTUM FECISSE, id. ib. 2, 3, 28, § 69: me adversus populum Romanum possem defendere, id. Phil. 1, 13 al.
      In the histt., of a hostile attack, approach, etc.: gladiis districtis impetum adversus montem in cohortes faciunt, Caes. B. C. 1, 46: adversus se non esse missos exercitus, Liv. 3, 66: bellum adversum Xerxem moret, Aur. Vict. Caes. 24, 3: copiis quibus usi adversus Romanum bellum, Liv. 8, 2, 5: adversus vim atque injuriam pugnantes, id. 26, 25, 10 al.: T. Quintius adversus Gallos missus est, Eutr. 2, 2: Athenienses adversus tantam tempestatem belli duos duces deligunt, Just. 3, 6, 12 al.
      Among physicians, of preventives against sickness, against (v. ad, I. A. 2.): adversus profusionem in his auxilium est, Cels. 5, 26; 6, 27 al.: frigidus jam artus et cluso corpore adversum vim veneni, Tac. A. 15, 64.
      Trop.: egregium adversus tempestates receptaculum, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 4; so id. ib. 2, 15, 36.
      Hence: firmus, invictus, fortis adversus aliquid (like contra), protected against a thing, firm, fixed, secure: advorsum divitias animum invictum gerebat, Sall. J. 43, 5: invictus adversum gratiam animus, Tac. A. 15, 21: adversus convicia malosque rumores firmus ac patiens, Suet. Tib. 28: Adversus omnes fortis feras canis, Phaedr. 5, 10, 1; and in opp. sense: infirmus, inferior adversus aliquid, powerless against, unequal to: fama, infirmissimum adversus vivos fortes telum, Curt. 4, 14: infirmus adversum pecuniam, Aur. Vict. Caes. 9, 6: inferior adversus laborem, id. Epit. 40, 20.
      Note:
      1. a. Adversus is rarely put after the word which it governs: egone ut te advorsum mentiar, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 9: hunc adversus, Nep. Con. 2, 2; id. Tim. 4, 3: quos advorsum ierat, Sall. J. 101, 8.
      2. b. It sometimes suffers tmesis: Labienum ad Oceanum versus proficisci jubet, Caes. B. G. 6, 33: animadvortit fugam ad se vorsum fieri, Sall. J. 58: animum advortere ad se vorsum exercitum pergere, id. ib. 69: ad Cordubam versus iter facere coepit, Auct. B. Hisp. 10 and 11; cf. in-versus: in Galliam vorsus castra movere, Sall. C. 56; Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12; Traj. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 78; the Eng. to-ward: to us ward, Psa. 40, 5; and the Gr. εἰσ-δε: εἰς ἅλαδε, Hom. Od. 10, 351.