Lewis & Short

ŏcŭlus (sync. oclus, Prud. στεφ. 10, 592 dub.), i, m. [kindr. with Sanscr. akshi and aksha, from the root ītsh, videre; Gr. ὄσσομαι, ὄσσε; Goth. augō; Germ. Auge; Engl. eye], an eye.

  1. I. Lit.: quae (natura) primum oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit … sed lubricos oculos fecit et mobiles, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142; cf. Cels. 7, 7, 13; Plin. 11, 37, 52, § 139 sq.; Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 221: venusti, id. Tusc. 5, 16, 46: eminentes, prominent, id. Vatin. 2, 4: oculi tanquam speculatores, id. N. D. 2, 57, 140: acuti, id. Planc. 27, 69: maligni, Verg. A. 5, 654: minaces, Luc. 2, 26: oculos conicere in aliquem, to cast or fix one’s eyes upon, Cic. Clu. 19, 54: oculos conjecit in hostem, Verg. A. 12, 483: adicere alicui rei, to cast one’s eyes upon, glance at: ad eorum ne quem oculos adiciat suos, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 24; to covet, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 15, § 37: adicere ad rem aliquam, id. Agr. 2, 10, 25: de aliquo nusquam deicere, to never turn one’s eyes away from, to regard with fixed attention, id. Verr. 2, 4, 15, § 33: deicere ab aliquā re, to turn away, id. Phil. 1, 1, 1: in terram figere, to fix one’s eyes upon the ground, Tac. H. 4, 72: deicere in terram, to cast down to, Quint. 1, 11, 9: demittere, Ov. M. 15, 612: erigere, id. ib. 4, 146: attollere. Verg. A. 4, 688; Ov. M. 2, 448: circumferre, id. ib. 6, 169: premere, Verg. A. 9, 487: deponere, to fix, Hor C. 1, 36, 18: distorquere, id. S. 1, 9, 65: spargere, to direct hither and thither, Pers. 5, 33: oculis cernere, to see with one’s own eyes, Nep. Timol. 2, 2: oculos auferre spectanti, to blind the eyes of an observer, to cheat him before his eyes, Liv. 6, 15 fin.: ponere sibi aliquid ante oculos. i. e. to imagine to one’s self any thing, Cic. Agr. 2, 20, 53: proponere oculis suis aliquid, id. Sest. 7, 17: esse ante oculos, to be before one’s eyes, id. Lael. 11, 38: res posita in oculis, and ante oculos, that lies before one’s eyes, is apparent, evident: de rebus ante oculos positis, id. Ac. 1, 2, 5: omnia sunt enim posita ante oculos, id. de Or. 1, 43, 192: inque meis oculis candida Delos erat, before my eyes, Ov. H. 21, 82: vivere in oculis, habitare in oculis, to live in the sight of, in the presence of, in intercourse with: in maximā celebritate atque in oculis civium quondam viximus, Cic. Off. 3, 1, 3: habitavi in oculis, id. Planc. 27, 66; cf.: in foro palam Syracusis in ore atque in oculis provinciae, id. Verr. 2, 2, 33, § 81; Liv. 22, 12; 35, 10; Tac. H. 4, 77: habere in oculis, to keep in sight, to watch, observe, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 66: in oculis omnium submergi, Curt. 9, 4, 11: se ante oculos suos trucidari sinerent, Liv. 2, 6, 2; 4, 14, 5; Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48: ab oculis alicujus abire (ire), to leave one’s presence: Abin’ hinc ab oculis? Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 147; id. Truc. 2, 5, 24; Sen. Ep. 36, 10; cf.: ab oculis recedere, Plin. Ep. 2, 1, 11: ab oculis concedere, Cic. Cat. 1, 7, 17: (angues) conspecti repente ex oculis abierunt, out of sight, Liv. 25, 16, 2: prodigii species ex oculis elapsa, id. 26, 19, 7: (avem) ablatam ex oculis, Tac. H. 2, 50: facesserent propere ex urbe ab ore atque oculis populi Romani, Liv. 6, 17, 8: sub oculis alicujus, before a person’s eyes, in his presence, Caes. B. C. 1, 71; Vell. 2, 79, 4: sub oculis domini esse, Col. 9, 5, 2: quos honores sub oculis tuis gessit, Plin. Ep. 10, 11, 2: sub avi oculis necari, Just. 1, 4, 5; Flor. 4, 7, 8: hostes sub oculis erant, Liv. 22, 14, 3; 26, 38, 9: sub oculis Caesaris, Tac. A. 2, 35: hunc oculis suis nostrarum numquam quisquam vidit, with his own eyes, i. e. actually, in person, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 10: numquam ante hunc diem meis oculis eam videram, id. Hec. 5, 4, 23: ad oculum, for display, to be seen: non ad oculum servientes, Vulg. Eph. 1, 18; id. Col. 3, 22.
    As a term of endearment, the apple of my eye, my darling: ubi isti sunt quibus vos oculi estis, quibus vitae estis, quibus deliciae? Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 46: bene vale, ocule mi! id. Curc. 1, 3, 47
    Hence, in a double sense: par oculorum in amicitiā M. Antonii triumviri, Suet. Rhet. 5.
    The ancients swore by their eyes: si voltis per oculos jurare, nihilo magis facietis, Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 1.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. The power of seeing, sight, vision: ut eum quoque oculum, quo bene videret, amitteret, lost, i. e. became blind, Cic. Div. 1, 24, 48: oculos perdere, id. Har. Resp. 18, 37: restituere alicui, Suet. Vesp. 7; cf.: oculis usurpare rem, i. e. see, Lucr. 1, 301.
      2. 2. A luminary, said of the sun and stars (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): mundi oculus. i. e. the sun, Ov. M. 4, 228: stellarum oculi, Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 10.
      3. 3. A spot resembling an eye, as on a panther’s hide, a peacock’s tail, etc., Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 62: pavonum caudae, id. 13, 15, 30, § 96.
        So arch. t. t.: oculus volutae, Vitr. 3, 5.
      4. 4. Of plants.
        1. a. An eye, bud, bourgeon: oculos imponere, i. e. to bud, inoculate, Verg. G. 2, 73: gemmans, Col. 4, 24, 16.
        2. b. A bulb or knob on many roots, on the reed, etc.: harundinis, Cato, R. R. 6, 3; Varr. R. R. 1, 24, 3: seritur harundo bulbo radicis, quem alii oculum vocant, Plin. 17, 20, 33, § 144.
        3. c. A plant, called also aizoum majus, Plin. 25, 13, 102, § 160.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. A principal ornament: hi duo illos oculos orae maritimae effoderunt (Corinth and Carthage), Cic. N. D. 3, 38, 91: ex duobus Graeciae oculis, i. e. Athens and Sparta, Just. 5, 8, 4.
    2. B. The eye of the soul, the mind’s eye: eloquentiam quam nullis nisi mentis oculis videre possumus, Cic. Or. 29, 101: acrioribus mentis oculis intueri, Col. 3, 8, 1: oculos pascere re aliquā, to feast one’s eyes on any thing, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 26, § 65; cf.: concupiscentia oculorum, Vulg. 1 Joh. 2, 16: fructum oculis (dat.) capere ex aliquā re, Nep. Eum. 11, 2: oculi dolent, the eyes ache, i. e. one is afflicted by something seen, Ter. Ph. 5, 8, 64; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 14, 1; cf.: pietas, pater, oculis dolorem prohibet, i. e. forbids me to take offence, Plaut. As. 5, 1, 4: in oculis, in the eye, i. e. in view, hoped or expected: frumenti spes, quae in oculis fuerat, utrosque frustrata pariter, Liv. 26, 39, 23: acies et arma in oculis erant, Curt. 3, 6, 3: Philotae supplicium in oculis erat, id. 8, 6, 21: esse in oculis, to be beloved, esteemed, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 5: esse in oculis multitudinis, id. Tusc. 2, 26, 63: ferre, gestare in oculis, to love, esteem, value: oderat tum, cum, etc. … jam fert in oculis, id. Phil. 6, 4, 11: rex te ergo in oculis, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 11: aequis oculis videre, i. e. contentedly, with satisfaction (like aequo animo), Curt. 8, 2, 9: ante oculos, in mind, in view: mors ante oculos debet esse, Sen. Ep. 12, 6; Plin. Ep. 3, 16, 6; also plain, obvious: simul est illud ante oculos, Cic. de Or. 2, 85, 349: sit ante oculos Nero, i. e. set him before you, consider him, Tac. H. 1, 16: ante oculos habere, to keep in mind (post-class.): habe ante oculos hanc esse terram, Plin. Ep. 8, 24, 4: mortalitatem, id. ib. 2, 10, 4; Just. 5, 6, 1; for which (late Lat.) prae oculis: prae oculis habere terrorem futuri judicii, Greg. M. Ep. 2, 48; 3, 27 al.: nec jam fas ullum prae oculis habent, Amm. 30, 4, 18: ob oculos versari, to be before the mind, etc.: mors (ei) ob oculos versatur, Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 39; Liv. 28, 19, 14; cf.: usu versatur ante oculos vobis Glaucia, Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 98; id. Fin. 2, 22, 75; 5, 1, 3; id. Dom. 55, 141; Liv. 34, 36, 6: ponere aliquid ante oculos, to call up in mind, imagine, etc.: eā (translatione) utimur rei ante oculos ponendae causā, Auct. Her. 4, 34, 45: ora eorum ponite vobis ante oculos, Cic. Phil. 13, 2, 4: calamitatem Cottae sibi ante oculos ponunt, Caes. B. G. 6, 37: exsilium Cn. Marci sibi proponunt ante oculos, Liv. 2, 54, 6: conjurationem ante oculos ponere, id. 24, 24, 8: studia eorum vobis ante oculos proponere, Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48; rarely: constituere sibi aliquid ante oculos, Cic. Cael. 32, 79; Aug. Serm. 233, 3: ante oculos ponere (proponere), with ellips. of dat. of person, Cic. Marc. 2, 5; id. Deiot. 7, 20; id. Phil. 2, 45, 115; 11, 3, 7; id. N. D. 1, 41, 114: nec a re publicā deiciebam oculos, id. Phil. 1, 1, 1.