Lewis & Short

rē-spĭcĭo, spexi, spectum, 3 (old form of subj. perf. respexis, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 19; id. Most. 2, 2, 90; id. Rud. 3, 3, 16), v. n. and a., to look back or behind, to look about, look; to see behind one; to look back upon, to look at, look to or for any thing (very freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.
          1. (α) Neutr.: respicere quasi retro aspicere, Varro Manio: sedens … neque post respiciens, neque ante prospiciens, Non. p. 442, 31 sq. (cf. infra, β): longe retro respicere non possunt, Cic. Tusc. 5, 2, 6; Liv. 21, 22, 7; cf. Cic. Div. 1, 24, 49: subito exaudivit hinnitum respexitque et equum alacrem laetus aspexit, id. ib. 1, 33 fin.: Er. Ergasilum qui vocat? He. Respice … respice ad me, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 54 sq.: huc ad aliquem, id. Trin. 4, 3, 61; so, ad aliquem, id. Curc. 1, 2, 20; id. Cas. 3, 5, 10; id. Ps. 1, 3, 16; id. Poen. 4, 2, 35; id. Truc. 2, 2, 2; Ter. And. 2, 5, 6; id. Phorm. 5, 1, 13 al.; cf.: nocte ad oppidum, Cic. Div. 1, 32, 69: patriae ad oras, Ov. M. 11, 547: ad libellos, Quint. 10, 7, 31; 11, 2, 45; Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 51: ad laevam, Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 8: in aliquem, App. M. 2, p. 118: huc, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 30; id. Rud. 3, 4, 2; id. Truc. 1, 2, 20; 21: tanta militum virtus fuit, ut non modo de vallo decederet nemo, sed paene ne respiceret quidem quisquam, Caes. B. G. 5, 43: transque caput jace, nec respexeris, Verg. E. 8, 102: respicit Aeneas subito, id. A. 6, 548: a tergo, id. ib. 8, 697: quod respicere vetitus est, Liv. 21, 22.
          2. (β) Act. (in lit. sense rare in good prose, but freq. in all styles in the trop. signif.; v. infra, II.): ipsi Respiciunt atram in nimbo volitare favillam, look back on, see behind them, Verg. A. 5, 666: modo Prospicit occasus, interdum respicit ortus, Ov. M. 2, 190: respice me et relinque egentem parasitum, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 7: repudia istos comites atque hoc respice et revortere, id. Merc. 5, 2, 30: proxima respiciens signa, Caes. B. C. 2, 39; cf. Caesarem, id. ib. 3, 91: (Hannibalem) respexisse saepe Italiae litora, Liv. 30, 20, 7: nec prius amissam (Creüsam) respexi animumve reflexi, Quam, etc., Verg. A. 2. 741; id. G. 4, 491; Ov. M. 11, 66; cf.: ut stetit et frustra absentem respexit amicum, Verg. A. 9, 389: instantem tergo Cloanthum, id. ib. 5, 168: donec versas ad litora puppes Respiciunt, id. ib. 10, 269; cf. id. ib. 5, 666: oculis pignora cara, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 60: medio cum Sol altissimus orbe Tantum respiceret, quantum superesse videret, looked back upon, i. e. had already passed over, id. M. 11, 354.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to look, have regard, turn attention.
          1. (α) Neutr.: neque se in multa simul intendere animus totum potest: et, quocumque respexit, desinit intueri, quod propositum erat, at whatsoever it looks, Quint. 10, 3, 23: si propter singula verba ad singulas formas respiciendum erit, id. 11, 2, 26; cf.: non respiciendum ad haec, id. 7, 10, 14: M. Bibulus cuncta administrabat: ad hunc summa imperii respiciebat, looked to him, was centred in him, Caes. B. C. 3, 5 fin.; cf.: periculum (emptionis) ad venditorem respicere, Dig. 18, 6, 4 (with ad venditorem pertinere).
          2. (β) Act., to look at, regard, look to: quom respicias immensi temporis omne Praeteritum spatium, Lucr. 3, 854; cf.: quoad longissime potest mens mea respicere spatium praeteriti temporis, Cic. Arch. 1, 1: cum vastitatem Italiae respexerint, Asin. Poll. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 33, 1: subsidia, quae respicerent in re trepidā, etc., which they might look to, i. e. from which they might expect aid, Liv. 4, 46; cf.: ne respicere spem ullam ab Romanis posset, id. 4, 17: respicere exemplar vitae morumque jubebo Doctum imitatorem, to look at, have in his eye, Hor. A. P. 317: de te pendentis, te respicientis amici, id. Ep. 1, 1, 105.
            With rel.-clause: quid sit prius actum, respicere aetas Nostra nequit, nisi, etc., Lucr. 5, 1446; cf. id. 3, 972: respiciens, an vera soror, Val. Fl. 6, 661.
    2. B. Pregn., to look at with solicitude, i. e. to have a care for, regard, be mindful of, consider, respect, etc. (in this sense mostly act.; cf. provideo).
      1. 1. Of a protecting deity: di homines respiciunt, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 29: deus respiciet nos aliquis, id. Bacch. 4, 2, 39; Ter. Phorm. 5, 3, 34; id. Hec. 5, 2, 6: nisi quis nos deus respexerit, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 6: Sive neglectum genus et nepotes Respicis auctor, Hor. C. 1, 2, 36; Verg. E. 1, 28: nisi idem deus, qui, etc., respexerit rem publicam, Cic. Att. 7, 1, 2: et me et te, nisi quid dī respiciunt, perdidi, Ter. And. 4, 1, 19.
        Hence, Rēspĭcĭens, the Provident, an epithet of Fortuna: ad opem ferendam, Cic. Leg. 2, 11, 28; Inscr. Orell. 477; 1766.
        Rarely, in a bad sense, of an avenging deity: at vos, devota capita, respiciant di perjuriorum vindices, may they remember it against you, Just. 14, 4, 10.
      2. 2. Of persons that have a care or regard for any thing: hercle alius nemo respicit nos, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 55; so, aliquem, Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 19; id. Aul. 2, 2, 54: age, me in tuis secundis respice, Ter. And. 5, 6, 11; id. Ad. 5, 8, 9: miseros aratores, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 10, § 26; Caes. B. G. 7, 77: sin Caesarem respiciant, id. B. C. 1, 1; Mart. 10, 10, 5: non Pylium Nestora respicis, Hor. C. 1, 15, 22: quantum quisque ferat respiciendus erit, Ov. Am. 1, 8, 38: mox deos respexere; restitui Capitolium placuit, bethought themselves of, Tac. H. 4, 4: aetatem tuam, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 87: populi Romani commoda (with prospicere), Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 55, § 127: salutem cum meam tum aliorum, id. Planc 38, 91; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 5: rem publicam, Cic. Phil. 2, 46, 118; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 11, 3: mala sua, Lucr. 4, 1159 et saep.
        With se, to think of or have regard for one’s self, Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 18; Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 18; 5, 1, 46; Cic. Fin. 2, 24, 79; id. pro Scaur. Fragm. 41, p. 267 Orell.: quod si Caesar se respexerit, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 24, 8.
        With ad (Quintilian): ad utilitatem Ligarii respicit, looks to the advantage of, Quint. 9, 2, 28; so, modice ad hanc partem, id. 9, 4, 36: Graecas litteras (corresp. to studere Latinis), id. 1, 12, 6: saepius ad curam rerum ab elocutione, id. 10, 1, 120.
        With an abstr. subj.: si quid pietas antiqua labores Respicit humanos, Verg. A. 5, 689.
        With object-clause, to observe, perceive, notice: respicio nihili meam vos gratiam facere, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 68.