sospĕs, ĭtis (fem. collat. form sospĭ-ta, ae, and arch. SISPITA, ae, and SEISPES, ĭtis; v. infra), adj. [for sos-pets; root σάος, σῶς; and pa-, to nourish, protect; cf. pasco].
- I. Act., saving, delivering; subst., a savior, deliverer, preserver (so only in the foll. examples): Ennius sospitem pro servatore posuit, Fest. pp. 300 and 301 Müll.: templum Junonis Sospitae, Cic. Div. 1, 2, 4; so, Sospita, an epithet of Juno (the Gr. Hygieia). id. N. D. 1, 29, 82; id. Mur. 41, 90; Ov. F. 2, 56; in the form SISPITA, Inscr. Orell. 1309; Num. ap. Eckh. D. N. V. 7, pp. 14 and 107; cf.: sispitem Junonem, quam vulgo sospitem appellant, antiqui usurpabant, Fest. p. 343 Müll.: IVNONE SEISPITEI MATRI REGINAE, Inscr. Orell. 5659 a; the same abbreviated I. S. M. R. (IVNO SISPITA MATER REGINA), ib. 1308; 2503; 3324; 4014.
- II. Pass., saved, i.e. safe and sound, safe, unhurt, unharmed, uninjured; happy, lucky, fortunate (syn.: salvus, incolumis, sanus, salvus; mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; not in Cic.): filium tuum modo in portu vivum, salvum et sospitem vidi, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 93: exagoga (with salva), id. Rud. 3, 2, 17: ita mihi salvam ac sospitem rempublicam sistere in sede suā liceat August. ap. Suet. Aug. 28: sospes et superstes gnatus, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 2; sospes incolumisque (Caesar), Plin. Pan. 67, 5: sospes Iter incipe hoc, Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 1: sospites in patriam restituere, Liv. 2, 49, 7; 5, 28, 4; virginum matres juvenumque nuper Sospitum, Hor. C. 3, 14, 10: Hesperiā sospes ab ultima, id. ib. 1, 36, 4: vix una sospes navis ab ignibus, id. ib. 1, 37, 13: fortuna do. musque Sospes ab incursu est, Ov. M. 10, 401: Juppiter, da diem hunc sospitem Rebus meis agundis, favorable, auspicious, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 15: mutare lares et urbem Sospite cursu, Hor. C. S. 40.