Lewis & Short

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aspĕrĭtas, ātis, f. [asper], the quality of asper, unevenness, roughness (opp. 2. levitas).

  1. I. Lit.: saxorum asperitates, Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 98: asperitas viarum, id. Phil. 9, 1, 2: locorum, Sall. J. 75, 2: angustiae locorumque asperitas, Liv. 32, 12 fin.; 43, 21; 44, 5 al.: linguae, Plin. 11, 37, 65, § 172: ventris, id. 11, 37, 79, § 201: squamarum, Gell. 2, 6: faucium, Plin. 30, 4, 11, § 32: animi asperitas seu potius animae, hoarseness, id. 22, 24, 51, § 111: ob asperitatem hiemis, roughness, severity, Tac. A. 4, 56: asperitas frigorum abest, id. Agr. 12: densaque cedit Frigoris asperitas, Ov. F. 4, 88 al.: asperitas luti, dryness, barrenness of the clay, Vitr. 2, 3.
    Of raised work (cf. 1. asper, I., and exaspero): vasa anaglypta in asperitatemque excisa, with figures in basrelief, Plin. 33, 11, 49, § 139.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of taste, harshness, sharpness, acidity, tartness: vini, Plin. 14, 19, 24, § 120: pomi, id. 12, 10, 21, § 38: aceti, id. 9, 35, 58, § 120: aquarum, the brackish taste of water, id. 12, 9, 20, § 37 al.
      2. 2. Of hearing, roughness, harshness of tone: vocis, Lucr. 4, 542: soni, Tac. G. 3.
      3. 3. Of sight, inequality, contrast: cum aspectus ejus scaenae propter asperitatem eblandiretur omnium visus, on account of the contrast of light and shade, Vitr. 7, 5: intercolumniorum, id. 3, 3.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Of moral qualities, roughness, harshness, severity, fierceness, asperity: si quis eā asperitate est et immanitate naturae, congressus ut hominum fugiat atque oderit, etc., Cic. Lael. 23, 87: avunculi, Nep. Att. 5, 1: patris, Ov. M. 9, 752: artibus ingenuis Pectora mollescunt, asperitasque fugit, id. P. 1, 6, 8: asperitatis et invidiae corrector, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 129.
      Of a rigid, austere manner of life: quam illorum (Stoicorum) tristitiam atque asperitatem fugiens Panaetius nec acerbitatem sententiarum nec disserendi spinas probavit, Cic. Fin. 4, 28, 79; cf. 1. asper, II. A.
      And of rudeness in external appearance, opp. to a polished, cultivated bearing: asperitas agrestis, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 6.
    2. B. Of things, adversity, reverse of fortune, trouble, severity, difficulty (cf. 1. asper, II. B., and acerbitas): in his vel asperitatibus rerum vel angustiis temporis obsequar studiis nostris, Cic. de Or. 1, 1, 3: asperitas belli, Sall. J. 29, 1: remedii, Tac. A. 1, 44.
      Of style, roughness, harshness, τραχύτης (cf. 1. asper, II. B.): oratio in quā asperitas contentionis oratoris ipsius humanitate conditur, Cic. de Or. 2, 53, 212. judicialis asperitas, id. ib. 2, 15, 64; so Quint. 1, 8, 11; 10, 5, 14 (cf. id. 11, 3, 23): verborum, Ov. M. 14, 526.