Lewis & Short

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specto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [specio], to look at, behold; to gaze at, watch, observe, etc. (freq. and class.; syn.: adspicio, speculor, conspicor, contueor).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.
          1. (α) With acc.: speculum a speciendo, quod ibi se spectant, Varr. L. L. 5, § 129 Müll.; cf. id. ib. 6, § 82 ib.: si vis videre ludos jucundissimos … amores tuos si vis spectare, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 81: spectare aliquid et visere, Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 44: taceas, me spectes, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 90: quid illas spectas? id. Rud. 3, 4, 54; id. Am. 1, 1, 268: ere, ne me spectes, Ter. Eun. 5, 5, 18: corpora, Lucr. 4, 1102: ingentes acervos, Hor. C. 2, 2, 24: gaude quod spectant oculi te mille loquentem, id. Ep. 1, 6, 19: cum modo me spectas oculis protervis, Ov. H. 16 (17), 77: spectari tergo, id. A. A. 3, 774: Zoroaster primus siderum motus diligentissime spectasse dicitur, Just. 1, 1, 9.
          2. (β) With rel.clause: tacitus te sequor, Spectans quas tu res hoc ornatu geras, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 2: specta quam arcte dormiunt, id. Most. 3, 2, 144; cf.: saepe tui, specto, si sint in litore passus, Ov. H. 18 (19), 27.
          3. (γ) Absol.: vise, specta tuo arbitratu, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 106: Am. Sosia, age me huc aspice. So. Specto, id. Am. 2, 2, 119: quam magis specto, minus placet mihi hominis facies, id. Trin. 4, 2, 19: alte spectare, Cic. Rep. 6, 23, 25: populo spectante, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 60.
          4. (δ) With ad, in, per, or adv. of place: spectare ad carceris oras, Enn. Ann. 1, 102: quaeso huc ad me specta, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 149; so, ad me, Afran. ap. Isid. Orig. 12, 8, 16: ad dexteram, Plaut. Poen. 3, 4, 1: tota domus, quae spectat in nos solos, Cic. Off. 1, 17, 58: ego limis specto Sic per flabellum clanculum, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 53: quoquo hic spectabit, eo tu spectato simul, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 69.
            (ε) Impers. pass. with subj. or final clause: cum plausu congregari feros (pisces) ad cibum assuetudine, in quibusdam vivariis spectetur, Plin. 10, 70, 89, § 193: spectandum ne quoi anulum det, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 33.
            (ζ) With inf.: spectet currere Gangem, Sen. Herc. Oet. 629: minaces ire per caelum faces specta, id. ib. 325.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To look at or see (a play or an actor) as a spectator, to look on: fabulam, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 37: Megalesia, Cic. Har. Resp. 11, 22; Hor. A. P. 190: ludos, id. S. 2, 6, 48; 2, 8, 79; id. Ep. 2, 1, 203; Suet. Aug. 40; 53 al.: Circenses, id. ib. 45; id. Claud. 4: pugiles, id. Aug. 45: artifices saltationis, id. Tit. 7 al.
        With inf.: spectavi ego pridem Comicos ad istum modum Sapienter dicta dicere atque is plaudier, Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 23: matronae tacitae spectent, tacitae rideant, id. Poen. prol. 32: jam hic deludetur (Amphitruo), spectatores, vobis spectantibus, id. Am. 3, 4, 15; cf. id. ib. prol. 151.
        Hence, very often in inscrr. and tesseris: GLADIATORIIS SP., i. e. spectatus, of a gladiator who had stood the first public fight, Inscr. Orell. 2561 sq.; cf.: Morcelli delle tessere degli spettacoli Roma, Becker, Antiq. 4, p. 562.
      2. 2. Of localities, to look, face, lie, be situated towards any quarter (syn.: prospicio, vergo); constr. usu. with ad, in, inter, etc., or an adv. of place; less freq. with acc.: (hujus insulae) alter angulus ad orientem solem, inferior ad meridiem spectat, Caes. B. G. 5, 13; so, ad orientem solem, id. ib. 7, 69: ad fretum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 169: ager, qui in ventum Favonium spectet, Varr. R. R. 1, 24, 1: in urbem … in Etruriam, Liv. 5, 5; v. also infra: Aquitania spectat inter occasum solis et septentriones, is situated to the north-west, Caes. B. G. 1, 1 fin.: quare fit, ut introversus et ad te Spectent atque ferant vestigia se omnia prorsus, Lucil. ap. Non. 402, 7; cf.: ut ora eorum deorsum spectent, Col. 12, 16, 4: vestigia Omnia te adversum spectantia, nulla retrorsum, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 75: quo (villae) spectent porticibus, Varr. R. R. 1, 4, 4: Creta altior est, quā spectat orientem, Sall. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 23 (H. 3, 58 Dietsch): Acarnania solem occidentem et mare Siculum spectat, Liv. 33, 17, 5: mediterranea regio est, orientem spectat, id. 25, 9, 10; 30, 25, 11: quae et Tanaim et Bactra spectant, Curt. 7, 7, 4; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 15; Vell. 1, 11, 3: ab eo latere, quo (Gadis) Hispaniam spectat, Plin. 4, 21, 36, § 120; 6, 17, 20, § 53.
        Transf., of nations: Belgae spectant in septentriones et orientem solem, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 6: Masaesyli in regionem Hispaniae spectant, Liv. 28, 17.
      3. 3. To examine, try, test: (argentum) dare spectandum, Plaut. Pers. 3, 3, 35: ut fulvum spectatur in ignibus aurum, Tempore sic duro est inspicienda fides, Ov. Tr. 1, 5, 25; cf.: qui pecuniā non movetur … hunc igni spectatum arbitrantur, as having stood the test of fire, Cic. Off. 2, 11, 38; cf. spectatio, I. B., and spectator, I. B.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to look at, behold, see, regard, consider (very rare): specta rem modo! Plaut. Bacch. 4, 6, 14: audaciam meretricum specta, Ter. Eun. 5, 5, 24: importunitatem spectate aniculae, id. And. 1, 4, 4: suave, E terrā magnum alterius spectare laborem, Lucr. 2, 2: caeli signorum admirabilem ordinem spectat, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 402, 17: ad te unum omnis mea spectat oratio, Cic. Deiot. 2, 5.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To look to a thing, as to an end or guide of action; hence, to have in view, bear in mind; to aim, strive, or endeavor after; to meditate; to tend, incline, refer, pertain, or have regard to a thing (freq. and class.; syn.: contendo, pertineo, tendo): juvenes magna spectare et ad ea rectis studiis debent contendere, Cic. Off. 2, 13, 45: nec commune bonum poterant spectare, Lucr. 5, 958: rem, non hominem, spectari oportere, Auct. Her. 1, 6, 9: nihil spectat nisi fugam, Cic. Att. 8, 7, 1: Pompeius statuisse videtur, quid vos in judicando spectare oporteret, id. Mil. 6, 15: nos ea, quae sunt in usu vitāque communi, non ea quae finguntur aut optantur spectare debemus, id. Lael. 5, 18: ingenti consensu defectionem omnes spectare, Liv. 22, 22, 21: arma et bellum, id. 3, 69, 2: Romani, desperatā ope humanā, fata et deos spectabant, id. 5, 16, 8; Curt. 9, 7, 2; Just. 13, 1, 8: tota domus quae spectat in nos solos, relies on, Cic. Off. 1, 17, 58: in philosophiā res spectatur, non verba penduntur, id. Or. 16, 51: mores, id. Off. 2, 20, 69; so (with sequi) id. de Or. 2, 50, 204: quem locum probandae virtutis tuae spectas? do you seek? Caes. B. G. 5, 44: noli spectare, quanti homo sit, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 4, § 14: me spectasse semper, ut tibi possem quam maxime esse conjunctus, id. Fam. 5, 8, 3: ad imperatorias laudes, id. Vatin. 10, 24: ad suam magis gloriam quam ad salutem rei publicae, id. Sest. 16, 37: ad vitulam, Verg. E. 3, 48: cum plebes Nolana de integro ad defectionem spectaret, Liv. 23, 16, 2; so id. 23, 6, 4: ab scelere ad aliud spectare mulier scelus, id. 1, 47, 1; 34, 56, 10.
        Of subjects not personal: et prima et media verba spectare debent ad ultimum, Cic. Or. 59, 200: ad arma rem spectare, id. Fam. 14, 5, 1; cf.: rem ad seditionem spectare, Liv. 25, 3, 19: ad vim spectare res coepit, id. 1, 9, 6; cf.: si ad perniciem patriae res spectabit, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 90: aliquid anquirunt, quod spectet et valeat ad bene beateque vivendum, id. ib. 2, 2, 6: ea non tam ad religionem spectant, quam ad jus sepulcrorum, belong to, concern, id. Leg. 2, 23, 58: quoniam de eo genere beneficiorum dictum est, quae ad singulos spectant: deinceps de iis, quae ad universos pertinent, disputandum est, id. Off. 2, 21, 72; cf. id. ib. 1, 3, 7: artem negabat esse ullam, nisi quae cognitis et in unum exitum spectantibus, Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 92: nostra consilia sempiternum tempus spectare debent, id. ib. 2, 40, 169: solvendi necessitas debitorem spectat, Dig. 2, 14, 42: res eo spectat, ut eā poenā non videamini esse contenti, Cic. Lig. 5, 13: hoc eo spectabat, ut eam (Pythiam) a Philippo corruptam diceret, id. de Div. 2, 57, 118: summa judicii mei spectat huc, ut meorum injurias ferre possim, Anton. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 20, 46: quo igitur haec spectat oratio? Cic. Att. 8, 2, 4; cf. id. Phil. 13, 20, 46: quorsum haec omnis spectat oratio? id. ib. 7, 9, 26 et saep.: quia quicquid ad corpus spectat, et immortalitatis est expers, vanum sit, Lact. 3, 12, 33.
      2. 2. (Acc. to I. B. 3.) To judge of; to try, test (syn. probo): nemo illum ex trunco corporis spectabat, sed ex artificio comico aestimabat, Cic. Rosc. Com. 10, 28: alicujus animum ex animo suo, Ter. And. 4, 1, 22: non igitur ex singulis vocibus philosophi spectandi sunt, sed ex perpetuitate atque constantiā, Cic. Tusc. 5, 10, 31: ex meo otium tuum specto, id. Att. 12, 39: quod ego non tam fastidiose in nobis quam in histrionibus spectari puto, id. de Or. 1, 61, 258: ubi facillime spectatur mulier, quae ingenio’st bono? Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 59; cf.: hominem in dubiis periclis, Lucr. 3, 55: beneficium a deteriore parte, Sen. Ben. 2, 28, 2.
        Hence, spectātus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to II. B. 2.).
    1. A. Tried, tested, proved (syn.: probatus, cognitus): tuam probatam et spectatam maxime adulescentiam, Lucil. ap. Non. 437, 14: homines spectati et probati, Cic. de Or. 1, 27, 124: fides spectata et diu cognita, id. Div. in Caecil. 4, 11; Ov. P. 2, 7, 82: pietas spectata per ignes, id. F. 4, 37: integritas, Liv. 26, 49, 16; cf.: homo in rebus judicandis spectatus et cognitus, Cic. Verr. 1, 10, 29: spectata ac nobilitata virtus, id. Fl. 26, 63: spectata multis magnisque rebus singularis integritas, id. Phil. 3, 10, 26: rebus spectata juventus, Verg. A. 8, 151: utebatur medico ignobili, sed spectato homine, Cleophanto, id. Clu. 16, 47: mores, Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 4: ni virtus fidesque vestra spectata mihi forent, Sall. C. 20, 2.
      Sup.: id cuique spectatissimum sit, quod occurrerit, etc., let that be the best test of each, Liv. 1, 57, 7.
      With subject-clause: mihi satis spectatum est, Pompeium malle principem volentibus vobis esse quam, etc., Sall. H. 3, 61, 23 Dietsch.
    2. B. In gen., looked up to, respected, esteemed, worthy, excellent: fecere tale ante alii spectati viri, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 47: in perfecto et spectato viro, Cic. Lael. 2, 9: homines, id. Div. in Caecil. 7, 24: castitas, Liv. 1, 57, 10.
      Comp.: quo non spectatior alter, Sil. 1, 440.
      Sup.: auctoritas clarissimi et spectatissimi viri atque in primis probati, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 7: spectatissima femina, id. Rosc. Am. 50, 147.
      Of things (Plinian): paeninsula spectatior (with flumen clarum), Plin. 4, 18, 32, § 107: spectatius artificium, id. 11, 1, 1, § 1: spectatissima laurus, id. 15, 30, 40, § 134.
      Hence, adv.: spectātē, splendidly, excellently: spectatissime florere, Plin. 21, 1, 1, § 2: spectatissime ministrere, Amm. 28, 3, 9.