Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.gen. (perh. the only cases in use of a noun spons, assumed by Charis. p. 34 P., and Aus. Idyll. 12, 8, 11, as nom. But ad spontem is Müller's reading, Varr. L. L. 6, 7, 72, for a sponte), f. spondeo; prop. a pledging of one's self to a thing; hence, opp. to external necessity or inducement, of free will, of one's own accord.

I. Sponte, in good prose always joined with meā, tuā, suā (poet. and in post-Aug. prose; also absol. or with gen.), of free will, of one's own accord, of one's self, freely, willingly, voluntarily, spontaneously (syn. ultro): “sponte valet a voluntate,” Varr. L. L. 6, § 69 Müll.: “si imprudenter aut necessitate aut casu quippiam fecerit, quod non concederetur iis, qui suā sponte et voluntate fecissent,” Cic. Part. Or. 37, 131: “tuo judicio et tuā sponte facere,” id. Fam. 9, 14, 2; cf.: “Galliam totam hortatur ad bellum, ipsam suā sponte suoque judicio excitatam,” id. Phil. 4, 3, 8: “potius consuefacere filium, Suā sponte recte facere quam alieno metu,” Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 50: “si hic non insanit satis suā sponte, instiga,” id. And. 4, 2, 9: “ut id suā sponte facerent, quod cogerentur facere legibus,” Cic. Rep. 1, 2, 3: “meā sponte (opp. invitatu tuo),” id. Fam. 7, 5, 2: “meā sponte (opp. monente et denuntiante te),” id. ib. 4, 3, 1: “non solum a me provocatus, sed etiam suā sponte,” id. ib. 1, 7, 3: “transisse Rhenum sese non suā sponte, sed rogatum et arcessitum a Gallis,” Caes. B. G. 1, 44: “et suā sponte multi in disciplinam conveniunt et a parentibus propinquisque mittuntur,” id. ib. 6, 14: “sive ipse sponte suā, sive senatusconsulto accitus,” Liv. 10, 25, 12: “quaesitum est, praecipitata esset ab eo uxor, an se ipsa suā sponte jecisset,” Quint. 7, 2, 24: “gaudeo id te mihi suadere, quod ego meā sponte pridie feceram,” Cic. Att. 15, 27: sponte ipsam suāpte adductam, Lucil. ap. Varr. L. L. 6, § 69 Müll.: “me si fata meis paterentur ducere vitam Auspiciis et sponte meā componere curas,” Verg. A. 4, 341: “interim sponte nostrā velut donantes,” Quint. 3, 6, 8.—Sometimes propriā for suā (late Lat.): “sponte se propriā dederunt,” Amm. 17, 2, 3: “Richomeres se sponte obtulit propriā,” id. 31, 12, 15.—

(β). Absol.: “Italiam non sponte sequor,” Verg. A. 4, 361: “sponte properant,” Ov. M. 11, 486: “odio tyrannidis exsul Sponte erat,” id. ib. 15, 62: “sponte en ultroque peremptus,” Stat. Th. 10, 809; cf.: “multitudo sponte et ultro confluens,” Suet. Caes. 16: “nec illum sponte exstinctum,” Tac. A. 3, 16: “sponte judicioque plaudere,” Quint. 8, 3, 4: “opto ut ea potissimum jubear, quae me deceat vel sponte fecisse,” Plin. Ep. 6, 29, 11: equites Romani natalem ejus sponte atque consensu biduo semper celebrarunt, Suet. Aug. 57.—

(γ). With gen.: “sponte deūm,” according to the will of the gods, Luc. 1, 234 Cort.: “sponte ducum,” id. 1, 99: “sponte deorum,” id. 5, 136; Val. Fl. 4, 358: “naturae,” Plin. 7, prooem. 1. § 4; 9, 51, 74, § 160; 11, 49, 110, § 263; 14, 4, 6, § 53; Sil. 14, 153: “principis,” Tac. A. 2, 59: “Caesaris,” id. ib. 6, 31: “praefecti,” id. ib. 4, 7: “incolarum,” id. ib. 4, 51: “litigatoris,” id. ib. 13, 42; 7, 51; id. H. 4, 19; Curt. 4, 1, 16.—

(δ). Very rarely with a prep.: de tuā sponte, Cotta ap. Charis. p. 195 P.: “a sponte,” Varr. L. L. 6, § 69 Müll.; cf. § 71 sqq. ib.—

B. Transf., of one's own will or agency (opp. to foreign participation or assistance), by one's self, without the aid of others, alone (rare but class.): “nequeo Pedibus meā sponte ambulare,” Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 46: “nec suā sponte, sed eorum auxilio,” Cic. Fam. 7, 2, 3: “cum oppidani autem etiam suā sponte Caesarem recipere conarentur,” Caes. B. C. 3, 11 fin.: “his cum suā sponte persuadere non possent, legatos ad Dumnorigem mittunt, ut eo deprecatore a Sequanis impetrarent,” id. B. G. 1, 9: “civitatem ignobilem atque humilem Eburonum suā sponte populo Romano bellum facere ausam, vix erat credendum,” id. ib. 5, 28; cf. id. ib. 7, 65: “judicium quod Verres suā sponte instituisset,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 43, § 111: “cum illa civitas cum Poenis suo nomine ac suā sponte bellaret,” id. ib. 2, 4, 33, § “72: ecquis Volcatio si suā sponte venisset, unam libellam dedisset?” id. ib. 2, 2, 10, § 26.—

2. Of things concr. and abstr., of itself, spontaneously: “is autem ardor non alieno impulsu sed suā sponte movetur, etc.,” Cic. N. D. 2, 12, 32: “ut cum suā sponte nullā adhibitā vi, consumptus ignis exstinguitur,” id. Sen. 19, 71: “natura videtur Ipsa suā per se sponte omnia dis agere expers,” Lucr. 2, 1092: “aliae (arbores) nullis hominum cogentibus ipsae Sponte suā veniunt,” Verg. G. 2, 11; cf.: “stellae sponte suā jussaene vagentur et errent,” Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 17: “sapientem suā sponte ac per se bonitas et justitia delectat,” Cic. Rep. 3, 16, 26: “res quae suā sponte scelerata est,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 42, § 108; id. Or. 32, 115: “justitium in foro suā sponte coeptum prius quam indictum,” Liv. 9, 7, 8: “clamor suā sponte ortus,” id. 9, 41, 17: “id suā sponte ap parebat,” id. 22, 38, 13: “de capite signum in manum sponte suā delapsum,” id. 27, 11, 3 ex loco superiore, qui prope suā sponte in hostem inferebat, id. 5, 43, 3: “quod terra crearat Sponte suā,” Lucr. 5, 938: “sponte suā quae fiunt aëre in ipso,” id. 4, 738: “ut vera et falsa suā sponte, non alienā judicantur,” Cic. Leg. 1, 17, 45: “te Sponte suā probitas officiumque juvat,” Ov. P. 2, 3, 34: “sponte deae munus promeritumque patet (i. e. sine indice),” id. F. 4, 394.—Very rarely with quādam: litterae syllabaeque ... orationem sponte quādam sequantur, Quint 5, 10, 125. —

(β). Absol.: “ut numeri sponte fluxisse videantur,” Quint. 9, 4, 147.—

II. spontis , only in the phrase suae spontis (esse).

A. To be one's own master, at one's own disposal (very rare and mostly post-Aug.; “not in Cic. or Cæs.): quod suae spontis statuerant finem,” Varr. L. L. 6, § 71 Müll.: “sanus homo, qui suae spontis est, nullis obligare se legibus debet,” Cels. 1, 1.—

B. In Columella, of things, = suā sponte, of itself, spontaneously: “altera (cytisus est) suae spontis,” springs up spontaneously, Col. 9, 4, 2: “ubi loci natura neque manu illatam neque suae spontis aquam ministrari patitur,” id. 11, 3, 10.