I.to look or see through, to look into, look at.
I. Lit.: “quo non modo non intrari, sed ne perspici quidem posset,” Caes. B. G. 2, 17: eas (epistulas) ego oportet perspiciam, corrigam: tum denique edentur, to look through, read through, Cic. Att. 16, 5, 5: “ut prae densitate arborum perspici caelum vix posset,” to look at the sky, Liv. 40, 22.—
B. Transf., to look closely at, to view, examine, inspect: “domum,” Cic. Fam. 5, 6, 3: “villam,” id. Mil. 20, 54: “operis perspiciendi causā venire,” Caes. B. G. 7, 44: “minimis id granis constat, ut vix perspici quaedam possint,” are scarcely visible, Plin. 17, 10, 14, § 71.—With a rel.-clause: “perspicito prius, quid intus agatur,” Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 24.— Neutr.: “in legem,” Vulg. Jacob. 1, 25.—
II. Trop., to perceive, note, observe, explore, prove, ascertain, etc.: “res gestas funditus,” Lucr. 1, 478: “cum se ipse perspexerit,” Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59: “sed tu perspice rem et pertenta,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 4, 5; cf. id. de Or. 2, 78, 318: “hoc, quaeso, perspicite atque cognoscite,” id. Agr. 2, 35, 95: “aliquid conjecturā,” to guess, id. Imp. Pomp. 9, 26: “cujus virtutem hostes, misericordiam victi, fidem ceteri perspexerunt,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 2, § 4: “nollem accidisset tempus, in quo perspicere posses, quanti te facerem,” id. Fam. 3, 10, 2: “quidam saepe in parvā pecuniā perspiciuntur, quam sint leves,” id. Lael. 17, 63: “perpaucos, quorum in se fidem perspexerat, relinquere in Galliā decrevit,” Caes. B. G. 5, 5: “videbitis et non perspicietis,” Vulg. Act. 28, 26.—With object-clause: “perspicio nihili meam vos facere gratiam,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 68; cf. Cic. Fam. 1, 2, 2: “perspiciebant enim in Hortensii sententiam multis partibus plures ituros,” id. ib. 1, 2, 2.—Pass. with nom. and inf., Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 3.— Hence, perspectus , a, um, P. a., clearly perceived, evident, well known: “ars rebus cognitis penitusque perspectis continetur,” Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 92; cf. id. ib. 1, 23, 108; id. Fam. 1, 7, 2: “virtus alicujus experta atque perspecta,” id. Balb. 6, 16: “benevolentia mihi perspectissima,” id. Att. 3, 15.—Adv.: per-spectē , intelligently, sensibly: “ut docte et perspecte sapit,” Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 162.