I.the quality of asper, unevenness, roughness (opp. 2. levitas).
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.—
B. Transf.
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.—
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.—
II. Trop.
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.—
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.
