I.to look at, behold; to gaze at, watch, observe, etc. (freq. and class.; syn.: adspicio, speculor, conspicor, contueor).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
(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.—
(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.—
(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.—
(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.—
B. In partic.
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. 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. 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.—
II. Trop.
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.—
B. In partic.
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. (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.).
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.—
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.