I.part. perf. agnōtus, Pac. ap. Prisc. p. 887 P.; part. fut. act. agnoturus, Sall. H. Fragm. 2, 31; cf. Diom. 383 P.; class.; used very freq. by Cicero).
I. As if to know a person or thing well, as having known it before, to recognize: agnoscere always denotes a subjective knowledge or recognition; while cognoscere designates an objective perception; another distinction v. in II.): in turbā Oresti cognitā agnota est soror, was recognized by Orestes as his sister, Pac. ap. Prisc. 887 P.: “virtus cum se extollit et ostendit suum lumen et idem aspexit agnovitque in alio,” and when she has perceived the same in another, and has recognized it, Cic. Lael. 27, 100: “id facillime accipiunt animi, quod agnoscunt,” Quint. 8, 3, 71: “cum se collegit (animus) atque recreavit, tum agnoscit illa reminiscendo,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 24, 58: “quod mihi de filiā gratularis, agnosco humanitatem tuam,” id. Fam. 1, 7 (cf. on the contr. id. ib. 5, 2, where Cic., speaking of himself, says: Cognosce nunc humanitatem meam, learn from this, etc.): “nomine audito extemplo agnovere virum,” Liv. 7, 39: “veterem amicum,” Verg. A. 3, 82: “matrem,” id. ib. 1, 405: Figulum in patriam suam venisse atque ibi agnosci, and is there recognized (by those who had already known him), Quint. 7, 2, 26: “formas quasdam nostrae pecuniae agnoscunt,” Tac. G. 5: “agnoscent Britanni suam causam,” id. Agr. 32: “nitorem et altitudinem horum temporum agnoscimus,” id. Or. 21: “quam (tunicam) cum agnovisset pater,” Vulg. Gen. 37, 33.—
B. Transf., as a result of this knowledge or recognition, to declare, announce, allow, or admit a thing to be one's own, to acknowledge, own: qui mihi tantum tribui dicis, quantum ego nec agnosco (neither can admit as due to me) nec postulo, Cic. Lael. 9: “natum,” Nep. Ages. 1, 4: “Aeacon agnoscit summus prolemque fatetur Juppiter esse suam,” Ov. M. 13, 27 (cf. in Pandects, 25, Tit. 3: “de agnoscendis vel alendis liberis): an me non agnoscetis ducem?” will you not acknowledge me as your general? Liv. 6, 7: “agnoscere bonorum possessionem,” to declare the property as one's own, to lay claim to it, Dig. 26, 8, 11 (cf. agnitio, I.): “agnoscere aes alienum,” ib. 28, 5, 1: “facti gloriam,” Cic. Mil. 14 fin.: “susciperem hoc crimen, agnoscerem, confiterer,” id. Rab. Perd. 6: “fortasse minus expediat agnoscere crimen quam abnuere,” Tac. A. 6, 8: “sortilegos,” Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132: et ego ipse me non esse verborum admodum inopem agnosco, and I myself confess, allow, etc., id. Fam. 4, 4: “id ego agnovi meo jussu esse factum,” id. ib. 5, 20, 3: carmina spreta exolescunt; “si irascare, agnita videntur,” Tac. A. 4, 34.—
II. To understand, recognize, know, perceive by, from, or through something: “ut deum agnoscis ex operibus ejus, sic ex memoriā rerum et inventione, vim divinam mentis agnoscito,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 70; id. Planc. 14, 35: “ex fructu arbor agnoscitur,” Vulg. Matt. 12, 33: “inde agnosci potest vis fortunae,” Vell. 2, 116, 3.—Also, absol.: Augusti laudes agnoscere possis, you can recognize the praises of Augustus, * Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 29: “accipio agnoscoque deos,” Verg. A. 12, 260 (cf. accipio): “agniti dempsere sollicitudinem,” Tac. H. 2, 68: “Germanicus, quo magis agnosceretur, detraxerat tegimen,” id. A. 2, 21: “terram non agnoscebant,” Vulg. Act. 27, 39.—In gen., to become acquainted with, to know; to perceive, apprehend, understand, discern, remark, see: “quin puppim flectis, Ulixe, Auribus ut nostros possis agnoscere cantus,” Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 49 (as transl. of Hom. Od. 12, 185, Νῆα κατάστησον, ἵνα νωϊτέρην ὄπ̓ ἀκούσῃς): “haec dicta sunt subtilius ab Epicuro quam ut quivis ea possit agnoscere,” understand, id. N. D. 1, 18, 49; Verg. A. 10, 843; Phaedr. 2, 5, 19: “alienis pedibus ambulamus, alienis oculis agnoscimus,” Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 19.
