(verb) : rē-spĭcĭo, spexi, spectum, 3 (old form of
* Subj. perf. respexis, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 19; id. Most. 2, 2, 90; id. Rud. 3, 3, 16), and a., to look back or behind, to look about, look; to see behind one; to look back upon, to look at, look to or for any thing (very freq. and class.).
* Lit.
* Neutr.: respicere quasi retro aspicere, Varro Manio: sedens ... neque post respiciens, neque ante prospiciens,Non. p. 442, 31 sq. (cf. infra, β): longe retro respicere non possunt,Cic. Tusc. 5, 2, 6; Liv. 21, 22, 7; cf. Cic. Div. 1, 24, 49: subito exaudivit hinnitum respexitque et equum alacrem laetus aspexit,id. ib. 1, 33 fin.: Er. Ergasilum qui vocat? He. Respice ... respice ad me, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 54 sq.: huc ad aliquem,id. Trin. 4, 3, 61; so, ad aliquem,id. Curc. 1, 2, 20; id. Cas. 3, 5, 10; id. Ps. 1, 3, 16; id. Poen. 4, 2, 35; id. Truc. 2, 2, 2; Ter. And. 2, 5, 6; id. Phorm. 5, 1, 13 al.; cf.: nocte ad oppidum,Cic. Div. 1, 32, 69: patriae ad oras,Ov. M. 11, 547: ad libellos,Quint. 10, 7, 31; 11, 2, 45; Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 51: ad laevam,Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 8: in aliquem,App. M. 2, p. 118: huc,Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 30; id. Rud. 3, 4, 2; id. Truc. 1, 2, 20; 21: tanta militum virtus fuit, ut non modo de vallo decederet nemo, sed paene ne respiceret quidem quisquam,Caes. B. G. 5, 43: transque caput jace, nec respexeris,Verg. E. 8, 102: respicit Aeneas subito,id. A. 6, 548: a tergo,id. ib. 8, 697: quod respicere vetitus est,Liv. 21, 22.
* Trop.
* In gen., to look, have regard, turn attention.
* Neutr.: neque se in multa simul intendere animus totum potest: et, quocumque respexit, desinit intueri, quod propositum erat,at whatsoever it looks,Quint. 10, 3, 23: si propter singula verba ad singulas formas respiciendum erit,id. 11, 2, 26; cf.: non respiciendum ad haec,id. 7, 10, 14: M. Bibulus cuncta administrabat: ad hunc summa imperii respiciebat,looked to him, was centred in him,Caes. B. C. 3, 5 fin.; cf.: periculum (emptionis) ad venditorem respicere,Dig. 18, 6, 4 (with ad venditorem pertinere).
* Pregn., to look at with solicitude, i. e. to have a care for, regard, be mindful of, consider, respect, etc. (in this sense mostly act.; cf. provideo).
* Of a protecting deity: di homines respiciunt,Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 29: deus respiciet nos aliquis,id. Bacch. 4, 2, 39; Ter. Phorm. 5, 3, 34; id. Hec. 5, 2, 6: nisi quis nos deus respexerit,Cic. Att. 1, 16, 6: Sive neglectum genus et nepotes Respicis auctor, Hor. C. 1, 2, 36; Verg. E. 1, 28: nisi idem deus, qui, etc., respexerit rem publicam,Cic. Att. 7, 1, 2: et me et te, nisi quid dī respiciunt, perdidi,Ter. And. 4, 1, 19.— Hence, Rēspĭcĭens, the Provident, an epithet of Fortuna: ad opem ferendam,Cic. Leg. 2, 11, 28; Inscr. Orell. 477; 1766.— Rarely, in a bad sense, of an avenging deity: at vos, devota capita, respiciant di perjuriorum vindices,may they remember it against you,Just. 14, 4, 10.
* Of persons that have a care or regard for any thing: hercle alius nemo respicit nos,Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 55; so, aliquem,Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 19; id. Aul. 2, 2, 54: age, me in tuis secundis respice,Ter. And. 5, 6, 11; id. Ad. 5, 8, 9: miseros aratores,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 10, § 26; Caes. B. G. 7, 77: sin Caesarem respiciant,id. B. C. 1, 1; Mart. 10, 10, 5: non Pylium Nestora respicis,Hor. C. 1, 15, 22: quantum quisque ferat respiciendus erit,Ov. Am. 1, 8, 38: mox deos respexere; restitui Capitolium placuit,bethought themselves of,Tac. H. 4, 4: aetatem tuam,Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 87: populi Romani commoda (with prospicere),Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 55, § 127: salutem cum meam tum aliorum,id. Planc 38, 91; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 5: rem publicam,Cic. Phil. 2, 46, 118; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 11, 3: mala sua,Lucr. 4, 1159 et saep. —With se, to think of or have regard for one's self, Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 18; Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 18; 5, 1, 46; Cic. Fin. 2, 24, 79; id. pro Scaur. Fragm. 41, p. 267 Orell.: quod si Caesar se respexerit, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 24, 8.—With ad (Quintilian): ad utilitatem Ligarii respicit,looks to the advantage of,Quint. 9, 2, 28; so, modice ad hanc partem,id. 9, 4, 36: Graecas litteras (corresp. to studere Latinis),id. 1, 12, 6: saepius ad curam rerum ab elocutione,id. 10, 1, 120.—With an abstr. subj.: si quid pietas antiqua labores Respicit humanos,Verg. A. 5, 689.— With object-clause, to observe, perceive, notice: respicio nihili meam vos gratiam facere,Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 68.