aspero

aspĕro ( aspro, Sid. Ep. 4, 8; id. Carm. 2, 418), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [asper], to make rough, uneven.

I.

A.. Lit. (very freq. in the poets and Tac., but not found in Cic.):

asserculi asperantur, ne sint advolantibus lubrici,

Col. 8, 3, 6:

tum enim (apes) propter laborem asperantur ac macescunt,

become rough, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 20:

cum torpent apes, nec caloribus asperantur,

Pall. 7, 7, 2:

(vinum myrtites) limum dysentericae passionis medicabiliter asperare, i. e. excrementa solidiora reddere,

id. 3, 31, 2:

Et glacialis hiemps aquilonibus asperat undas,

throws into commotion, Verg. A. 3, 285; so Luc. 8, 195; Val. Fl. 2, 435: Minervae pectus asperare hydris, Prud. peri steph. 14, 275.—

B.

Transf., to furnish with a rough, wounding exterior (cf. 1. asper, I.):

sagittas inopiā ferri ossibus asperant,

to point, Tac. G. 46.—Hence, also, to whet, to sharpen:

pugionem vetustate obtusum asperari saxo jussit,

Tac. A. 15, 54:

abruptaque saxa asperat,

Luc. 6, 801 (cf. id. 7, 139: nisi cautibus asper Exarsit mucro, and exaspero).—

II.

Trop., to make fierce, to rouse up, excite, exasperate:

indomitos praeceps discordia fratres asperat,

Stat. Th. 1, 137:

hunc quoque asperavere carmina in saevitiam,

Tac. A. 1, 72 fin.; 3, 12:

ubi asperatum Vitellium satis patuit iis, qui etc.,

id. H. 3, 38:

ne lenire neve asperare crimina videretur,

to make more severe, to aggravate, heighten, id. A. 2, 29:

iram victoris,

id. H. 2, 48.