aspĕrĭtas, ātis, f. [asper], 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.—
2 Of hearing, roughness , harshness of tone : vocis, Lucr. 4, 542: soni, Tac. G. 3.—
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.