ἀρά

A. prayer, Il. 15.378,598, 23.199, Hes. Op. 726, Pi. I. 6(5).43; ἀρὴν ἐποιήσαντο παῖδα γενέσθαι Ἀρίστωνι offered prayers that a child should be born, Hdt. 6.63.

2. vow, Inscr.Cypr. 83, 147H.

3. curse, imprecation, ἐξ ἀρέων μητρὸς . . ἥ ῥα θεοῖσι πόλλ’ ἀχέουσ’ ἠρᾶτο Il. 9.566; freq. in Trag., mostly in pl., A. Pr. 910, S. OT 295; ἀρὰς ἀρᾶσθαι,προστιθέναι, ἐξανιέναι, E. Ph. 67, S. OC 952,154(lyr.), 1375; ἐπεύχεσθαι Pl. Criti. 119e; θέσθαι ἐπί τινας Plu. Cam. 13: also in sg., πατρὸς δ’ ἀ. κρανθήσεται A. Pr. 910, cf. Ag. 457 (lyr.), etc.; ἡ τοῦ νόμου ἀ. Pl. Lg. 871b; ἀρᾷ . . ἔνοχος ἔστω ib.742b, etc.: in pl., imprecations, freq. in Inscrr. on those who shall mutilate or remove them, Inscr.Magn. 105.53 (ii B. C.), IG 3.1417 sqq.

II. Ἀρά personified as the goddess of destruction and revenge, ὦ πότνῑ Ἀρὰ σεμναί τε θεῶν παῖδες Ἐρινύες S. El.III; δεινόπους Ἀρά Id. OT 418; but in A. Eu. 417 the Erinyes say that Ἀραί is their own name γῆς ὑπαί; Ἀρά τ’ Ἐρινὺς πατρὸς ἡ μεγασθενής Id. Th. 70; Ἀρᾶς ἱερόν Ar. Fr. 575. (Hence the Verb ἀράομαι.) [Ep. always αρ, Att. always αρ.] (From ἀρvα, cf. κάταρ vος.)