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.OC952,154(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.), IG3.1417 sqq.
II. Ἀρά personified as the goddess of destruction and revenge, “ὦ πότνι᾽ Ἀρὰ σεμναί τε θεῶν παῖδες Ἐρινύες” S.El.III; “δεινόπους Ἀρά” Id.OT418; 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 α_ρ, Att. always α^ρ.] (From ἀρϝα_, cf. κάταρ ϝος.)