I.gen. sing. ĕrāï, Aus. Idyll. 7, 5), f. erus.
I. Prop., the mistress of a house, with respect to the servants; the mistress, lady: nunquam era errans (i. e. Medea), etc., Enn. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 22, 34 (Trag. v. 287 Vahl.): “servus Dat (puellam) erae suae,” Plaut. Cas. prol. 44 sq.; so id. ib. 2, 5, 3; 2, 8, 70; id. Am. 1, 1, 105; Ter. And. 4, 2, 4; id. Eun. 4, 3, 12; 5, 3, 8. So, era major and era minor, the old and young mistress, the lady of the house and her daughter, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 22 and 23.—
II. Meton., a mistress, female ruler or governor.
A. Of goddesses: domina, era (Minerva), Enn. ap. Ach. Stat. ad Cat. 1, 9 (Vahl. Enn. p. 177, no. 22): “Fortuna, era,” Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 12 dub.; cf.: vosne velit an me regnare era quidve ferat Fors, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38 (Ann. v. 203 Vahl.—for which, sit sane Fors domina campi, Cic. Pis. 2, 3): “rapidi Tritonis era,” i. e. Minerva, Cat. 64, 396: “hilarate erae (i. e. Cybeles) citatis erroribus animum,” id. 63, 18; so ib. 92: “tergeminam tunc placat eram (Hecaten),” Val. Fl. 1, 780: “noctis eram Ditemque ciens,” i. e. Proserpine, id. 7, 313.—
B. Of sweethearts, Cat. 68, 136; so Ov. H. 9, 78.
