Lewis & Short

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āra, ae, f. (Osc. form aasa; Umbr. asa: PELLEX. ASAM. IVNONIS. NE. TAGITO., Lex Numae ap. Gell. 4, 3, 3; cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 4, 219; Macr. S. 3, 2) [perh. Sanscr. ās, Gr. ἧμαι, Dor. ἧσμαι = to sit, as the seat or resting-place of the victim or offering; v. Curt. p. 381 sq.], an altar.

  1. I. Lit.: Jovis aram sanguine turpari, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 35, 85 (Trag. v. 125 Vahl.): Inde ignem in aram, ut Ephesiae Dianae laeta laudes, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 1: omnīs accedere ad aras … aras sanguine multo Spargere, Lucr. 5, 1199 sq.; so id. 1, 84: turicremas aras, id. 2, 353 (adopted by Verg. A. 4, 453); 2, 417: multo sanguine maesti Conspergunt aras adolentque altaria donis, id. 4, 1237 al.: ara Aio Loquenti consecrata, Cic. Div. 1, 45, 101: ara condita atque dicata, Liv. 1, 7; cf. Suet. Claud. 2: ara sacrata, Liv. 40, 22; cf. Suet. Tib. 14: exstruere, id. Aug. 15; so Vulg. 4 Reg. 21, 4: construere, ib. 2 Par. 33, 3: facere, ib. ib. 33, 15: erigere, ib. Num. 23, 4: aedificare, ib. 3 Reg. 14, 23: ponere, ib. ib. 16, 32: destruere, ib. Exod. 34, 13, and ib. Jud. 6, 25: subvertere, ib. Deut. 7, 5: dissipare, ib. ib. 12, 3: suffodere, ib. Jud. 31, 32: demolire, ib. Ezech. 6, 4: depopulari, ib. Osee, 10, 2: interibunt arae vestrae, ib. Ezech. 6, 6 et saep.
    Altars were erected not only in the temples, but also in the streets and highways, in the open air, Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 20.
    Esp. were altars erected in the courts of houses (impluvia), for the family gods (Penates), while the household gods (Lares) received offerings upon a small hearth (focus) in the family hall (atrium); hence, arae et foci, meton. for home, or hearth and home, and pro aris et focis pugnare, to fight for altars and fires, for one’s dearest possessions: urbem, agrum, aras, focos seque dedere, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 71: te amicum Deiotari regis arae focique viderunt, Cic. Deiot. 3: de vestris conjugibus ac liberis, de aris ac focis, decernite, id. Cat. 4, 11, 24; id. Sest. 42: nos domicilia, sedesque populi Romani, Penates, aras, focos, sepulcra majorum defendimus, id. Phil. 8, 3: patriae, parentibus, aris atque focis bellum parare, Sall. C. 52, 3: pro patriā, pro liberis, pro aris atque focis suis cernere, id. ib. 59, 5: sibi pro aris focisque et deūm templis ac solo, in quo nati essent, dimicandum fore, Liv. 5, 30 et saep.
    Criminals fled to the altars for protection, Don. ad Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 22: interim hanc aram occupabo, Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 45: Priamum cum in aram confugisset, hostilis manus interemit, Cic. Tusc. 1, 35, 85: eo ille confugit in arāque consedit, Nep. Paus. 4, 4: Veneris sanctae considam vinctus ad aras: haec supplicibus favet, Tib. 4, 13, 23.
    Hence, trop., protection, refuge, shelter: tamquam in aram confugitis ad deum, Cic. N. D. 3, 10, 25: ad aram legum confugere, id. Verr. 2, 2, 3: hic portus, haec ara sociorum, id. ib. 2, 5, 48; Ov. Tr. 4, 5, 2; 5, 6, 14; id. H. 1, 110; id. P. 2, 8, 68.
    One who took an oath was accustomed to lay hold of the altar, in confirmation of it, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 46: qui si aram tenens juraret, crederet nemo, Cic. Fl. 36, 90; Nep. Hann. 2, 4 (cf. Liv. 21, 1): tango aras, medios ignes et numina testor, Verg. A. 12, 201; 4, 219: ara sepulcri, a funeral pile, regarded as an altar, Verg. A. 6, 177; Sil. 15, 388.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. The Altar, a constellation in the southern sky, Gr. Θυτήριον (Arat. 403 al.): Aram, quam flatu permulcet spiritus austri, poët. ap. Cic. N. D. 2, 44, 114; so Cic. Arat. 202; 213 Orell.; Hyg. Astr. 2, 39, and id. ib. 3, 38: pressa, i. e. low in the south, Ov. M. 2, 139.
    2. B. Arae, The Altars.
        1. a. Rocky cliffs in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily Sardinia and Africa, so called from their shape, Varr. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 108; Quadrig. Ann. ib.: saxa vocant Itali, mediis quae in fluctibus, Aras, Verg. A. 1, 109.
        2. b. Arae Philaenorum, v. Philaeni.
  3. III. Transf., in gen., a monument of stone: ara virtutis, Cic. Phil. 14, 13: Lunensis ara, of Lunensian marble, Suet. Ner. 50 fin.
    Also a tombstone: ARAM D. S. P. R. (de suā pecuniā restituit), Inscr. Orell. 4521; so ib. 4522; 4826.