aura, ae (gen. sing. aurāï, Verg. A. 6, 747; v. Neue, Formenl. I. p. 11; also, auras, like familias, custodias, terras, etc.; Servius gives this in Verg. A. 11, 801; still all the MSS. give aurae, and so Rib.), f., = αὔρα [ΑΩ, αὔω, to blow].
I The air , as in gentle motion, a gentle breeze , a breath of air (syn.: aër, ventus, spiritus): agitatus aër auram facit, Isid. Orig. 13, 11, 17: semper aër spiritu aliquo movetur; frequentius tamen auras quam ventos habet, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 5: flatus, qui non aura, non procella, sed venti sunt, Plin. 2, 45, 45, § 116: et me... nunc omnes terrent aurae, now every breeze terrifies me , Verg. A. 2, 728: Concutiat tenerum quaelibet aura, Ov. A. A. 2, 650.— Hence,
II Transf.
A In gen., a breeze , a wind (even when violent): Et reserata viget genitabilis aura Favoni, Lucr. 1, 11; cf.: Aura parit flores tepidi fecunda Favoni. Cat. 64, 282: omnes, Aspice, ventosi ceciderunt murmuris aurae, Verg. E. 9, 58: aurae Vela vocant, id. A. 3, 356: aura post meridiem, Vulg. Gen. 3, 8: aura tenuis, ib. 3 Reg. 19, 12: lenis, ib. Job, 4, 16: petulans, Lucr. 6, 111: ignarae, brutish , Cat. 64, 164, ubi v. Ellis: rapida, Ov. M. 3, 209: stridens, Val. Fl. 2, 586: violentior, Stat. Th. 6, 157: aurae flatus, Vulg. Act. 27, 40: omnes eos tollet aura, ib. Isa. 57, 13 et saep.—Also breath : flammas exsuscitat aura, Ov. F. 5, 507.—
B Trop.: dum flavit velis aura secunda meis, while a favorable breeze breathed on my sails , i. e. so long as I was in prosperity , Ov. P. 2, 3, 26: totam opinionem parva non numquam commutat aura rumoris, Cic. Mur. 17: tenuis famae aura, Verg. A. 7, 646: quem neque periculi tempestas neque honoris aura potuit umquam de suo cursu aut spe aut metu demovere, Cic. Sest. 47 fin. : levi aurā spei objectā, Liv. 42, 39, 1: sperat sibi auram posse aliquam adflari in hoc crimine voluntatis defensionisque eorum, quibus, etc., token of favor , Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 13: nescius aurae (sc. amoris) Fallacis, Hor. C. 1, 5, 11: incerta Cupidinis aura, Ov. Am. 2, 9, 33.—Hence freq. aura popularis, the popular breeze , popular favor , Cic. Har. Resp. 20 fin. ; Liv. 3, 33, 7; 30, 45, 6 al.; Hor. C. 3, 2, 20; Quint. 11, 1, 45 (cf.: ventus popularis, Cic. Clu. 47, 130); so, aura favoris popularis, Liv. 22, 26, 4.—Also in plur.: nimium gaudens popularibus auris, Verg. A. 6, 816; and absol. : adliciendo ad se plebem jam aurā non consilio ferri, Liv. 6, 11, 7.—
C.1 The air (mostly poet. and plur.): cum Nubila portabunt venti transversa per auras, Lucr. 6, 190: Tenvis enim quaedam moribundos deserit aura, id. 3, 232: Aurarumque leves animae calidique vapores, id. 5, 236: (anima) discedit in auras, id. 3, 400; 6, 1129 et saep.—Hence, aurae aëris or aëriae aurae freq. in Lucr.: (res) Aëris in teneras possint proferrier auras, 1, 207; 1, 783; 1, 801; 1, 803; 1, 1087; 2, 203; 3, 456; 3, 570; 3, 591; 4, 693: liquidissimus aether Atque levissimus aërias super influit auras, id. 5, 501; 1, 771; 4, 933: Nulla nec aërias volucris perlabitur auras, Tib. 4, 1, 127: Qui tamen aërias telum contorsit in auras, Verg. A. 5, 520.—
2 Esp., the vital air : Vivit et aetherias vitalīs suscipit auras, breathes a breath of ethereal air , Lucr. 3, 405; imitated by Verg.: haud invisus caelestibus auras Vitales carpis, A. 1, 387: vesci vitalibus auris, i. e. vivere, Lucr. 5, 857; imitated by Verg., A. 1, 546, and 3, 339; so, haurire auram communem, Quint. 6, prooem. § 12: captare naribus auras, to snuff the air , Verg. G. 1, 376.—Trop.: libertatis auram captare, to catch at the air of freedom , i. e. to seize upon any hope of liberty , Liv. 3, 37, 1.—
3 Meton.
a The upper air , Heaven , on high : assurgere in auras, Verg. G. 3, 109; so id. A. 4, 176: dum se laetus ad auras Palmes agit, id. G. 2, 363: ad auras Aetherias tendit, id. ib. 2, 291; so id. A. 4, 445: stat ferrea turris ad auras, poet. for ad alta, rises high , id. ib. 6, 554: Sorbet in abruptum fluctus, rursusque sub auras Erigit alternos, id. ib. 3, 422; 7, 466; 2, 759; 5, 427 al.; cf. Wagner, Quaest. Verg. X. 1.—
b In opp. to the lower world, the upper world (cf. aether, I. B. 3.): Eurydice superas veniebat ad auras, Verg. G. 4, 486; so id. A. 6, 128: Ortygiam, quae me superas eduxit prima sub auras, Ov. M. 5, 641; 10, 11 (cf. Verg. A. 6, 481: ad superos); so of childbirth: pondus in auras expulit, Ov. M. 9, 704.—In gen. for publicity , daylight : ferre sub auras, i. e. to make known , Verg. A. 2, 158: reddere ad auras, to restore , id. ib. 2, 259: fugere auras, to seclude or hide one’s self , id. ib. 4, 388.—
D Transf. to other atmospheric objects which exert an influence on bodies, as light , heat , sound , vapor , etc.
1 A bright light , a gleam , glittering (cf. φάεος ἀϋτμή, Callim. Hymn. Dian. 117): discolor unde auri per ramos aura refulsit, Verg. A. 6, 204 (splendor auri, Serv.).—
2 The warmth of sunlight : solis calidior visa est aura, Varr. ap. Non. p. 275, 25.—
3 Sound , tone , voice , echo : Si modo damnatum revocaverit aura puellae, Prop. 3, 23, 15: at illi Nomen ab extremis fontibus aura refert, id. 1, 20, 50.—
4 Vapor , mist , odor , exhalation : inolentis olivi Naturam, nullam quae mittat naribus auram, Lucr. 2, 851: at illi Dulcis compositis spiravit crinibus aura, a sweet odor exhaled , Verg. G. 4, 417; so Mart. 3, 65; Val. Fl. 5, 589; cf. Heins. ad Ov. M. 15, 394: si tantum notas odor attulit auras, Verg. G. 3, 251: pingues ab ovilibus aurae, Stat. Th. 10, 46.