dē-prĕcor, ātus, 1, v. dep. a.
I To avert, ward off (from one's self or others) by earnest prayer; to deprecate; also to pray, to intercede for the averting of any evil, or to obtain pardon for any transgression (cf. Gell. 6, 16, 3).
A In gen. (for syn. cf.: averto, averrunco, avoco, revoco —freq. and class.), constr. with the acc. (rei v. personae) , the inf., the acc. and inf., ne, quominus, quin , and absol.
α With acc. rei : ullam ab sese calamitatem, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 60 fin. ; cf.: ut a me quandam prope justam patriae querimoniam detester ac deprecer, id. Cat. 1, 11: quibus servitutem mea miseria deprecor? Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 16, 9; cf.: ego meae cum vitae parcam, letum inimico deprecer? id. ib. § 10: qui nullum genus supplicii deprecatus est neque recusavit, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52: mortem, Caes. B. G. 7, 40, 6; cf.: non jam mortem neque aerumnas, tantummodo inimici imperium et cruciatus corporis deprecor, Sall. J. 24, 10: periculum, Caes. B. C. 1, 5; Asin. Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 3 (with refugere), Liv. 3, 58: poenam, id. 40, 15: ignominiam, id. 27, 20 fin. : iram senatus, id. 39, 35: praecipiendi munus, Quint. 2, 12, 12 et saep.—Of abstract subjects: Claudii invidiam Gracchi caritas deprecabatur, averted , Cic. Rep. 6, 2 (ap. Gell. 6, 16, 11; and Non. 290, 17).—
β With acc. pers. , usually in the sense of praying : quem deprecarentur, cum omnes essent sordidati? Cic. Sest. 12: in hoc te deprecor, ne, etc., Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1: Patres, ne festinarent decernere, etc., Liv. 34, 59: senatum litteris deprecatus est, ne, etc., Suet. Caes. 29: dispensatorem deprecati sumus, ut, etc., Petr. 30, 9: deos mala (opp. bona rogare), Sen. Q. N. 2, 33; cf.: hoc superos, hoc te quoque deprecor, Val. Fl. 8, 53: numina versu, Petr. 133, 2: Dominum, Vulg. Esth. 14, 3 et saep.—Less freq. in the sense of averting : lecto te solum, lecto te deprecor uno, Prop. 2, 34, 17 (3, 32, 7 M.).—
γ With inf.: umbram accipere, Stat. Th. 8, 116; Luc. 9, 213.—*
δ With acc. and inf., to plead in excuse : postquam errasse regem et Jugurthae scelere lapsum deprecati sunt, Sall. J. 104, 4.—
ε With ne : primum deprecor, ne me, etc., Cic. Fin. 2, 1: unum petere ac deprecari ... ne se armis despoliaret, Caes. B. G. 2, 31, 4: spem ne nostram fieri patiare caducam, deprecor, Ov. H. 15 (16), 170; cf. no. , β; so, opp. to postulo ut, Liv. 40, 15, 8.—And with the dat. of the person for whom one entreats: deprecari alicui ne vapulet, Plaut. As. 946.—
ζ With quominus : neque illum se deprecari, quominus pergat, Liv. 3, 9, 10 (but non precarere is the true reading in Cic. Fin. 2, 24, 79 fin. ).—So very rarely
η with quin : quin gravedinem ipsi ferat frigus, Cat. 44, 18.—
θ With ut (rarely): deprecatus esse dicitur, ut se tertium in amicitiam reciperent, Lact. 5, 17, 23; cf. supra, Petr. 30, 9.—
ι Absol. : pro amico, pro republica deprecari, Cic. Sest. 12 fin. ; cf. Suet. Claud. 21; id. Vit. 14: arma deponat, roget, deprecetur, Cic. Phil. 5, 1, 3; id. Or. 40, 138; Caes. B. G. 4, 7, 3; Quint. 5, 13, 2; * Verg. A. 12, 931 al.—
B In relig. lang., to imprecate : diras devotiones in eum deprecata, Ap. M. 9, p. 227.—
2 Transf.: quasi non totidem mox deprecor illi Assidue, execrate , Cat. 92, 3 (dictum est quasi detestor vel exsecror vel depello vel abominor, Gell. 6, 16, 5).—
II To pray for, intercede in behalf of (that which is in danger): vitam alicujus ab aliquo, Cic. Sull. 26; cf. vitam sibi, Auct. B. Afr. 89, 3; paucos dies exsolvendo donativo deprecatum, Tac. H. 1, 41: quos senatus non ad pacem deprecandam, sed ad denuntiandum bellum miserat, Cic. Fam. 12, 24. Also with personal objects: a vobis deprecor custodem salutis meae, Cic. Planc. 42, 102: nullae sunt imagines, quae me a vobis deprecentur, id. Agr. 2, 36 fin. : te assiduae lacrimae C. Marcelli deprecantur, id. Fam. 4, 7 fin. —Sometimes, by zeugma, deprecor is used in both senses, I. and II., with different objects: non mortem sed dilationem mortis deprecantur, Justin. 11, 9, 14; Gronov. ad loc.☞ dēprĕcātus , in pass. signif.: deprecatum bellum, Just. 8, 5, 4: deprecato summo numine, Ap. M. 11, p. 270.