ōro, āvi, ātum, 1 (orassis for oraveris, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 63), v. a. and n. [1. os, to speak]: oro ab ore, Varr. L. L. 6, § 76 Müll.
I In gen. (so obsol.): orare antiquos dixisse pro agere testimonio est, quod oratores dicti et causarum actores et qui rei publicae mandatas causas agebant, Fest. p. 198 Müll.: bonum aequumque oras, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 151: talibus orabat Juno, Verg. A. 10, 96.—
II In partic.
A To treat , argue , plead (as an ambassador, advocate, etc.; class., but very rare; cf. ago): REM VBI PAGVNT ORATO, Fragm. XII. Tab.: matronis ipsis, quae raptae erant, orantibus, i. e. at their mediation , Cic. Rep. 2, 7, 13: causam capitis, to argue , plead , id. Brut. 12, 47: orandae litis tempus accommodare, id. Off. 3, 10, 43: si causa oranda esset, Liv. 39, 40, 6: causas melius, Verg. A. 6, 849: cum eo de salute suā agit, orat atque obsecrat, treats , speaks , Caes. B. C. 1, 22: causam dixit et ipse pro se oravit, plead his own cause , Liv. 39, 40, 12.—
2 Of oratorical speaking, eloquence (freq. in Quint.): ars orandi, the oratorical art , art of oratory , Quint. prooem. § 4; id. 2, 15, 20; 9, 4, 3: orandi scientia, id. 1, 10, 2: orandi studium, id. 9, 4, 110; 8, 6, 20.—
B To pray , beg , beseech , entreat one (the predom. signif. in all periods and styles; syn.: rogo, obsecro, obtestor, supplico, precor); constr. usually with acc. of the pers. and of the thing , and with ut , ne (the less freq. constructions, v. infra).
α With acc. of the pers. and of the thing : illud te ad extremum et oro et hortor, ut, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16, § 46: multa deos orans, Verg. A. 9, 24: aliquem libertatem, Suet. Vesp. 16.—
β With acc. of the pers. only: virginem orare, Liv. Andron. ap. Diom. p. 379 P: cum desubito me orat mulier, Enn. ap. Non. 517, 15 (Cax. v. 9 Vahl.); cf.: socer Non orandus erat, sed vi faciendus Erechtheus, not to be entreated , but compelled , Ov. M. 6, 701: Lydia, dic, per omnes Te deos oro, Sy barin cur properes amando perdere, Hor. C. 1, 8, 2.—
γ With acc. of the thing for which one asks: gnato uxorem, to request a wife for one's son , Ter. And. 528: legati Romam missi, auxilium ad bellum orantes, to ask assistance , Liv. 21, 6: opem rebus affectis orantes, id. 6, 9: auxilia, Tac. A. 2, 46.—
δ With ut : rogat oratque te Chrysogone, ut, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 49, 144: te, C. Flave, oro et obtestor, ut, etc., id. Planc. 42, 104: te etiam atque etiam oro, ut, etc., id. Att. 11, 1, 2: hoc me a vobis orare Juppiter jussit, ut, etc., Plaut. Am. prol. 64.—
ε With subj.: orant, ignoscamus peccatum suum, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 101: et vocet oro, Verg. A. 11, 442: idque sinas, oro, Ov. P. 4, 1, 19.—
ζ With ne : rogat eos atque orat, ne, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 39, § 96: quod te, Aesculapi, et te, Salus, ne quid sit hujus, oro, Ter. Hec. 338.—
η With the imper. : absiste inceptis, oro, Sil. 11, 336.— With imper. and acc. of person , Verg. A. 2, 143; 4, 319; 10, 61 and 905.—
θ With inf. or an object-clause : jampridem a me illos abducere Thestylis orat, Verg. E. 2, 43; id. A. 6, 313; 9, 231; Tac. A. 6, 2; 12, 9: vel Aegypti praefecturam concedi sibi oraret, Suet. Ner. 47.—
ι With ab and abl. of a person , followed by ut or ne : primum hoc abs te oro, ni me inexorabilem faxis, Pac. Tr. 122: oravitque a suis, ut, etc., Gell. 17, 10, 7: oratus ab Artorio, ne in castris remaneret, Vell. 2, 70, 1.—
κ With cum aliquo : quod tecum pater orat, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 198 Müll. (Ann. v. 20 Vahl.): si is mecum oraret, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 15: tecum oro et quaeso, ut, id. Curc. 3, 1, 62: egi, atque oravi tecum, uxorem ut duceres, Ter. Hec. 686; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 22; cited above, II. A.—
λ With pro and the abl.: nec pro civibus se orare, sed pro, etc., Just. 11, 4, 4: ut Octavius orandus sit pro salute cujusquam civis, Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 16, 2; cf.: ut pro illā ores, ut sit propitius (deus), Plaut. As. 4, 1, 38.—
b Oro te, I pray thee , prithee , parenthetically, a formula of politeness (cf. quaeso): dic. oro te, clarius, Cic. Att. 4, 8, 1; Sen. Vit. Beat. 7, 1; Liv. 5, 5, 1; cf. Cic. Att. 7, 16, 3.—
C To pray , to supplicate God (eccl. Lat.); act. : oravit Dominum, Vulg. Judic. 13, 8: orationem quam orat, id. 3 Reg. 8, 29; id. 2 Par. 6, 21: filios, id. Job, 19, 17: Deum, id. Eccles. 50, 24: orationes longas, id. Matt. 23, 14.—More often neutr. : pro te, Vulg. Gen. 20, 7: ut audias, id. ib. 43, 20: in loco isto, id. 3 Reg. 8, 30: contra viam civitatis, id. ib. 8, 44: ad Dominum, id. 4 Reg. 4, 33: cum lacrimis, id. Tob. 3, 1: unus orans et unus maledicens, id. Ecclus. 34, 29: spiritu et mente, id. 1 Cor. 14, 15: mulierem decalvatam orare non decet, Ambros. in Luc. 6, § 19: orandi gratia, Lact. 4, 15, 20.—Hence, P. a. as subst.: ōrans , antis, m., an orator : orantes, Tac. Dial. 6, 6.