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. 3, 2, 48: “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. 3, 2, 3.—（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. 4, 4, 64; 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. Ecclus. 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.
