I.super-human, mighty, divine, wonderful, Hom.; often like θεσπέσιος, to express wonder or admiration, ἱερὸν τέλος, ἱερὸς στρατός a glorious band, id=Hom.; ἱερὸς δίφρος a splendid chariot, Il.; οὐχ ἱερόν no mighty matter! Theocr.
II.holy, hallowed, Lat. sacer, Hom., etc.; ἱερὸς πόλεμος a holy war, Ar., etc.: ἱρὰ γράμματα, ῀ ἱερογλυφικά, Hdt.; ἱερὸν τὸ σῶμα διδόναι, of one dedicated to a god, Eur.; ἱερὸς νόμος the law of sacrifice, Dem.; of the Roman Tribunes, to express sacrosanctus, Plut.; for ἱερὰ καὶ ὅσια, v. ὅσιος.
2.of kings, heroes, etc., from a notion of "the divinity that doth hedge a king,"Pind., Soph.
III.as Subst.,
1.ἱερά, ionic ἱρά, τά, offerings, sacrifices, victims, ἱερὰ ῥέζειν, Lat. sacra facere, operari, Il.; ἔρδειν Hes.; θῦσαι Hdt.:—after Hom. the inwards of the victim, the auspices, τὰ ἱερὰ καλὰ ἦν Xen.; or, simply, τὰ ἱερὰ γίγνεται id=Xen.:—generally, sacred things or rites, Lat. sacra, Hdt.
IV.special phrases:
V.adv. -ρῶς, holily, Plut.