hora

hora quarta reliquas legiones misit
at the fourth hour he sent the remaining legions

hōra, ae, f.: with the Romans, the twelfth part of the period from sunrise to sunset, an hour; in an indefinite sense, 4.679; personif., Hōrae, ārum, f., the Hours, 3.512.

hōra, ae (archaic gen. sing. horāï, Lucr. 1, 1016.—In abl. plur. HORABVS, Inscr. Orell. 4601), f. [kindred with ὥρα; Zend yare, year; ayara, day; orig. for ϝοsara, from ϝέαρ, ver], (lit., a definite space of time, fixed by natural laws; hence, as in Greek).

• I An hour.
• • A Lit. (among the Romans, of varying length, according to the time of year, from sunrise to sunset being reckoned as twelve hours; cf.: aetas, aevum, tempus, dies): aestiva, Mart. 12, 1, 4; cf.: viginti milia passuum horis quinque duntaxat aestivis conficienda sunt, Veg. Mil. 1, 9: horam amplius jam in demoliendo signo moliebantur, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 95: īdem eadem possunt horam durare probantes? Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 82: ternas epistolas in hora dare, Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 1: in hora saepe ducentos versus dictabat, Hor. S. 1, 4, 9: horas tres dicere, Cic. Att. 4, 2, 4: primum dormiit ad horas tres, id. ib. 10, 13, 1: quatuor horarum spatio antecedens, Caes. B. C. 3, 79 fin.: quatuor aut plures aulaea premuntur in horas, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 189: non amplius quam septem horas dormiebat, Suet. Aug. 78: haec (cogitatio) paucis admodum horis magnas etiam causas complectitur, Quint. 10, 6, 1: paucissimarum horarum consulatus, Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 181: hora quota est? what o'clock is it? Hor. S. 2, 6, 44: nuntiare horas, to tell the time of day, Juv. 10, 216; cf.: cum a puero quaesisset horas, Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 182; Suet. Dom. 16: si te grata quies et primam somnus in horam Delectat, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 6: hora secunda postridie, Cic. Quint. 6, 25: quartā vix demum exponimur horā, Hor. S. 1, 5, 23: cum ad te quinta fere hora venissem, Cic. Pis. 6, 13: ea res acta est, cum hora sexta vix Pompeius perorasset, usque ad horam octavam, id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2: hora fere nona, id. ib.: hora diei decima fere, id. Phil. 2, 31, 77: hora fere undecima aut non multo secus, id. Mil. 10, 29: prima salutantes atque altera continet hora; Exercet raucos tertia causidicos: In quintam varios extendit Roma labores: Sexta quies lassis, septima finis erit, etc., Mart. 4, 8: post horam primam noctis. ... decem horis nocturnis, Cic. Rosc. Am. 7, 19: prima noctis, Suet. Aug. 76: tribus nocturnis, id. Calig. 50: id quidem in horam diei quintam vel octavam spectare maluerint, i. e., towards that part of the heavens where the sun is at the fifth or eighth hour, Plin. 17, 11, 16, § 84; 6, 32, 37, § 202: hic tu fortasse eris diligens, ne quam ego horam de meis legitimis horis remittam, of the hours allowed to an orator, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 9, § 25: hora partūs, the hour of one's birth, natal hour, Suet. Aug. 94: hora natalis, Hor. C. 2, 17, 19: mortis, Suet. Dom. 14: cenae, id. Claud. 8: pugnae, id. Aug. 16: somni, id. Dom. 21 et saep.: ad horam venire, at the hour, punctually, Sen. Q. N. 2, 16: clavum mutare in horas, every hour, hourly, Hor. S. 2, 7, 10; id. C. 2, 13, 14; id. A. P. 160; Plin. Ep. 3, 17, 3.—
  • • 2 Prov.
    • • a In horam vivere, to care only for the passing hour, to live from hand to mouth, Cic. Phil. 5, 9, 25.—
      • b Omnium horarum homo (amicus, etc.), ready, active, well disposed at all times, Quint. 6, 3, 110 Spald.; Suet. Tib. 42 (for which: C. Publicium solitum dicere, P. Mummium cuivis tempori hominem esse, Cic. de Or. 2, 67, 271).—
  • B Transf., in plur.: hōrae, ārum, a horologe, dial, clock: cum machinatione quadam moveri aliquid videmus, ut sphaeram, ut horas, Cic. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Petr. 71; cf.: videt oscitantem judicem, mittentem ad horas, to look at the clock, Cic. Brut. 54, 200.—
• II Poet., in gen., time, time of year, season: tu quamcumque deus tibi fortunaverit horam, Grata sume manu, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 22: et mihi forsan, tibi quod negarit, Porriget hora, id. C. 2, 16, 31: neu fluitem dubiae spe pendulus horae, id. Ep. 1, 18, 110: qui recte vivendi prorogat horam, id. ib. 1, 2, 41: extremo veniet mollior hora die, Prop. 2, 28 (3, 24), 16: numquam te crastina fallet Hora, Verg. G. 1, 426: sub verni temporis horam, Hor. A. P. 302; so of spring: genitalis anni, Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 107: flagrantis atrox hora Caniculae, Hor. C. 3, 13, 9: (hae latebrae) Incolumem tibi me praestant Septembribus horis, id. Ep. 1, 16, 16: arbor ipsa omnibus horis pomifera est, at all seasons, all the year round, Plin. 12, 3, 7, § 15.—
• III Personified: Hōrae, ārum, f., like the Gr. Ὥραι, the Hours, daughters of Jupiter and Themis, goddesses that presided over the changes of the seasons and kept watch at the gates of heaven, Ov. M. 2, 26; 118; Val. Fl. 4, 92; Stat. Th. 3, 410; Ov. F. 1, 125; 5, 217; Hyg. Fab. 183.

1. hōra, ae, f. (ωρα), I) die Zeit im allg., mihi forsan, tibi quod negarit, porriget hora, Hor.: numquam te crastina fallet hora, Verg.: appropinquante horā partus eius, Lact. – II) eine bestimmte, abgemessene Zeit: A) die Jahreszeit, arbor omnibus horis pomifera, Plin.: verni temporis hora, Hor.: flagrantis atrox hora Caniculae, Hor. – B) eine bestimmte Tageszeit, die Stunde, 1) eig.: prima hora, von 6–7 Uhr morgens, Plin. ep. u. Mart.: in horam vivere, sich nicht um das Künftige kümmern, Cic.: horā ante venit, eine Stunde vorher, Brut. in Cic. ep.: horam amplius moliebantur, über eine Stunde, Cic.: ad horam, zur Stunde, auf die Stunde, Sen.: in horam, von St. zu St., Hor.: in horas, St. um St., mit jeder St., Cic., Hor. u.a.: unā horā, Liv., od. in una hora, Plaut., od. in hora, Cic., in einer Stunde: hora quota est? wieviel Uhr ist es? Hor.: horae legitimae, vorgeschriebene Stunden, über die hinaus der Redner nicht reden darf, Cic.: quod dum veniat condictum tempus cenae, tarde ire (schleichen) horas queruntur, Sen.: mensis erat October, tertius idus Oct., horam non possum certam tibi dicere, Sen.: bonum mihi affers unius horae aut fortasse momenti, Lact. (vgl. übh. momentum no. I, A, 2, b, ββ): homo od. amicus omnium horarum, für Scherz u. Ernst gleich gut aufgelegt, Quint. u. Suet. – 2) meton., horae, ārum, f., die Uhr, mittere ad horas, Cic.: moveri horas, Cic.: horas inspicere, Petron. – ➳ Archaist. Genet. Sing. horai, Lucr. 1, 1016. – Vulg. Abl. Plur. horabus, Corp. inscr. Lat. 11, 2611.

1 hora [CL] 1 one of twelve equal parts of day (from sunrise to sunset) or night (from sunset to sunrise), an unequal hour subject to seasonal variation. ~a duodecima pars diei est, siquidem xij ~ae diem complent, Domino attestante Bede TR 3 p. 182; si omnes anni dies duodenis ~is putentur, aestivos necesse est dies longioribus, brumales vero brevioribus ~is includi Ib.; Neckam NR I 10; Bacon VI 47 (v. 1 dies 1b); Gerv. Tilb. I 5 (v. artificialis 2a); Bacon VI 45 (v. 2 infra). 2 one of twenty-four equal parts of day, usu. reckoned from midnight or midday (sts. w. aequalis, naturalis, or sim.); b (reckoned from sunrise or sunset). Paulus ‥ quater senas in fundo maris profundo sospes transegit ~as Aldh. VirgP 24 (cf. II Cor. xi 25: : nocte et die in profundo maris fui); Bede TR 5, etc. (v. 1 dies 2a); GlC C 477; R. Niger Chr. II 150 (v. clepsydra a); Adel. Elk. 2 (v. dakaica); Gerv. Tilb. I 5 (v. artificialis 2a); c1250 Bracton 264 (v. artificialis 2b); dies ‥ omnis naturalis dicitur continere xxiiij ~as. sunt autem ~e quedam equales dicte, quedam vero inequales. ~e equales dicuntur esse partes diei naturalis, que dicuntur equales eo quod omnes ~e sue diei determinant equale spacium temporis, sc. xxiiij partem diei naturalis Bacon VI 45.  b Balsh. AD rec. 2 176 (v. 1 dies 2a). 3 particular point of time, reckoned in unequal hours from sunrise or sunset. eadem ~a noctis qua ‥ viderat visionem V. Cuthb. I 5; prima ~a noctis Bede HE II 12; in secunda noctis ~a G. Mon. I 7; a nona ~a Sabbati DB I 263 (v. 1 dies 5c); 11‥ a nona diei Sabbati usque ad ~am primam diei Lunae (Ch.) EHR XVI 99; circa ~am primam illucescentis sabbati Coggesh. Visio 13; 1221 non potuerunt aliquid invenire vendendum circa ~am primam SelPlCrown 89 (cf. ib.: non possunt emere cibum suum ante ~am terciam). 4 particular point of time, reckoned in equal hours from midnight or midday; b (~a de clok). 1221 hoc factum fuit ~a meridiei PlCrGlouc 79; 1246 circa ~am meridianam SelPlForest 82; non citra ~am primam post nonam diei Dominice sequentis G. Hen. V 8; nocte sequenti ~a secunda post medium silentium Ib. 25; s1445 campanile S. Pauli London’ cremavit ab ~a tercia post nonam usque ad ~am novenam Chr. Hen. VI & Ed. IV 149; c1565 ab ~a prima pomeridiana usque ad secundam ‥ StatOx 379; 1584 ante septimam ~am meridianam diei Saturni Ib. 436.  b ostendit per altitudinem solis et umbram hominis ‥ que sit ~a de clok et quantum minutum omni tempore diei artificialis N. Lynn Kal. 61; ~e de clok in occasu Elveden Cal. 5. 5 approximate point of time, designated by regular event or circumstance. b (ad ~am) at the proper time, promptly. ~am cenae Alcuin WillP 31 (v. epotare b); postera die, appropinquante ~a accessionis [sc. tertiane febris], cum jam inciperet caro horrescere quasi ex frigore Canon. G. Sempr. 147; 1271 circa ~am cubacionis RCoron 1 r. 6d.; 1279 ad noctem ~a corfu venerunt ad domum Hund. Highworth 118; 1281 incipient ad ~am qua boves junguntur et cessabunt quando disjungantur CoramR 60 r. 33; 1283 ~a comedendi Cust. Battle 28; 1297 circa ~am ignitegii SelCCoron 88; ~a ‥ comedendi J. Mirfield Flor. 148.  b 1296 si quis ‥ audito signo hore nondum collo suo stolam imposuerit, ‥ debet ‥ in chorum ad ~am ire Obs. Barnwell 86. 6 one hour’s duration, a short but not necessarily exact period. b (ad ~am) for a short time, temporarily. qui quondam ccc homines una ~a in rapaces gurgitum vortices traxisse ‥ narrantur Lib. Monstr. II 9; transacto quasi dimidiae ~ae spatio Bede HE IV 3; si unius ~ae intervallo illa infirimitas seposita fuerat ‥ Asser Alf. 74; quater ‥ vigenis / decubuit horis Frith. 1241; quos ‥ natura texuit / nexos armonicos in hora dissuit Walt. Wimb. Sim. 136; langor diei unius, infirmitas ~e [ME: an stunde] AncrR 65.  b ne status ecclesiae ‥ vel ad ~am pastore destitutus vacillare inciperet Bede HE II 4; c798 omeliam S. Leonis ‥ deprecor ut ad ~am prestes nobis Alcuin Ep. 191; se illa ‥ correcturum solummodo imminentem sibi mortem ‥ ad ~am Deus avertat Deo ‥ promittit Eadmer V. Dunst. 10; s1103 Id. HN 184 (v. elongare 4b); ego excommunicationi nec ad ~am subjacere aliquatenus volo W. Malm. GP III 120 p. 261; 1168 ipse ‥ frequentissime contempnit talia, etsi interdum, sed ad ~am, non possit non moveri J. Sal. Ep. 248 (245); nos ipsi veraces erimus, etsi displiceamus ad ~am Map NC I 10 f. 8v; liberando nos ab istis bestiis que manent in stagno illo et cum ad ~am currunt in terram ‥ homines ‥ occidunt (Abbanus 16) VSH I 13; s1236 ne exorta contentione letitia nuptialis nubilaretur, salvo cujuslibet jure multa ad ~am perpessa sunt que in tempore oportuno fuerant determinanda M. Par. Maj. III 338; s1349 (v. distemperare 2a); s1386 evolutis ‥ xviij diebus ut negocium tam arduum ‥ videretur quasi oblivioni fore datum, et quod ulterius nullus ad ~am opponeret manus ‥ Thorne 2184. 7 (eccl.) time of day appointed for divine service, one of seven canonical hours; b (dist. as nocturn or mattins or lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, compline); c (dist. as magna or major, or minor); d (~ae S. Mariae or sim.); e (~ae S. Trinitatis). canonicos cum fratribus ymnos ~a competente complevit Bede CuthbP 5 p. 190; 738 presbiter et ‥ diaconus ‥ spiritales ~as et cursum ecclesias custodiant Bonif. Ep. 40; 747 ut vij canonicae orationum diei et noctis ~ae ‥ cum psalmodia et cantilena sibimet convenienti observantur (Clovesho) Conc. HS III 367; 813 etc. (v. canonicus 2c); ~as divinas et nocturnas celebrare Asser Alf. 76; si signum regularis ~ae sonuerit Lanfr. Const. 161; fratres in viam directi cum ~am regularem dicunt ‥ genua flectant Ib. 162; diurnales ~as ad laudem Dei ex debito modulabantur Ord. Vit. XII 25 p. 408; s1137 diatim ~is decantatis J. Worc. 41; oratorium ingressus picture ‥ vacabat, ~as regulares quasi aconitum fugiebat R. Niger Chr. II 169; 1192 assiduus ad ~as ecclesiasticas (Stat. S. Paul.) Diceto II lxxii; s1213 archiepiscopus indulsit ‥ ut ~as canonicas in ecclesiis suis ‥ suppressa voce cantarent Wend. II 83; sunt ~e reales sicut ~e vocales septem ‥ magis tenemur ad ~as reales quam ad ~as vocales T. Chobham Conf. 125; per illas septem ~as diei quas cantas in monasterio vel ecclesia Spec. Eccl. 19; 1291 quicunque venerit ad matutinas post ‘Gloria Patri’ psalmi qui dicitur ‘Venite’ completum perdat ~am illam Stat. Linc. II 115; de ~is male dictis [ME: of ures mis iseide] absque cordis attencione vel tempore incompetente AncrR 132; a1381 habent lumen diei pro ~is canonicis dicendis Pri. Cold. 54; 1545 (v. divinus 4).  b ut verba symboli matutinis ‥ ~is ‥ decantent Bede Egb. 5; nondum cantavimus ~am sextam W. Malm. GR III 303; generalia officia ut ~e, vespere et conpletorium et misse quedam Beleth RDO 18. 31; nota quod nocturna, nocturne pro ~a dicitur, nocturni, nocturnorum, pro ipso officio Ib. 20.32; 1206 ad ~am completorii (v. completorium); cum ‥ venissemus illa nocte ad ~as matutinas, ‥ Brakelond f. 153; ante ~am terciarum Arch. Bridgw. 10; statim post ~am nonam decantatam Obs. Barnwell 140; s1271 eratque dies Jovis . et ~a vesperarum W. Guisb. 208; 1351 oracio principalis que fuerat ad laudes et ~as dicatur eciam ad nocturnum G. S. Alb. II 42; 1393 die septima mensis Novembris, ~a terciarum vel quasi ‥ Reg. Heref. 55; quod nullus regrator vendat poletriam vel alia victualia ante ~am prime MGL I 250; 1586 ~ae matutinales cantarentur Scot. Grey Friars II 175.  c 1309 impunitas ‥ quam concessimus in majoribus et minoribus ~is sic accipienda est, quod ita poterit majores perdere si omnibus aliis tam majoribus quam minoribus contigerit eum interesse Stat. Linc. II 148; 1472 vicarii pretendunt omni die impune se absentare a magna ~a seu duabus ~is minoribus et eciam absentant se a matutinis Fabr. York 251.  d ~is que S. Marie ex ordine ‥ decantatis T. Marlb. Ecgwine 53; 1269 singulis diebus feriatis dicant matutinas in aurora et postea ‥ adeant scholas theologie ‥ et reversi dicant ~as de beata Virgine coram altari ejusdem (Fundatio domus S. Eadmunde) Ch. Sal. 348; 1293 matutinales ~as de beata Virgine persolvatis omni devocione, ac si nativitati interessetis Jesu Christi, que facta creditur illa ~a Meaux II 197; peracto leccionis vel laboris intervallo, ceteras ~as diei b. Virginis debito modo pro temporis qualitate persolvatis Ib. 200; ut in capello Virginia ‥ tam matutine quam vespere et alie ~e de eadem quotidie cantarentur Ad. Mur. Chr. 56n; s1095 ut ~e de beata Virgine cotidie dicerentur et ejus oficium fieret diebus sabbatinis Higd. VII 5 p. 324; quod [rex] nostre Domine cotidie ~as dicat Plusc. VII 18 (cf. Fordun Cont. X 61: quod ‥ rex legat quotidie ~as beate Virginis); 1534 cum dispensatione non dicendi ~as beate Marie aut vii psalmos penitentiales nisi privatim Vis. Worc. 421.  e 1415 novum psalterium meum in quo sunt matutine et ~e S. Trinitatis ac de comuni angelorum ‥ et BMV necnon passionis Domini Reg. Cant. II 68. 8 (leg.): a (~a causarum) time reserved for hearing cases. b (ad ~am or in una ~a diei or sim.) at an appointed time. a 1341 loco ‥ solito mane ~a causarum Stat. Linc. II 242; 1504 proxima die juridica ~a causarum Reg. Paisley 62.  b 1200, 1219 (v. ad 3c); 1214 habebit aliam sectam sufficientem ad ~am et terminum CurR VII 164; 1220 terra capta fuit in manum domini regis et petita ad ~am Ib. VIII 242; 1220 dixit quod habuit inde warantum et illum habere ad ~am Ib. VIII 271; 1220 hoc optulit probare per corpus suum ‥ in j ~a diei Ib.; 1236 satis tempestive et ad ~am potest dedicere donum ante cyrographum factum BNB III 188; 1260 vadium suum in manu justiciarii porexit ut ad ~am unius diei Cal. CourtR Chester 17; congrediantur campiones et pugnent. et si appellans victus fuerit vel si appellatus se defenderit contra ipsum tota die usque ad horam qua stelle incipiunt apparere, tunc recedet appellatus quietus de appello, ex quo se obligavit appellans ad convincendum eum una ~a diei, quod quidem non fecit Bracton 142. 9 (astr., w. ref. to casting of horoscope). Adel. Elk. 32 (v. horoscopicus); Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 397 (v. horoscopium 1). 10 (unspec.) time, period. b season of year. c802 festinat ~a divisionis inter fratres Alcuin Ep. 252; tertio vero milliari, ~a egyptiaca, sicut nobis postmodum evenit, nisi divina nos defenderet clementia, omnes summersi essemus Sæwulf 833; s1066 prelium consertum bellatumque ‥ in multam diei ~am [M. Par. Maj. I 541: in multa ~a diei] W. Malm. GR III 242; quandocumque potuit secreto furabatur orandi ~as Canon. G. Sempr. 42; in ipsa furoris ~a Devizes 33v (v. devenire 3b); epistolis operam prebens cum ~a dabatur Brakelond 129v (v. decretalis 2a); prosperitatis ~a FormOx 74 (v. disjungere 3b).  b 1237 homines [de Chalfgrave] dicunt quod juste paverunt pratum illud, quia tali ~a anni [sc. in septimana Paschatis] debent ipsi communam habere ibi cum [querentibus] CurR XVI 74; 1269 non est necesse in aliquo placito ponere horam facti in scripto nisi in placitis corone vel quando pax domini regis infringitur, ibi enim necesse est ponere locum et ~am anni CBaron 84; 1270 omnibus ~is anni (v. communicare 3). 11 moment in life. b (w. ultimus or sim.). a952 incerta est ~a unicuique nostrum quando revertatur pulvis in pulverem CS 894; 957 (12c) sciat se reum omni ~a vite sue CS 994.  b sicut latro in ~a ultima confessione unius momenti meruit esse in paradiso Theod. Pen. I 8. 5; usque sub extremem vitae ‥ horam Frith. 1035.

2 hora v. ora

1 hōra, (8) æ, f. (ὥρα), ¶ 1 heure : prima hora, tertia, etc. ; la première heure [entre six et sept h. du matin], la troisième, etc. ; [à midi commence la septième heure] ; horam amplius moliebantur... Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 95, depuis plus dʼune heure ils travaillaient à... ; in hora Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 1, dans lʼespace dʼune heure ; in horas Cic. Att. 14, 20, 4, dʼheure en heure, dʼune heure à lʼautre ; omnibus horis Cic. Amer. 154, à toute heure ; vix quattuor horarum spatio antecedens Cæs. C. 3, 79, 7, précédant avec une avance dʼà peine quatre heures ; in horam vivere Cic. Phil. 5, 25, vivre sans souci de lʼavenir ; hora quota est ? Hor. S. 2, 6, 44, quelle heure est-il ? post horam primam noctis... ; decem horis nocturnis pervolavit Cic. Amer. 19, après la première heure de la nuit... ; en dix heures de nuit il parcourut comme en volant ; horæ legitimæ Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 25, heures de parole accordées par la loi à lʼavocat || ad horam venire Sen. Nat. 2, 16, venir à lʼheure, ponctuellement ; omnium horarum homo Quint. 6, 3, 110, homme de toutes les heures, adapté à toute heure, à toutes les circonstances, cf. tempus ¶ 2 lʼheure, le temps, le moment : Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 22 ; O. 2, 16, 31, etc. ; Virg. G. 1, 426 ¶ 3 horæ, arum, f. , horloge : mittere ad horas Cic. Br. 200, envoyer voir lʼheure, cf. Cic. Nat. 2, 97.

➳ gén. arch. horāī Lucr. 1, 1016 ; abl. pl. horabus CIL 11, 2611.

hora , ae. f.
時。日。時辰。— extrema 死 時。— caniculae 暑時。— est 時已到。Quota — est? 何時乎。Est — sesquiquarta 巳是四點半鐘。Crastina hora 明日。Septembres horae 春時。Omnium horarum homo 不辭勞。每可見者。門無停客。

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hōra ae, f

• , ὥρα, an hour (one twelfth of the day between sunrise and sunset): Dum haec dicit, abiit hora, T.: horam amplius moliebantur: horam durare, H.: in horā saepe ducentos versūs dictabat, H.: horas trīs dicere: quattuor horarum spatium, Cs.: hora quota est?what o'clock? H.: nuntiare quot horas, the time of day, Iu.: hora secunda postridie: post horam primam noctis: clavum mutare in horas, every hour, H.: in diem et horam, i. e. continually, H.—Prov.: in horam vivere, from hand to mouth.—Plur., a horologe, dial, clock: moveri videmus horas: mittere ad horas, send to ask the time.—A time, time of year, season: quamcumque deus tibi fortunaverit horam, H.: recte vivendi, H.: crastina, V.: verni temporis, H.: Caniculae, i. e. midsummer, H.: Quae rapit hora diem, i. e. time, H.—Person., the Hours, attendants of the sun: positae spatiis aequalibus, O.: Nox Horis acta, V.

HORA

HORA(ὥρα), in the signification of hour, that is, the 12th part of the natural day, did not come into general use among the ancients until about the middle of the second century B.C. The equinoctial hours, though known to astronomers, were not used in the affairs of common life till towards the end of the fourth century of the Christian era. The division of the day was marked very roughly by the position of the sun (Varro, L. L. 6.89). As the division of the natural day into twelve equal parts, both in summer and winter, rendered the duration of the hours longer or shorter according to the different seasons of the year, it is not easy, with accuracy, to compare or reduce the hours of the ancients to our equinoctial hours. The hours of an ancient day would only coincide with the hours of our day at the two equinoxes. [DIESand HOROLOGIUM] As the duration of the natural day, moreover, depends on the polar altitude of a place, our natural days would not coincide with the natural days in Italy or Greece. Ideler, in his Handbuch der Chronologie, has given the following approximate duration of the natural days at Rome, in the year 45 B.C., which was the first after the new regulation of the calendar by J. Caesar; the length of the days is only marked at the eight principal points in the apparent course of the sun. Days of the year. 45 B.C.Their duration in equinoctial hours.Dec. 238 hrs. 45 minutes.Feb. 69 hrs. 50 minutes.March 2312 hrs. 0 minutes.May 914 hrs. 10 minutes.June 2515 hrs. 6 minutes.August 1014 hrs. 10 minutes.Sept. 2512 hrs. 0 minutes.Nov. 99 hrs. 50 minutes.

The following table contains a comparison of the hours of a Roman natural day, at the summer and winter solstice, with the hours of our day. SUMMER SOLSTICE. Roman Hours. Modern Hours.1st hour4 o'clock,27 minutes0 seconds.2nd hour5 o'clock,42 minutes30 seconds.3rd hour6 o'clock,58 minutes0 seconds.4th hour8 o'clock,13 minutes30 seconds.5th hour9 o'clock,29 minutes0 seconds.6th hour10 o'clock,44 minutes30 seconds.7th hour12 o'clock,0 minutes0 seconds.8th hour1 o'clock,15 minutes30 seconds.9th hour2 o'clock,31 minutes0 seconds.10th hour3 o'clock,46 minutes30 seconds.11th hour5 o'clock,2 minutes0 seconds.12th hour6 o'clock,17 minutes30 seconds.End of the day7 o'clock,33 minutes0 seconds.WINTER SOLSTICE. Roman Hours. Modern Hours.1st hour7 o'clock,33 minutes0 seconds.2nd hour8 o'clock,17 minutes30 seconds.3rd hour9 o'clock,2 minutes0 seconds.4th hour9 o'clock,46 minutes30 seconds.5th hour10 o'clock,31 minutes0 seconds.6th hour11 o'clock,15 minutes30 seconds.7th hour12 o'clock,0 minutes0 seconds.8th hour12 o'clock,44 minutes30 seconds.9th hour1 o'clock,29 minutes0 seconds.10th hour2 o'clock,13 minutes30 seconds.11th hour2 o'clock,58 minutes0 seconds.12th hour3 o'clock,42 minutes30 seconds.End of the day4 o'clock,27 minutes0 seconds.

Also from Plautus (Pseud. 1307) we see that an hour in winter was shorter than one in summer.

The custom of dividing the natural day into twelve equal parts or hours lasted, as we have observed, till a very late period. The first calendarium in which we find the duration of day and night marked according to equinoctial hours, is the Calendarium rusticum Farnesianum. (Ideler, Handbuch der Chron. 2. p. 139, &c.; Graev. Thesaur. Ant. Rom. viii.; Mus. Borb. ii. pl. 44.)

Another question which has often been discussed is whether in such expressions as prima, altera, tertia hora, &c., we have to understand the hour which is passing, or that which has already elapsed. From the construction of ancient sun-dials on which the hours are marked by eleven lines, so that the first hour had elapsed when the shadow of the gnomon fell upon the first line, it might seem as if hora prima meant after the lapse of the first hour. In Pers. 3.4, quinta dum linea tangitur umbra, the end of the fifth hour is clearly meant. But the manner in which Martial (Mart. 4.8), when describing the various purposes to which the hours of the day were devoted by the Romans, speaks of the hours, leaves no doubt that the expressions prima, altera, tertia hora, &c., mean the hour which is passing, and not that which has already elapsed. Hence hora nona cenare means to dine when the ninth hour is beginning, i. e. about 2 P.M. (Becker, Gallus, ii.3 351= Becker-Göll, 2.406 ff.; Mayor on Plin. Ep. 3.1, 8.)

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Hora

See sies.