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ἆρα

ἆρα, ἆρα, introduces a question

ἆρᾰ, interrog. Particle, implying
  • anxiety or impatience, = Ep. and Lyr. ἦ ῥα:
      • 1 alone, it simply marks the question, the nature of which is determined by the context: e.g. in D. 35.44 a negative answer is implied in the question ἆρʼ ἂν οἴεσθε . .; but an affirmative in X. Cyr. 4.6.4 ἆ. βέβληκα δὶς ἐφεξῆς; cf. ἆρʼ εὐτυχεῖς . . ἢ δυστυχεῖς; E. Ph. 424.—To make it plainly neg., we have ἆ. μή . .; A. Th. 208, Pl. Phd. 64c; and to make it plainly affirmative, ἆρʼ οὐ; ἆρʼ οὐχί; S. OC 791, OT 540; ἆρʼ οὐχ οὕτως; Pl. Phlb. 11d.
      • 2 ἆ. οὖν; is used to draw an affirmative inference, Id. Grg. 477a, La. 190b; also when a neg. answer is expected, Id. Chrm. 159b; with a neg., ἆρʼ οὖν οὐ . .; Id. Phdr. 263a, etc.
      • 3 in ἆρά γε, each Particle retains its force, γε serving to make the question more definite, Ar. Pl. 546, X. Mem. 1.5.4, etc.
      • 4 less freq. with τίς interrog., τίνος ποτʼ ἆρʼ ἔπραξε χειρί S. Aj. 905; τίδʼ ἆρʼ ἐγὼ σέ; E. IA 1228; τίς ἆρʼ ὁ φεύγων; Ar. V. 893; with ἤν, E. Rh. 118.
      • 5 in indirect questions, σκεψώμεθα τοῦτο ἆ . . . Pl. Phd. 70e, cf. R. 526c, al., Arist. Ph. 204b3, etc.
    • II in Poets sts. like ἄρα, Archil. 86, 89, Pi. P. 4.78, Ar. V. 3; τοιοῖσδε χρησμοῖς ἆ. χρὴ πεποιθέναι; A. Ch. 297, cf. 435; τῷ δὲ ξιφήρης ἆρʼ ὑφειστήκει λόχος E. Andr. 1114: in exclamations, βραδεῖαν ἡμᾶς ἆρʼ ὁ τήνδε τὴν ὁδὸν πέμπων ἔπεμψεν S. Aj. 738; ὀδυνηρὸς ἆρʼ ὁ πλοῦτος E. Ph. 566, cf. El. 1229, Hipp. 1086; ἦ δεινὸν ἆρʼ ἦν Id. Fr. 931; ἔμελλόν σʼ ἆ. κινήσειν Ar. Nu. 1301, cf. Ach. 347.
  • B In Prose, ἆ. almost always stands first in the sentence, but cf. Pl. Grg. 467e; καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἆ. . . Jul. Or. 2.61c: in Poetry greater licence is taken, v. supr. I.4, II.

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