deprecatio
ἔκστασίς τίς ἐστιν ἐν τῇ γενέσει τὸ παρὰ φύσιν τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν → what is contrary to nature is any developmental aberration from what is in accord with nature (Aristotle, On the Heavens 286a19)
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
dēprĕcātĭo: ōnis, f. id.,
I a warding off or averting by prayer; a deprecating, deprecation.
I Prop.
A In gen.: periculi. Cic. Rab. perd. 9, 26: venia deprecationis, Quint. prooem. § 2.—
b Esp., in relig. lang., an imprecation: defigi diris deprecationibus, Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 19: deorum, an invoking of the gods to send punishment on the perjurer, Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 46; Petr. 18, 1.—More freq.,
II Transf., a prayer for pardon, deprecation: ejus facti, Cic. Part. Or. 37 fin.; cf. inertiae, Hirt. B. G. 8 prooem. § 1; Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 7: assidua, Vulg. Jacob. 5, 16.—So in rhetoric, like the Gr. προπαραίτησις or συγγνώμη, Cic. Inv. 2, 34; id. de Or. 3, 53 fin.; Auct. Her. 1, 14; Quint. 9, 1, 32 al.
