era (less correctly, hera; v. erus), ae (archaic gen. sing. erāi, Aus. Idyll. 7, 5), f. erus. Prop., the mistress of a house, with respect to the servants; the mistress, lady: nunquam era errans (i. e. Medea), etc., Enn. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 22, 34 (Trag. v. 287 Vahl.): servus Dat (puellam) erae suae, Plaut. Cas. prol. 44 sq.; so id. ib. 2, 5, 3; 2, 8, 70; id. Am. 1, 1, 105; Ter. And. 4, 2, 4; id. Eun. 4, 3, 12; 5, 3, 8. So, era major and era minor, the old and young mistress, the lady of the house and her daughter, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 22 and 23.
— Meton., a mistress, female ruler or governor. Of goddesses: domina, era (Minerva), Enn. ap. Ach. Stat. ad Cat. 1, 9 (Vahl. Enn. p. 177, no. 22): Fortuna, era, Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 12 dub.; cf.: vosne velit an me regnare era quidve ferat Fors, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38 (Ann. v. 203 Vahl.
—for which, sit sane Fors domina campi, Cic. Pis. 2, 3): rapidi Tritonis era, i. e. Minerva, Cat. 64, 396: hilarate erae (i. e. Cybeles) citatis erroribus animum, id. 63, 18; so ib. 92: tergeminam tunc placat eram (Hecaten), Val. Fl. 1, 780: noctis eram Ditemque ciens, i. e. Proserpine, id. 7, 313.
— Of sweethearts, Cat. 68, 136; so Ov. H. 9, 78.