verbal agreement, bargain, covenant, ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ῥήτρην ποιησόμεθʼ Od. 14.393; παρὰ τὴν ῥ. X. An. 6.6.28; ῥ. πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ὁμολογία γίνεται Ael. VH 2.7, cf. 10.18; ποιοῦνται ῥήτρας ἐπὶ χρυσίῳ παμπόλλῳ they lay wagers, Id. NA 15.24.
in the Doric and Elean dialects, compact, treaty, ἁ ϝράτρα τοῖρ ϝαλείοις καὶ τοῖς Ἑρϝαοίοις (i.e. ἡ ῥήτρα τοῖς Ἠλείοις καὶ τοῖς Ἡραιεῦσι) SIG 9 (Elis, vi B.C.).
of the laws of Lycurgus, which assumed the character of a compact between the Law-giver and the People, Plu. Lyc. 6, cf. 13; later, decree, ordinance, of the Spartan kings, as of Agis, Id. Agis 8; εὐθείαις ῥ. ἀνταπαμειβομένους (perh. in reference to the σκολιά (sc. ῥήτρα) mentioned in the addition made to the original ῥήτρα, Plu. Lyc. 6), Tyrt. 2.8.
at Byzantium, = προβούλευμα, ἐκ τᾶς βωλᾶς λαβὼν ῥήτραν Decr.Byz. ap. D. 18.90 (unless, leave to speak, cf. infr. III).
generally, law, X. Cyr. 1.6.33; ordinance of a festival, IG 5(1).1498.12 (Messenia).
speech, ῥ. παραλαβεῖν take up the word, Luc. Pro Merc. Cond. 2; παραδιδόναι Id. Tox. 35: pl., speeches, Lyc. 470,1037, Nic. Al. 132.