κράτιστος: Difference between revisions

|Definition=η, ον, Ep. [[κάρτιστος]] (as always in Hom.), isolated Superl. from [[κρατύς]],<br><span class="bld">A</span> [[strongest]], [[mightiest]], Il.1.266, etc.; <b class="b3">θεῶν κ.</b>, i.e. Zeus. Pi.''O.''14.13; <b class="b3">κ. Ἑλλήνων</b>, i.e. Achilles, S.''Ph.''3: in Prose, εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμεν Th.7.67; <b class="b3">Λημνίων τὸ κ.</b> [[the best]] of their men, Id.5.8; <b class="b3">τὸ δυνάμεως κ.</b> [[the strength]] or [[flower]] of... [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Cyropaedia|Cyr.]]''6.1.28, etc.; of things, <b class="b3">καρτίστην… μάχην</b> [[fiercest]] fight, Il.6.185; δεσμὸς κ. Ti.Locr.99a.<br><span class="bld">2</span> generally, [[best]], [[most excellent]], as Sup. of [[ἀγαθός]], Pi.''I.''1.17, S.''Ant.'' 1050, etc.: colloquially, "ἄνδρα κ. εἰπών [[Theophrastus|Thphr.]] ''[[Characters|Char.]]''5.2; <b class="b3">οἱ κράτιστοι</b> [[the aristocracy]], X.''HG''7.1.42, v. [[ἀγαθός]] ''1''; <b class="b3">τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας</b> ib.3.4.20.<br><span class="bld">b</span> as a title or mode of address, κράτιστε Θεόφιλε ''Ev.Luc.'' 1.3; esp. = Lat. [[egregius]], ὁ κ. ἡγεμών ''PFay.''p.33 (i A.D.); ὁ κ. ἐπίτροπος ''BGU''891 (ii A.D.); <b class="b3">ἡ κ.</b>, of a woman of the [[equester ordo]], IG14. 1346; also, = Lat. [[clarissimus]], of Senators, <b class="b3">ὁ κ. ἀνθὐπατος</b> ib.9(1).61; ὁ κ. συγκλητικός ''IGRom.''3.581, etc.; ἡ κ. βουλή ''[[Oxyrhynchus Papyri|POxy.]]''2108.6 (iii A. D.).<br><span class="bld">c</span> with modal words added, κ. τὴν ψυχήν Th.2.40; <b class="b3">πάντων πάντα κ.</b> [[best]] of all in... X.''An.''1.9.2; ἔν τινι Id.''Mem.''3.4.5; εἴς τι Pl. ''Phlb.''67b; περί τι Id.''Plt.''257a; πρός τι X.''HG''3.4.16: c. inf., [[best at]] doing, Th.2.81, [[Plato|Pl.]]''[[Phaedrus|Phdr.]]''267d, [[Xenophon|X.]]''[[Memorabilia|Mem.]]''1.4.1, etc.: c. part., τῶν ἡλίκων κ. εἶναι ἀκοντίζων καὶ τοξεύων Id.''Cyr.''1.3.15.<br><span class="bld">3</span> neut. followed by inf., <b class="b3">φυγέειν κάρτιστον</b> to flee were [[best]], Od.12.120, cf. E.''El.'' 379, [[Aristophanes|Ar.]]''[[The Knights|Eq.]]''80, etc.: in plural, κράτιστα… ἑλεῖν E.''Med.''384: abs., <b class="b3">ὅπερ κ.</b> the [[main point]], Th.1.143.<br><span class="bld">4</span> Adv. usages, <b class="b3">ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου</b> [[in all good faith]], Plb.8.17.4; κατὰ τὸ κ. D.H.2.22: neut. pl. [[κράτιστα]] as adverb, X.''HG''3.4.16, ''Ages.''1.25.—The Comp. in use is [[κρείσσων]] ([[quod vide|q.v.]]).