ἀρχαῖος
Εὐφήμει, ὦ ἄνθρωπε· ἁσμενέστατα μέντοι αὐτὸ ἀπέφυγον, ὥσπερ λυττῶντά τινα καὶ ἄγριον δεσπότην ἀποδράς → Hush, man, most gladly have I escaped this thing you talk of, as if I had run away from a raging and savage beast of a master
English (LSJ)
α, ον, (ἀρχή I)
A from the beginning or origin: I mostly of things, ancient, σκότος S.OC106; ἐσθής Hdt.5.88; δόμοις ἐπασσάλευσαν ἀρχαῖον γάνος A.Ag.579 codd.; Ζηνὸς ἀρχαίοις νόμοις S.OC1382; χερὸς σῆς πίστιν ἀρχαίαν faith firm for ever, ib. 1632 codd. 2 old-fashioned, antiquated, A.Pr.317 (lyr.), Ar.Nu.984, D.22.14; of literary style, Demetr.Eloc.244. b simple, silly, Ar.Nu.915, al., Pherecr. 205; -ότερος εἶ τοῦ δέοντος Pl.Euthd.295c, etc. 3 ancient, former, τὸ ἀ. ῥέεθον Hdt.1.75; τοῦ ἀ. λόγου Id.7.160; οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γ' ἀ. δέμας S.OC110; οἱ ἀ., opp. οἱ ὕστερον, Th.2.16; ἀ. φύσις A.Ch.281, Hp. Art.53, Pl.Smp.193c, etc.; φύσις καὶ κατάστασις ἀ. Democr.278; coupled with παλαιός, παλαιὸν δῶρον ἀρχαίου θηρός S.Tr.555, cf. Lys. 6.51, D.l.c. 4 old, worn out, ὑποδήματα X.An.4.5.14; πινάκια BGU781i1 (i A. D.). II of persons, Θέμιν . . ἀρχαίαν ἄλοχον Διός Pi.Fr.6.5; ἀ. θεαί, of the Erinyes, A.Eu.728; Πέλοψ S.Aj.1292; οἱ ἀ. the Ancients, name given by Arist. to the pre-Socratics, Metaph. 1069a25, GC314a6; in Lit. Crit., ancient, classical writers, Demetr. Eloc.15,67; in Plot., the philosophers down to Aristotle, 5.1.9; in NT, the Fathers, Ev.Matt.5.21, al. 2 ancient, old, βαλὴν ἀ., of Darius, A.Pers.657 (lyr.); λάτρις E.Hec.609; ἑταῖρος X.Mem.2.8.1; οἱ ἀ. κύριοι the original owners, BGU992 ii 6 (ii B. C.); τὰς ἀ. πόλεις (banished from) their original cities, Polystr.p.22 W.; ἀ. μαθητής an original disciple, Act.Ap.21.16; ἀ. μύστης Inscr.Magn.215b; παιδαγωγὸς ἀ., i.e of old, formerly, E.El.287, cf.853. III neut. as Adv., τὸ ἀρχαῖον, Ion. contr. τὠρχαῖον, anciently, Hdt.1.56, 173, al., Att.τἀρχαῖον A.Supp.326; ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀ. Hdt.4.117; ἐξ ἀρχαίων D.S.1.14. 2 regul. Adv. ἀρχαίως in olden style, καινὰ ἀ. λέγειν Pl.Phdr.267b, cf. Isoc.4.8, D.9.48; ἀ. καὶ σεμνῶς Aeschin.1.183. IV irreg. Comp. ἀρχαιέστερος Pi.Fr.45 (on ἀρχέστατος v. h. v.); usual Comp. -ότερος Ar.Av.469: Sup. -ότατος Hdt.1.105, etc. V as Subst., τὸ ἀρχαῖον, of money, prime cost, πλέον τοῦ ἀ. X.Vect.3.2; principal, mostly in pl., Ar.Nu.1156, etc.; τἀρχαῖα ἀποδιδόναι D.34.26, etc.; τῶν ἀρχαίων ἀπέστησαν lost their capital, Id.1.15: opp. ἔργον, Id.27.10; opp. πρόσοδοι, Is.6.38. 2 ἀρχαίη, ἡ, = ἀρχή, Eust.475.1, etc.
