ἡγέομαι
κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον, φασί, πλοῦν τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν → we must as second best, as people say, take the least of the evils
English (LSJ)
Dor. ἁγ- (irreg. pres. part.
A ἁγώμενος Hymn.Curet.4), impf. ἡγούμην ll.12.28, etc., Ion. -εύμην Hdt.2.115, ἡγέοντο Id.9.15: fut. ἡγήσομαι Il.14.374, etc.: aor. 1 ἡγησάμην Od.14.48, etc.: aor. 1 ἡγήθην in pass. sense, PGiss.48.20 (iii A.D.) (cf. περιηγ-): pf. ἥγημαι Hdt.1.126, 2.115, ἅγημαι Pi.P.4.248:—go before, lead the way, ὣς εἰπὼν ἡγεῖθ', ἡ δ' ἕσπετο Παλλὰς 'Αθήνη Od.1.125; ἂν πάϊς ἡγήσαιτο νήπιος 6.300, etc.; πρόσθεν δὲ . . Ἶρις ἡγεῖτ' Il.24.96; ἡγοῦ πάροιθε E. Ph.834; ἡ. ἐπὶ νῆα Od.13.65; ἐς τεῖχος Il.20.144; κλισίηνδε Od.14. 48, cf. Hdt.2.93, etc.; ἡγησόμενος οὐδεὶς ἔσται X.An.2.4.5: Astron., precede in the daily movement, Autol.2.3, al. b c. dat. pers., Τρωσὶ ποτὶ πτόλιν ἡγήσασθαι Il.22.101; ἐκ Δουλιχίου . . ἡγεῖτο μνηστῆρσι Od.16.397; οἱ γὰρ βλέποντες τοῖς τυφλοῖς ἡγούμεθα Ar.Pl.15; ἡ. τοῖς πολίταις πρὸς ἀρετήν X.Ages.10.2. c with ὁδόν added, ὁδὸν ἡγήσασθαι to go before on the way, Od.10.263; ἡ. τινὶ τὴν ὁδόν Hdt.9.15. d c. acc. loci, ἥ οἱ . . πόλιν ἡγήσαιτο who might guide him to the city, Od.6.114, cf. 7.22, 15.82; ἡ. βωμοὺς ἀστικούς A.Supp.501. e ἅρματα ἡ. drive chariots, Philostr.Im.2.23. f of logical priority, to be antecedent, opp. ἕπεσθαι, Stoic.2.71, 88, S.E. M.8.110, al., Dam.Pr.241, Phlp.in GC195.13, in Ph.496.14. g ἡγούμενον, τό, the leading principle, the main thing, Ph.Bel.63.14, cf. Sosip.1.47. 2 c. dat. pers. et gen. rei, to be one's leader in a thing, θεῖος ἀοιδὸς . . ἡμῖν ἡγείσθω . . ὀρχηθμοῖο Od.23.134; ἡ. τινὶ σοφίας, ᾠδῆς, Pi.P.l.c., Pl.Alc.1.125d; ἀλήθεια δὴ πάντων μὲν ἀγαθῶν θεοῖς ἡγεῖται πάντων δὲ ἀνθρώποις Id.Lg.730c; ἡ. τοῦ χοροῦ Πέρσαις X.Cyr.8.7.1, cf. Call.Del.313: c. gen. rei, ἁ. νόμων to lead the song, Pi.N.5.25; φρόνησις ἡ. τοῦ ὀρθῶς πράττειν Pl.Men.97c; ἡ. παντὸς καὶ λόγου καὶ ἔργου X.Mem.2.3.15: also, τὸ ὀρθῶς τοῖς τοιούτοις χρῆσθαι ἐπιστήμη ἦν ἡγουμένη Pl.Euthd.281a. 3 c. dat. rei, to be leader in . ., κερδοσύνῃ, νηπιέῃσι ἡ. τινί, Il.22.247, Od.24.469. 4 c. acc. rei, lead, conduct, ἡ. τὰς πομπάς D.21.174; τὴν ἀποδημίαν (v.l. for ᾐτήσατο) Dinon 7; τὰς τύχας E.Supp.226: with adverbial acc., ἡ γλῶσσα πάνθ' ἡγουμένη S.Ph.99. 5 part. ἡγούμενος, η, ον, as Adj., σκέλη ἡγούμενα, opp. ἑπόμενα, the front legs, Arist.IA713b6; ὁ ἡ. πούς the advanced foot, Id.Fr.74. II lead, command in war, c. dat., νῆες θοαί, ᾗσιν 'Αχιλλεὺς ἐς Τροίην ἡγεῖτο Il.16.169, cf. Od.14.238; οὐ γὰρ ἔην ὅς τίς σφιν ἐπὶ στίχας ἡγήσαιτο might lead them to their ranks, Il.2.687; ἡ. Τρώεσσιν ἐς Ἴλιον 5.211; ἡ. Μῄοσιν 2.864; λόγχαισιν E.Ba.1360; ἑτέροις Lys. 31.17, cf. X.An.5.2.6; ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις, αἷς ἡγεῖται βασιλεύς Isoc. 12.180: also generally, πόλει E.Fr.282.24; but usu. c. gen., Σαρπηδὼν δ' ἡγήσατ' . . ἐπικούρων Il.12.101; ἡγήσατο λαῶν 15.311, cf. 2.567, al.; ἡ. τῆς ἐξόδου Th.2.10; ἡγούμενος τῶν ἡδονῶν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀγόμενος ὑπ' αὐτῶν Isoc.9.45: abs., to be in command, Id.16.21, etc. 2 rule, have dominion, c. gen., τῆς 'Ασίης, τῆς συμμαχίης, Hdt.1.95, 7.148; οἱ Θεσσαλίης ἡγεόμενοι Id.9.1: abs., οἱ ἡγούμενοι the rulers, S. Ph.386, cf. A.Ag.1363; ἡ. ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς leading men, Act.Ap. 15.22; ἡ. σχολῆς to be the head of a philosophical school, Phld.Acad. Ind.p.107 M., al. 3 as official title, ἡγούμενος, ὁ, president, συνόδου PGrenf.2.67.3 (iii A.D.); γερδίων ib.43.9 (i A.D.); ἱερέων PLond. 2.281.2 (i A.D.): abs., PFay.110.26 (i A.D.). b of Roman governors, ἡ. ἔθνους,= Lat. praeses provinciae, POxy.1020.5 (ii/iii A.D.); ἡ. τῆς Γαλατίας Luc.Alex.44. c of subordinate officials, ἡ. τοῦ στρατηγοῦ POxy.294.19 (i A.D.); κώμης PRyl.125.3 (i A.D.). d abbot, Just.Nov.7.1, al.: fem. -μένη abbess, ibid. 4 ἡγούμενος as Adj., principal, πυλών PFlor.382.15 (iii A.D.), POxy.55.9 (iii A.D.). III post-Hom., believe, hold, Hdt. (usu. in pf. ἥγημαι, 3pl. ἡγέαται), etc.; ἡ. τι εἶναι Id.1.126, al.; ἡγεῖσθε δὲ [θεοὺς] βλέπειν . . πρὸς τὸν εὐσεβῆ βροτῶν S.OC278, cf. Th.2.89, Ar.Nu.1020 (lyr.), etc. 2 with an attributive word added, ἡ. τινὰ βασιλέα hold or regard as king, Hdt.6.52; μηδ' αὐθαδίαν εὐβουλίας ἀμείνον' ἡγήσῃ ποτέ A.Pr.1035; ἅπαντας ἐχθροὺς τῶν θεῶν ἡγοῦ πλέον Id.Ch.902, cf. 905; ἡ. τἄλλα πάντα δεύτερα to hold everything else secondary, S.Ph.1442; οὐκ αἰσχρὸν ἡγῇ . . τὰ ψευδῆ λέγειν; ib.108, cf. Ant.1167; τὰς τούτων ἀπορίας ἀντιπάλους ἡ. τῷ ἡμετέρῳ πλήθει Th.4.10; περὶ πολλοῦ ἥγημαι μὴ ξεινοκτονέειν Hdt.2.115; περὶ πλείονος Isoc.19.10; περὶ πλείστου Th.2.89; περὶ οὐδενός Lys.7.26; παρ' οὐδέν Decr. ap. D.18.164: c. part., πᾶν κέρδος ἡγοῦ ζημιουμένη φυγῇ E.Med.454. 3 esp. of belief in gods, τὴν μεγίστην δαίμονα ἥγηνται εἶναι Hdt.2.40, cf. 3.8; ἡ. θεούς to believe in gods, Ar.Eq.32, E.Hec.800, Ba.1326; δαίμονας ἡ. Pl.Ap.27d. 4 ἡγοῦμαι δεῖν think fit, deem necessary, c. inf., And.1.23, D.1.20: without δεῖν, παθεῖν μᾶλλον ἡγησάμενοι ἤ . . Th.2.42 (s.v.l.); ἡγησάμην διατάγματι αὐτοὺς σωφρονίσαι Inscr.Magn.114 (ii A.D.); ἡγήσατο ἐπαινέσαι Pl.Prt.346b. IV pf. in pass. sense, τὰ ἁγημένα,= τὰ νομιζόμενα, Orac. ap. D.43.66; ἡγεόμενον being led, Hdt.3.14 (ἀγόμενον Dind.): hence act. form ἡγέω, Hdn.Gr.2.950. (sāg-, cf. Lat. praesagio.)