κρείσσων
English (LSJ)
ον, gen. ονος, as always in Ep. and old Att.; later Att. κρείττων; Ion. κρέσσων Hp.Fract.3, al., v.l. in Dionys.Trag. (v. infr. 11); Dor. κάρρων (q.v.); Cret. κάρτων Leg.Gort.1.15:—Comp. of κρατύς (v. κράτιστος),
A stronger, mightier, κ. βασιλεύς, ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηϊ Il.1.80; esp. in battle, κρείσσοσιν ἶφι μάχεσθαι 21.486; Διὸς κ. νόος ἠέ περ ἀνδρῶν 16.688; κεραυνοῦ κρέσσον . . βέλος Pi.I.8(7).36, cf. Hdt.7.172, Hp.l.c., etc.; κρείσσων χεῖρας Antipho 4.4.7; τὸ τοῦ κ. συμφέρον Pl.R.338c, cf. Democr.267: hence, having the upper hand, superior, ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κ. τε γένηται Il.3.71; κ. ἀρετῇ τε βίῃ τε 23.578: as Law-term, of witnesses, κάρτονανς ἦμεν prevail, Leg.Gort.l.c. 2 freq. as Comp. of ἀγαθός, better, κρέσσονες one's betters, esp. in point of rank, Pi.O.10(11).39, N.10.72 (but also, the stronger, more powerful, E.Or.710, Th.1.8, etc.); ἐς τοὺς τοκέας καὶ ἐς τοὺς κρέσσονας τεθυμῶσθαι Hdt.3.52, cf. SIG685.134 (Magn. Mae., ii B. C.); οἱ κ. corps of guards at Thebes, Plu.2.598e; κρείσσονες θεοί, of the greater gods, as opp. to Oceanus, A.Pr.902 (lyr.); ὁ κ. Ζεύς Id.Ag.60 (anap.); οἱ κ. the Higher Powers, Id.Fr.10, Pl.Sph.216b, Euthd.291a, etc.; τὰ κρείσσω, = τὰ θεῖα, E.Ion973; τὸ κ. the Almighty, Providence, Corp.Herm.18.11, Jul.Ep.204, Agath.1.16, Procop.Gaz. Pan.p.492; τὰ κρείσσονα one's advantages, τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἡμῖν κρείσσω καταπροδοῦναι Th.4.10. 3 c. inf., οὔ τις ἐμεῖο κρείσσων . . δόμεναι no one has a better right to... Od.21.345; οὐκ ἄλλος κ. παραμυθεῖσθαι Pl. Plt.268b; κρεῖσσόν ἐστι c. inf., 'tis better to... κ. γάρ ἐστιν εἰσάπαξ θανεῖν ἢ . . πάσχειν κακῶς A.Pr.750, cf. 624, Hdt.3.52, etc.; τὸ μὴ εἶναι κ. ἢ τὸ ζῆν κακῶς S.Fr.488, cf. Apollod.Com.6; also κρείσσων εἰμί c. part., κ. γὰρ ἦσθα μηκέτ' ὢν ἢ ζῶν τυφλός thou wert better not alive, than living blind, S.OT1368, cf. Aj.635 (lyr.); κ. ἦν ὁ ἀγὼν μὴ γεγενημένος Aeschin.1.192, cf. D.H.6.9. II c. gen. or ἤ, too great for, surpassing, beyond, ὕψος κ. ἐκπηδήματος A.Ag.1376; of evil deeds, κρείσσον' ἀγχόνης too bad for hanging, S.OT1374; κρεῖσσον δεργμάτων too bad to look on, E.Hipp.1217; θαυμάτων Id.Ba.667; λέγετι σιγῆς κρεῖσσον (κρέσσον PSI9.1093) ἢ σιγὴν ἔχε Dionys.Trag. 6; κρείσσον' ἢ λέξαι λόγῳ τολμήματα E.Supp.844; κ. ἢ λόγοισιν (sc. εἰπεῖν) Id.IT837; ἀναρχία κ. πυρός Id.Hec.608; πρᾶγμα ἐλπίδος κ. γεγενημένον worse than one expected, Th.2.64; κ. λόγου τὸ κάλλος X.Mem.3.11.1; κ. τῆς ἡμετέρας δυνάμεως Id.Cyr.7.5.9. III having control over, master of, esp. of desires and passions, τῶν ἡδονῶν Democr.214; τοῦ ἔρωτος X.Cyr.6.1.34; γαστρὸς καὶ κερδέων ib.4.2.45; αὑτῶν over themselves, Pl.Phdr.232a, al.; κ. χρημάτων superior to the influence of money, Th.2.60, Isoc.1.19; τῶν συμμάχων κ. X. Ath.2.1; also, putting oneself above, κ. τοῦ δικαίου Th.3.84; κρείσσους ὄντες . . τῷ λογισμῷ ἐς τὸ ἀνέλπιστον τοῦ βεβαίου having reasoned themselves into an absolute belief of the hopelessness of certainty, ib.83; φαύλους καὶ κρείττους τῆς παιδείας, = οὓς παιδευθῆναι ἀδύνατον (just below), Arist.Pol.1316a9. IV better, more excellent, ἁρμονίη ἀφανὴς φανερῆς κ. Heraclit.54; κ. ἐπ' ἀρετήν Democr.181; ὁ κρείττων λόγος (opp. ὁ ἥσσων) Ar.Nu.113; κατὰ τὸ κ. in a higher sense, opp. κατὰ τὸ χεῖρον, Dam.Pr.7. V Adv. κρεισσόνως Antipho 4.4.6, Iamb.Myst.7.4; also κρεῖσσον S.OT176 (lyr.), OGI90.31 (Rosetta, ii B. C.). (κρέσσων from κρέτ-yων, cf. κρέτος; κάρτων and κάρρων from κάρτ-yων, cf. κάρτος; κρείσσων (like μείζων) prob. took ει from ὀλείζων.)