ἀρχικός
τίς δ' οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μέν ἐστι κατθανεῖν, τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν κάτω νομίζεται → who knows if life is death, and if in the underworld death is considered life
English (LSJ)
ή, όν, (ἀρχή)
A of or for rule, royal, πυθμήν A.Ch.260; γένος Th.2.80; official, δικαστήριον Chor. in Rev.Phil.1.219: neut. pl. ἀρχικά as Subst., perh. presents demanded by officials on entering office, PTeb. 3.57A22. 2 of persons, fit for rule, command, or office, Pl.Prt. 352b, al., Isoc.2.24; having served as magistrates, CIG2774 (Aphrodisias): c. gen., ἀνθρώπων X.Mem.1.1.16; νεώς Pl.R.488d; φύσει ἀρχικὸν πατὴρ υἱῶν Arist.EN1161a18; ἔστιν -κώτατα τῶν γενῶν Σκύθαι καὶ Θρᾷκες καὶ Πέρσαι Isoc.4.67. Adv. -κῶς, ἔχοντες Lib.Or.11.148; ἱερατικῶς καὶ ἀ. φυλαττόμενα Just.Nov.58. 3 dominant, sovereign, ἡ ἀρχικωτάτη ἐπιστήμη the sovereign science, i.e. σοφία, Arist.Metaph.982b4; τὴν ἀ. χώραν ἔχειν Id.PA665b18; ἀ. ἀρετή, opp. ὑπηρετική, Id.Pol.1260a23:—Math., principal, ἀ. συμπτώματα, of the properties of a curve, Apollon.Perg.Con.1 Praef.; ἀ. διάμετροι principal diameters, ib.1.51. II belonging to ἀρχαί 11.6, Dam.Pr. 130,344. III primal, original, γένεσις Phld.D.3.14; -κώτατον αἴτιον S.E.M.9.5. Adv. -κῶς ib.1.46. 2 ἀ. σχῆμα ποιήσεως in which the poet commences with an invocation of the Muses, Zeus, etc., Anon.Fig.p.149S.
