κρείσσων: Difference between revisions

|Definition=ον, gen. ονος, as always in Ep. and old Att.; later Att. κρείττων; Ion. κρέσσων <span class="bibl">Hp.<span class="title">Fract.</span>3</span>, al., v.l. in Dionys.Trag. (v. infr. <span class="bibl">11</span>); Dor. κάρρων (q.v.); Cret. κάρτων <span class="title">Leg.Gort.</span>1.15:—Comp. of <b class="b3">κρατύς</b> (v. <b class="b3">κράτιστος</b>), <span class="sense"><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">A</span> [[stronger]], [[mightier]], κ. βασιλεύς, ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηϊ <span class="bibl">Il.1.80</span>; esp. in battle, κρείσσοσιν ἶφι μάχεσθαι <span class="bibl">21.486</span>; Διὸς κ. νόος ἠέ περ ἀνδρῶν <span class="bibl">16.688</span>; κεραυνοῦ κρέσσον… βέλος <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">I.</span>8(7).36</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Hdt.7.172</span>, Hp.l.c., etc.; κρείσσων χεῖρας <span class="bibl">Antipho 4.4.7</span>; τὸ τοῦ κ. συμφέρον <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">R.</span>338c</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Democr.267</span>: hence, <b class="b2">having the upper hand, superior</b>, ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κ. τε γένηται <span class="bibl">Il.3.71</span>; κ. ἀρετῇ τε βίῃ τε <span class="bibl">23.578</span>: as Law-term, of witnesses, κάρτονανς ἦμεν [[prevail]], Leg.Gort.l.c. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> freq. as Comp. of <b class="b3">ἀγαθός</b>, [[better]], <b class="b3">κρέσσονες</b> one's [[betters]], esp. in point of rank, <span class="bibl">Pi.<span class="title">O.</span>10(11).39</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">N.</span>10.72</span> (but also, [[the stronger]], [[more powerful]], <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Or.</span>710</span>, <span class="bibl">Th.1.8</span>, etc.); ἐς τοὺς τοκέας καὶ ἐς τοὺς κρέσσονας τεθυμῶσθαι <span class="bibl">Hdt.3.52</span>, cf. <span class="title">SIG</span>685.134 (Magn. Mae., ii B. C.); <b class="b3">οἱ κ</b>. corps of guards at Thebes, Plu.2.598e; <b class="b3">κρείσσονες θεοί</b>, of the [[greater]] gods, as opp. to Oceanus, <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Pr.</span>902</span> (lyr.); ὁ κ. Ζεύς <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Ag.</span>60</span> (anap.); <b class="b3">οἱ κ</b>. the [[Higher Powers]], <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Fr.</span>10</span>, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Sph.</span>216b</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Euthd.</span>291a</span>, etc.; <b class="b3">τὰ κρείσσω</b>, = [[τὰ θεῖα]], <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Ion</span>973</span>; <b class="b3">τὸ κ</b>. the [[Almighty]], [[Providence]], <span class="bibl">Corp.Herm.18.11</span>, <span class="bibl">Jul.<span class="title">Ep.</span>204</span>, <span class="bibl">Agath.1.16</span>, <span class="bibl">Procop.Gaz. <span class="title">Pan.</span>p.492</span>; <b class="b3">τὰ κρείσσονα</b> one's [[advantages]], τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἡμῖν κρείσσω καταπροδοῦναι <span class="bibl">Th.4.10</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">3</span> c. inf., <b class="b3">οὔ τις ἐμεῖο κρείσσων… δόμεναι</b> no one has [[a better right]] to... <span class="bibl">Od.21.345</span>; οὐκ ἄλλος κ. παραμυθεῖσθαι <span class="bibl">Pl. <span class="title">Plt.</span>268b</span>; <b class="b3">κρεῖσσόν ἐστι</b> c. inf., 'tis [[better]] to... κ. γάρ ἐστιν εἰσάπαξ θανεῖν ἢ… πάσχειν κακῶς <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Pr.</span>750</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">624</span>, <span class="bibl">Hdt.3.52</span>, etc.; τὸ μὴ εἶναι κ. ἢ τὸ ζῆν κακῶς <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Fr.</span>488</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Apollod.Com.6</span>; also <b class="b3">κρείσσων εἰμί</b> c. part., <b class="b3">κ. γὰρ ἦσθα μηκέτ' ὢν ἢ ζῶν τυφλός</b> thou wert [[better]] not alive, than living blind, <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OT</span>1368</span>, cf. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">Aj.</span>635</span> (lyr.); κ. ἦν ὁ ἀγὼν μὴ γεγενημένος <span class="bibl">Aeschin.1.192</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">D.H.6.9</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">II</span> c. gen. or <b class="b3">ἤ</b>, <b class="b2">too great for, surpassing, beyond</b>, ὕψος κ. ἐκπηδήματος <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Ag.</span>1376</span>; of evil deeds, <b class="b3">κρείσσον' ἀγχόνης</b> [[too bad]] for hanging, <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OT</span>1374</span>; <b class="b3">κρεῖσσον δεργμάτων</b> [[too bad]] to look on, <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Hipp.</span>1217</span>; θαυμάτων <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Ba.</span>667</span>; <b class="b3">λέγετι σιγῆς κρεῖσσον</b> (κρέσσον <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PSI</span>9.1093</span>) ἢ σιγὴν ἔχε <span class="bibl">Dionys.Trag. 6</span>; κρείσσον' ἢ λέξαι λόγῳ τολμήματα <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Supp.</span>844</span>; <b class="b3">κ. ἢ λόγοισιν</b> (sc. <b class="b3">εἰπεῖν</b>) <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">IT</span>837</span>; ἀναρχία κ. πυρός <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Hec.</span>608</span>; <b class="b3">πρᾶγμα ἐλπίδος κ. γεγενημένον</b> [[worse]] than one expected, <span class="bibl">Th.2.64</span>; κ. λόγου τὸ κάλλος <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Mem.</span>3.11.1</span>; κ. τῆς ἡμετέρας δυνάμεως <span class="bibl">Id.<span class="title">Cyr.</span>7.5.9</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">III</span> [[having control over]], [[master of]], esp. of desires and passions, τῶν ἡδονῶν <span class="bibl">Democr.214</span>; τοῦ ἔρωτος <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">Cyr.</span>6.1.34</span>; <b class="b3">γαστρὸς καὶ κερδέων</b> ib.<span class="bibl">4.2.45</span>; <b class="b3">αὑτῶν</b> [[over]] themselves, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Phdr.</span>232a</span>, al.; <b class="b3">κ. χρημάτων</b> [[superior to]] the influence of money, <span class="bibl">Th.2.60</span>, <span class="bibl">Isoc.1.19</span>; τῶν συμμάχων κ. <span class="bibl">X. <span class="title">Ath.</span>2.1</span>; also, [[putting oneself above]], κ. τοῦ δικαίου <span class="bibl">Th.3.84</span>; <b class="b3">κρείσσους ὄντες… τῷ λογισμῷ ἐς τὸ ἀνέλπιστον τοῦ βεβαίου</b> having reasoned themselves into an absolute belief of the hopelessness of certainty, ib.<span class="bibl">83</span>; <b class="b3">φαύλους καὶ κρείττους τῆς παιδείας</b>, = [[οὓς παιδευθῆναι ἀδύνατον]] (just below), <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">Pol.</span>1316a9</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">IV</span> [[better]], [[more excellent]], ἁρμονίη ἀφανὴς φανερῆς κ. <span class="bibl">Heraclit.54</span>; κ. ἐπ' ἀρετήν <span class="bibl">Democr.181</span>; <b class="b3">ὁ κρείττων λόγος</b> (opp. <b class="b3">ὁ ἥσσων</b>) <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Nu.</span>113</span>; <b class="b3">κατὰ τὸ κ</b>. in a [[higher]] sense, opp. <b class="b3">κατὰ τὸ χεῖρον</b>, <span class="bibl">Dam.<span class="title">Pr.</span>7</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">V</span> Adv. κρεισσόνως <span class="bibl">Antipho 4.4.6</span>, <span class="bibl">Iamb.<span class="title">Myst.</span>7.4</span>; also κρεῖσσον <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">OT</span>176</span> (lyr.), <span class="title">OGI</span>90.31 (Rosetta, ii B. C.). (<b class="b3">κρέσσων</b> from <b class="b3">κρέτ-yων</b>, cf. <b class="b3">κρέτος; κάρτων</b> and <b class="b3">κάρρων</b> from <b class="b3">κάρτ-yων</b>, cf. <b class="b3">κάρτος; κρείσσων</b> (like <b class="b3">μείζων</b>) prob. took ει from <b class="b3">ὀλείζων</b>.)</span>