κρείσσων: Difference between revisions

|Definition=ον, gen. ονος, as always in Ep. and old Att.; later Att. [[κρείττων]]; Ion. [[κρέσσων]] Hp.Fract.3, al., [[varia lectio|v.l.]] in Dionys.Trag. (v. infr. ''ΙΙ''); Dor. [[κάρρων]] ([[quod vide|q.v.]]); Cret. [[κάρτων]] Leg.Gort.1.15:—Comp. of [[κρατύς]] (v. [[κράτιστος]]),<br><span class="bld">A</span> [[stronger]], [[mightier]], κ. βασιλεύς, ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηϊ Il.1.80; especially 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 [[witness]]es, κάρτονανς ἦμεν [[prevail]], Leg.Gort.l.c.<br><span class="bld">2</span> freq. as Comp. of [[ἀγαθός]], [[better]], [[κρέσσονες]] one's [[better]]s, especially 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]] [[god]]s, as opp. to [[Oceanus]], A.Pr.902 (lyr.); ὁ κ. Ζεύς Id.Ag.60 (anap.); [[οἱ κρείσσονες]] the [[higher powers]], Id.Fr.10, Pl.Sph.216b, Euthd.291a, etc.; [[τὰ κρείσσω]], = [[τὰ θεῖα]], E.Ion973; [[τὸ κρεῖσσον]] the [[Almighty]], [[Providence]], Corp.Herm.18.11, Jul.Ep.204, Agath.1.16, Procop.Gaz. Pan.p.492; [[τὰ κρείσσονα]] one's [[advantage]]s, τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἡμῖν κρείσσω καταπροδοῦναι Th.4.10.<br><span class="bld">3</span> 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... κρεῖσσόν γάρ ἐστιν εἰσάπαξ θανεῖν ἢ… πάσχειν κακῶς A.Pr.750, cf. 624, Hdt.3.52, etc.; [[τὸ μὴ εἶναι κρεῖσσον ἢ τὸ ζῆν κακῶς]] = it is [[better]] not to [[exist]] than to [[live]] in [[misery]] S.Fr.488, cf. Apollod.Com.6; also [[κρείσσων]] [[εἰμί]] c. part., [[κρείσσων]] γὰρ ἦσθα μηκέτ' ὢν ἢ [[ζῶν]] [[τυφλός]] = [[thou]] [[wert]] [[better]] [[not]] [[alive]], [[than]] [[living]] [[blin]]d, S.OT1368, cf. Aj.635 (lyr.); κ. ἦν ὁ ἀγὼν μὴ γεγενημένος Aeschin.1.192, cf. D.H.6.9.<br><span class="bld">II</span> 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; [[κρεῖσσον ἢ λόγοισιν]] (''[[sc.]]'' [[εἰπεῖν]]) Id.IT837; ἀναρχία κ. πυρός Id.Hec.608; [[πρᾶγμα ἐλπίδος κρεῖσσον γεγενημένον]] [[worse]] than one [[expect]]ed, Th.2.64; κ. λόγου τὸ κάλλος X.Mem.3.11.1; κ. τῆς ἡμετέρας δυνάμεως Id.Cyr.7.5.9.<br><span class="bld">III</span> having [[control]] [[over]], [[master]] of, especially of [[desire]]s and [[passion]]s, 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.; [[κρεῖσσον 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 [[reason]]ed themselves into an [[absolute]] [[belief]] of the [[hopelessness]] of [[certainty]], ib.83; φαύλους καὶ κρείττους τῆς [[παιδεία]]ς = οὓς παιδευθῆναι [[ἀδύνατον]] (just below), Arist.Pol.1316a9.<br><span class="bld">IV</span> [[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 κρεῖσσον]] = in a [[higher]] sense, opp. [[κατὰ τὸ χεῖρον]], Dam.Pr.7.<br><span class="bld">V</span> 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]].)