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κράτιστος

κράτιστος, strongest, mightiest

κρᾰτιστ-ος, η, ον, Ep. κάρτ- (as always in Hom.), isolated Superl. from κρατύς,
  • strongest, mightiest, Il. 1.266, etc.; θεῶν κ., i.e. Zeus. Pi. O. 14.13; κ. Ἑλλήνων, i.e. Achilles, S. Ph. 3: in Prose, εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμεν Th. 7.67; Λημνίων τὸ κ. the best of their men, Id. 5.8; τὸ δυνάμεως κ. the strength or flower of . ., X. Cyr. 6.1.28, etc.; of things, καρτίστην . . μάχην fiercest fight, Il. 6.185; δεσμὸς κ. Ti.Locr. 99a.
      • 2 generally, best, most excellent, as Sup. of ἀγαθός, Pi. I. 1.17, S. Ant. 1050, etc.: colloquially, "ἄνδρα κ. εἰπών Thphr. Char. 5.2; οἱ κράτιστοι the aristocracy, X. HG 7.1.42, v. ἀγαθός I; τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας ib. 3.4.20.
        • b as a title or mode of address, κράτιστε Θεόφιλε Ev.Luc. 1.3; esp. = Lat. egregius, ὁ κ. ἡγεμών PFay. p.33 (i A.D.); ὁ κ. ἐπίτροπος BGU 891 (ii A.D.); ἡ κ., of a woman of the equester ordo, IG 14. 1346; also, = Lat. clarissimus, of Senators, ὁ κ. ἀνθύπατος ib. 9(1).61; ὁ κ. συγκλητικός IGRom. 3.581, etc.; ἡ κ. βουλή POxy. 2108.6 (iii A. D.).
        • c with modal words added, κ. τὴν ψυχήν Th. 2.40; πάντων πάντα κ. best of all in . ., X. An. 1.9.2; ἔν τινι Id. Mem. 3.4.5; εἴς τι Pl. Phlb. 67b; περί τι Id. Plt. 257a; πρός τι X. HG 3.4.16: c. inf., best at doing, Th. 2.81, Pl. Phdr. 267d, X. Mem. 1.4.1, etc.: c. part., τῶν ἡλίκων κ. εἶναι ἀκοντίζων καὶ τοξεύων Id. Cyr. 1.3.15.
      • 3 neut. folld. by inf., φυγέειν κάρτιστον to flee were best, Od. 12.120, cf. E. El. 379, Ar. Eq. 80, etc.: in pl., κράτιστα . . ἑλεῖν E. Med. 384: abs., ὅπερ κ. the main point, Th. 1.143.
      • 4 Adv. usages, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου in all good faith, Plb. 8.17.4; κατὰ τὸ κ. D.H. 2.22: neut. pl. κράτιστα as Adv., X. HG 3.4.16, Ages. 1.25.—The Comp. in use is κρείσσων (q.v.).

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