ἄριστος

A. ὤριστος Il. 11.288, Att. ἅριστος) best in its kind, and so in all sorts of relations, serving as Sup. of ἀγαθός:

I. of persons,

1. best in birth and rank, noblest: hence, like ἀριστεύς, a chief, Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι Il. 4.260, cf. 6.209; ἄ. ἔην πολὺ δὲ πλείστους ἄγε λαούς 2.580; θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄ. 19.258; πατρὸς πάντων ἀ. παῖδα S. El. 366; ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἀ. ὁμιλίη, opp. δῆμος, Hdt. 3.81, cf. Cic. Att. 9.4.2.

2. best in any way, bravest, ἀνδρῶν αὖ μέγ’ ἄ. ἔην Τελαμώνιος Αἴας Il. 2.768, cf. 7.50, etc.; οἰωνοπόλων, σκυτοτόμων ὄχ’ ἄ., 6.76, 7.221.

b. c. dat. modi, βουλῇ μετὰ πάντας . . ἔπλευ ἄ. 9.54, al.; ἔγχεσιν εἶναι ἀρίστους Od. 4.211.

c. c. acc. rei, εἶδος ἄριστε Il. 3.39; ψυχὴν ἄ. Ar. Nu. 1048.

d. c. inf., ἄριστοι μάχεσθαι X. Cyr. 5.4.44; ἄ. διαβολὰς ἐνδέκεσθαι readiest to give ear to calumnies, Hdt. 3.80; ἄ. ἀπατᾶσθαι best, i.e. easiest, to cheat, Th. 3.38.

3. morally best, εἴς τινα E. Alc. 83(lyr.); οἱ ἄ. ἁπλῶς κατ’ ἀρετήν Arist. Pol. 1293b3.

4. best, most useful, πόλει E. Fr. 194 codd. (leg. ἀρεστός)αὑτῷ Id. Heracl. 5.

II. of animals, things, etc., best, finest, ἵπποι Il. 2.763; μήλων, ὑῶν, Od. 9.432, 14.414; τεύχε’ ἄριστα Il. 15.616; χῶρος Od. 5.442; ποταμῶν ἄ. τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἀκέσασθαι Hdt. 4.90; ἄριστα φέρεσθαι win an excellent reward, S. El. 1097 (lyr.).

III. neut. pl. as Adv., ἄριστα best, most excellently, ὄχ’ ἄ. Il. 3.110, Od. 13.365, cf. Hdt. 1.193, al., etc.; ἄριστά γε, in answers, well said! Pl. Tht. 163c: later also ἀρίστως Iamb. Myst. 3.14.