ἀρχή

A. beginning, origin, νείκεος ἀ. Il. 22.116; πήματος Od. 8.81; φόνου 21.4, etc.; opp. τέλος, Hdt. 7.51, etc.; opp. τελευτή, Thgn. 607, cf. Pl. Lg. 715e, Hp. Morb. 1.1; ἀ. γενέσθαι κακῶν Hdt. 5.97; ἀ. ποιήσασθαί τινος Th. 1.128, And. 2.37, Isoc. 12.120, etc.; ἀ. λαβεῖν τινός Aeschin. 1.11; τὰς ἀρχὰς εἰληφέναι Plb. 4.28.3; ἀρχὴν ὑποθέσθαι lay a foundation, D. 3.2, etc.; βαλέσθαι Pl. Ep. 326e (and Pass., ἀρχαὶ βέβληνται Pi. N. 1.8); ἀρχὴν ἄρχεσθαί τινος Pl. Ti. 36e; source of action, [ὁ ἄνθρωπος] ἔχει ἀρχὴν ἐλευθέραν Plot. 3.3.4.

b. with Preps. in adverbial usages, ἐξ ἀρχῆς from the beginning, from the first, from of old, Od. 1.188, Xenoph. 10, etc.; οὑξ ἀ. φίλος S. OT 385; ἡ ἐξ ἀ. ἔχθρα D. 54.3; τὸ ἐξ ἀ. X. Cyn. 12.6; but πλουτεῖν ἐξ ἀ. πάλιν anew, afresh, Ar. Pl. 221; λόγον πάλιν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀ. κινεῖν Pl. R. 450a; ὁ ἐξ ἀ. λόγος the original argument, Id. Tht. 177c, etc.; τὰ ἐξ ἀ. the principal sum, Arist. Pol. 1280a30:—also ἀπ’ ἀ. Hes. Th. 425, Hdt. 2.104, Pi. P. 8.25, A. Supp. 344, Pl. Tht. 206d; κατ’ ἀρχάς in the beginning, at first, Hdt. 3.153, 7.5; αὐτίκα κατ’ ἀ. Id. 8.94; τὸ κατ’ ἀ. Pl. Lg. 798a, al.

c. acc. ἀρχήν, abs., to begin with, at first, Hdt. 1.9, 2.28, 8.132; τὴν ἀρχήν And. 3.20: pl., τὰς ἀρχάς Plb. 16.22.8: freq. followed by a neg., not at all, ἀρχὴν μηδὲ λαβών Hdt. 3.39, cf. 1.193, al.; ἀ. δὲ θηρᾶν οὐ πρέπει τἀμήχανα S. Ant. 92; ἀ. κλύειν ἂν οὐκ . . ἐβουλόμην Id. Ph. 1239, cf. El. 439, Philol. 3, Antipho 5.73, Pl. Grg. 478c; sts. c. Art., τοῦτο οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι τὴν ἀ. Hdt. 4.25; τὴν ἀ. γὰρ ἐξῆν αὐτῷ μὴ γράφειν D. 23.93.

2. first principle, element, first so used by Anaximander, acc. to Simp. in Ph. 150.23, cf. Arist. Metaph. 983b11, etc.; Ἡράκλειτος τὴν ἀ. εἶναί φησι ψυχήν Id. de An. 405a25; of ὕλη and θεός, opp. στοιχεῖα, Placit. 1.3.25; practical principle of conduct, τῶν πράξεων τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις D. 2.10; principles of knowledge, Arist. Metaph. 995b8, al.

3. end, corner, of a bandage, rope, sheet, etc., Hdt. 4.60, Hp. Off. 9, E. Hipp. 762, Aen.Tact. 18.14, Act.Ap. 10.11; of a compound pulley, Hero Bel. 84.14.

4. Math., origin of a curve, τῆς ἕλικος Archim. Spir. 11 Def. 2, etc.; ξυνὸν ἀ. καὶ πέρας ἐπὶ κύκλου περιφερείας Heraclit. 103.

5. branch of a river, LXX Ge. 2.10 (pl.).

6. sum, total, ib.Nu. 1.2.

7. vital organs of the body, Gal. 1.318, al.

II. first place or power, sovereignty (not in Hom.), Διὸς ἀρχά Pi. O. 2.64, cf. Hdt. 1.6, etc.; γενέσθαι ἐπ’ ἀρχῆς Arist. Pol. 1284b2: metaph., μεγάλην μεντἂν ἀ. εἴης εὑρηκώς, of a stroke of fortune, D. 21.196: pl., ἀρχαὶ πολισσονόμοι A. Ch. 864 (lyr.); τὰς ἐμὰς ἀρχὰς σέβων S. Ant. 744, etc.: c. gen. rei, τῆσδ’ ἔχων ἀρχὴν χθονός S. OT 737; ἀ. τῶν νεῶν, τῆς θαλάσσης, power over them, Th. 3.90, X. Ath. 2.7, etc.: prov., ἀ. ἄνδρα δείξει Biasap.Arist. EN 1130a1, cf. D. Prooem. 48; method of government, οὐδὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἀ. ἐπαχθής Th. 6.54.

2. empire, realm, Κύρου, Περδίκκου ἀ., Hdt. 1.91, Th. 4.128, etc.

3. magistracy, office, ἀρχὴν ἄρχειν, παραλαμβάνειν, Hdt. 3.80, 4.147; καταστήσας τὰς ἀ. καὶ ἄρχοντας ἐπιστήσας Id. 3.89; εἰς ἀ. καθστασθαι Th. 8.70; εἰς τὴν α. εἰσιέναι D. 59.72, etc.; ἀ. λαχεῖν to obtain an office, Id. 57.25; Ἑλληνοταμίαι τότε πρῶτον κατέστη ἀ. Th. 1.96; ἐνιαύσιος ἀ. Id. 6.54; ἀ. χειροτονητή, κληρωτή, Lex ap.Aeschin. 1.21; withsg. Noun, Κυθηροδίκης ἀ. ἐκ τῆς Σπάρτης διέβαινεν αὐτόσε Th. 4.53; term of office, ἀρχῆς λοιποὶ αὐτῷ δύο μῆνες Antipho 6.42; ἀρχαὶ καὶ λειτουργίαι POxy. 119.16 (iii A.D.).

4. in pl., αἱ ἀρχαί the authorities, the magistrates, Th. 5.47, cf. Decr. ap. And. 1.83; ἐν ταῖς ἀ. εναι Th. 6.54; ἡ ἀρχή collectively, 'the board', D. 47.22, cf. IG 1.229, etc.; παραδιδόναι τινὰ τῇ ἀ. Antipho 5.48; but ἡ ἀ., of a single magistrate, PHal. 1.226 (iii B.C.); κατ’ ἀρχῆς γὰρ φιλαίτιος λεώς against authority, A. Supp. 485; πομποὺς ἀρχάς Id. Ag. 124 (anap.).

5. command, i.e. body of troops, LXX 1 Ki. 13.17, al.

6. pl., heavenly powers, Ep.Rom. 8.38, al., cf. Dam. Pr. 96; powers of evil, Ep.Eph. 6.12, al.

III. = εἶδος μελίσσης ἀκέντρου, Hsch.