ἀκμή

A. point, edge: prov., ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἀκμῆς on the razor's edge (v. sub ξυρόν); ἀ. φασγάνου, ὅπλων, Pi. P. 9.81, Plb. 15.16.3 (pl.); ὀδόντων Pi. N. 4.63, etc.; λόγχης ἀκμή E. Supp. 318; κερκίδων ἀκμαί S. Ant. 976; ἀμφιδέξιοι ἀ. both hands, Id. OT 1243; ποδοῖν ἀ. feet, ib.1034; ἔμπυροι ἀκμαί pointed flames, E. Ph. 1255, cf. πυρὸς ἀκμαί Epicr. 6codd.

II. highest or culminating point of anything, flower, prime, zenith, esp. of man's age, ἀκμὴ ἥβης S. OT 741; ἐντῇδε τοῦ κάλλους ἀκμῇ Cratin. 195; σώματός τε καὶ φρονήσεως Pl. R. 461a; μέτριος χρόνος ἀκμῆς 460e; ὀξυτάτη δρόμου ἀ. ibid.; ἀ. βίου X. Cyr. 7.2.20, etc.; ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἀ. Isoc. 7.37; ἐν ἀκμῇ εἶναι, of corn, to be ripe, Th. 4.2; ἀκμὴν ἔχειν τῆς ἄνθης Pl. Phdr. 230b; τοσοῦτον τῆς ἀ. ὑστερῶν Isoc. Ep. 6.4; τῆς ἀ. λήγειν begin to decline, Pl. Smp. 219a:—in various relations, ἀ. ἦρος spring-prime, Pi. P. 4.64; ἀ. θέρους mid-summer, X. HG 5.3.19; βραχεῖα ἀ. πληρώματος Th. 7.14; ἀ. τοῦ ναυτικοῦ flower of their navy, Id. 8.46; ἀ. τῆς δόξης Id. 2.42; ἡ ἀ. τῆς Σπάρτης, τῶν νέων Demad. 12; ἀ. νούσου crisis of disease, Hp. Acut. 38:—generally, strength, vigour, ἐν χερὸς ἀκμᾷ Pi. O. 2.63, cf. A. Pers. 1060; ἀ. ποδῶν swiftness, Pi. I. 8(7).41, cf. A. Eu. 370; φρενῶν Pi. N. 3.39; συμπεσεῖν ἀκμᾷ βαρύς cj. Id. I. 4(3).51: periphr. like βία, ἀκμὴ Θησειδᾶν S. OC 1066.

2. Rhet., ἀκμὴ λόγου supreme effort, culmination, climax, Hermog. Inv. 4.4, Id. 1.10; pl., ib.11, cf. Philostr. VS 1.25.7.

III. of Time, like καιρός, the time, i. e. best, most fitting time, freq. in Trag., ἡνίκ’ ἂν δὴ πρὸς γάμων ἥκητ’ ἀκμάς S. OT 1492; ἔργων, λόγων, ἕδρας ἀκμή time for doing, speaking, sitting still, Id. El. 22, Ph. 12, Aj. 811: c. inf., κοὐκέτ’ ἦν μέλλειν ἀ. A. Pers. 407, cf.Ag. 1353; ἀπηλλάχθαι δ’ ἀ. S. El. 1338; σοὶ . . ἀ. φιλοσοφεῖν Isoc. 1.3; ὁ καιρὸς ἔστ’ ἐπ’ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀκμῆς Ar. Pl. 256; ἐπ’ ἀκμῆς εἶναι, c. inf., to be on point of doing, E. Hel. 897; εἰς ἀκμὴν ἐλθὼν φίλοις in the nick of time, E. HF 532; ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἥκει τὴν ἀκμήν it is come to the critical time, D. 4.41; ἀκμὴν εἴληφεν have reached a critical moment, Isoc. Ep. 1.1, cf. Plu. Sol. 12, 15, 2.656f.

IV. eruption on face, Cass. Pr. 13, Aët. 7.110, 8.13 (f.l. ἀκνάς, whence mod. acne). ἄκμη, v. ἄκμηνος.