ἐπικρατέω

A. rule over, c. dat., νήεσσιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι Il. 10.214; νήσοισιν Od. 1.245: abs., have or hold power, εὖτ’ ἂν μηκέτ’ ἐπικρατέωσιν ἄνακτες 17.320, cf. 14.60, Archil. 69.

II. . prevail in battle, be victorious, ἐπικρατέουσί περ ἔμπης [to them] though they are victorious as it is, Il. 14.98, cf. Ar. Lys. 767; ἐ. ἢ ἀπόλλυσθαι conquer or die, Hdt. 7.104; ἐ. τῇ στάσι Id. 1.173; ἐ. τὰ πλείω τοῦ πολέμου gain the advantage in most points in the war, Th. 4.19.

2. . freq. c.gen., prevail over, get the mastery of an enemy, ἐ. μάχῃ τῶν Γελῴων Hdt. 7.155; τῶν ἐχθρῶν Id. 8.94, Lys. 34.4; τῆς τινων πονηρίας Id. 22.16; ἐ. αὐτῶν(‐οῦ codd.) παρὰ τῷ βασιλέϊ, in a suit at law, Hdt. 4.65; ἰσχυρὰ ἐ. ἀνδρὸς Ἀνάγκη Philet. 8; ἐ. τοῦ πυρός Hdt. 1.86; γήρως Pl. Lg. 752a; ὑμῶν ‐ήσω τῷ κοάξ Ar. Ra. 267.

3. . rarely c. acc., master, conquer, τὰς τῆς φύσεως ἁμαρτίας Isoc. 1.52; δύο βασιλέας D.C. 36.16:—Pass., ‐ηθεῖσα (sc. ἡ δεξιά), in left-handed persons, Sor. 1.111.

4. . c. gen., become master of, τῶν πραγμάτων Hdt. 4.164; τῆς θαλάσσης Id. 1.17,al.; τῶν πολίων, τῶν νεῶν, Id. 6.32,115; τῆς ἀναγκαίου τροφῆς, τῆς ἀναβάσεως, Th. 1.2,7.42; τῶν ἐρώτων Pi. N. 8.5, etc.

b. . to be in possession of, [οἰκίας]PRyl. 160.3 (i A.D.), etc.

5. . generally, prevail, be superior, πλήθεϊ Hdt. 5.2; πολὺ τῷ ναυτικῷ Th. 2.93; τὰ πλείω τῷ πεζῷ Id. 7.63; κατὰ θάλασσαν X. HG 7.1.6: c. inf., they carried the point that . ., Th. 5.46; ἐπεκράτουν μὴ δέχεσθαι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους Id. 6.74.

b. . metaph., prevail, τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἦθος ἐπεκράτει Pl. Criti. 121b; τὸ δίκαιον Men. Epit. 16; τὸ ψῦχος, τὸ ὑγρόν, Arist. Mete. 347b26, MM 1210a20; τὸ ὄνομα Plb. 2.38.1; ὁ λόγος D.S. 5.62; ὁ τραχὺς ἦχος Phld. Po. 994.33.

6. . c. part., ἐ. διαιροῦντες succeed in keeping it open, Arist. GA 773a29.