A.head of man or beast, Hom. (v.infr.), Alc.15, etc.; once in A., Th.525 (lyr.), once in S., Aj.238 (anap.), also in E., Fr.308 (anap.), Rh.226 (lyr.), al.; “ἄλλου οὐδενὸς ἐμψύχου κ. γεύσεται Αἰγυπτίων οὐδείς” Hdt.2.39; κεφαλῇ . . μείζονες taller in stature, Il.3.168; so μείων . . κεφαλήν ib.193 Aristarch.: freq. with Preps.,
a. κατὰ κεφαλῆς, Ep. κὰκ κεφαλῆς, down over the head, “κόνιν . . χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς” Il.18.24, cf. Od.8.85, etc.
b. κατὰ κεφαλήν, Ep. κὰκ κεφαλήν on the head, “Ἐρύλαον . . βάλε πέτρῳ μέσσην κὰκ κεφαλήν” Il.16.412, cf. 20.387, 475: in Prose, from above, X.HG7.2.8: c.gen., above, κ. κ. τινῶν γενέσθαι ib.7.2.11; τὸ κ. κ. ὕδωρ, of rain water, Thphr. HP4.10.7 (-ὴν codd.), CP6.18.10 (-ῆς): in Archit., upright, IG22.463.42; also, per head, each person (cf. infr. 1.2), Arist.Pol.1272a14, LXX Ex.16.16; “κατὰ κεφαλὴν τῶν κωμητῶν” PPetr.2p.17 (iii B. C.).
c. ἐς πόδας ἐκ κεφαλῆς from head to foot, Il.23.169; “τὰ πράγματα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν ἐς τὴν κ. σοι πάντ᾽ ἐρῶ” Ar.Pl.650.
d. ἐπὶ κεφαλήν head foremost, ἐπὶ κ. κατορύξαι to bury head downwards, Hdt.3.35; ἐπὶ κ. ὠθέεσθαι to be thrust headlong, Id.7.136, cf. Hyp.Fr.251; “ἐπὶ κ. ὠθεῖν τινα ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου” Pl.R.553b; “ἐπὶ τὴν κ. εἰς κόρακας ὦσον” Men.Sam. 138; “εὐθὺς ἐπὶ κ. εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον βαδίζειν” D.42.12; οὐ βουλόμενος πολίτας ἄνδρας ἐπὶ κ. εἰσπράττειν τὸν μισθόν recklessly, Hyp.Lyc.17; ἐπὶ ταῖς κεφαλαῖς περιφέρειν carry on high, in token of admiration, Pl. R.600d.
2. as the noblest part, periphr. for the whole person, “πολλὰς ἰφθίμους κ.” Il.11.55, cf. Od.1.343, etc.; ἶσον ἐμῇ κ. no less than myself, Il.18.82; “ἑᾷ κ.” Pi.O.7.67; esp. in salutation, “φίλη κ.” Il.8.281, cf. 18.114; “ἠθείη κ.” 23.94; “Ἄπολλον, ὦ δία κ.” E.Rh.226 (lyr.): in Prose, “Φαῖδρε, φίλη κ.” Pl.Phdr.264a; “τῆς θείας κ.” Jul.Or. 7.212a: in bad sense, “ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί” Hdt.3.29; “ὦ μιαρὰ κ.” Ar.Ach. 285: periphr. in Prose, “πεντακοσίας κεφαλὰς τῶν Ξέρξεω πολεμίων” Hdt.9.99: in bad sense, “ἡ μιαρὰ καὶ ἀναιδὴς αὕτη κ.” D.21.117, cf. 18.153; “ἡ κ. τῶν αὐτοῦ” PRein.57.8 (iv A.D.); μεγάλη κ. a great personage, Vett. Val.74.7; cf. supr. 1 b fin.
3. life, “ἐμῇ κ. περιδείδια” Il.17.242; “σύν τε μεγάλῳ ἀπέτεισαν, σὺν σφῇσιν κεφαλῇσι” 4.162; παρθέμενοι κεφαλάς staking their heads on the cast, Od.2.237; τὴν κ. “ἀποβαλέεις” Hdt.8.65.
4. in imprecations, ἐς κεφαλὴν τράποιτ᾽ ἐμοί on my head be it! Ar.Ach.833; “ἐς τὴν κ. ἅπαντα τὴν σὴν τρέψεται” Id.Nu.40; “ἃ σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖς οἱ θεοὶ τρέψειαν εἰς κ.” D.18.290; ἐς κ. σοί (sc. τράποιτο) Ar.Pax1063, Pl.526; “σοὶ εἰς κ.” Pl.Euthd.283e; “τὰ μὲν πρότερον . . ἐγὼ κεφαλῇ ἀναμάξας φέρω” Hdt.1.155; “οἷς ἂν . . τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπὶ τὴν κ. ἀναθεῖεν” D.18.294; “τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κ. ὑμῶν” Act.Ap. 18.6.
II. of things, extremity,
a. in Botany, κ. σκορόδου head ( = inflorescence) of garlic, Ar.Pl.718, cf. Plb.12.6.4; “κ. μήκωνος” Thphr.HP9.8.2; ῥίζα κ. ἔχουσα πλείονας tubers, Dsc.3.120.
b. in Anatomy, κεφαλαὶ τῆς κάτω γνάθου, prob. the condyloid and coronoid processes, Hp.Art.30; ἡ κ. τοῦ ὄρχεως, = ἐπιδιδυμίς, Arist.HA510a14, cf. Gal.4.565; μηροῦ, κνήμης κ., Poll.2.186, 188; of the base of the heart, Gal.UP6.16; but, apex, Hp.Cord.7; of the sac in poulps, Arist.PA654a23, 685a5; of muscles, origin, Gal.UP7.14.
c. generally, top, brim of a vessel, Theoc.8.87; coping of a wall, X.Cyr.3.3.68; capital of a column, CIG2782.31 (Aphrodisias), LXX 3 Ki.7.16, Poll.7.121.
d. in pl., source of a river, Hdt.4.91 (butsg., mouth, “οἶδα Γέλα ποταμοῦ κεφαλῇ ἐπικείμενον ἄστυ” Call.Aet.Oxy.2080.48): generally, source, origin, Ζεὺς κ. (v.l. ἀρχή）, Ζεὺς μέσσα, Διὸς δ᾽ ἒκ πάντα τελεῖται ῾τέτυκται codd.) Orph.Fr.21a; starting-point, “κ. χρόνου” Placit. 2.32.2 (κρόνου codd.), Lyd.Mens.3.4; κ. μηνός ib.12.
e. extremity of a plot of land, PPetr.3p.72 (iii B.C.), PFlor.50.83 (iii A.D.).
2. crown, completion, “κεφαλὴν ἐπιθεῖναι” Pl.Ti.69b; “ὥσπερ κ. ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς εἰρημένοις” Id.Phlb.66d, cf. Grg.505d; “ὥσπερ κεφαλὴν ἔχουσα ἐπιστήμη” Arist.EN1141a19; consummation, “σχεῖν κ.” Pl.Ti.39d.
