A.one who leads; and so,
I. in Od., guide, 10.505, 15.310, Hdt.5.14, S.Ant.1014, Pl.Men.97b; “ἡγεμόνες γενέσθαι τινὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ” Hdt.8.31, cf. E.Hec.281, X.Mem.1.3.4; “ἡ. ποδὸς τυφλοῦ” E.Ph.1616; “ἡγεμόνες τοῦ πλοῦ” Th.7.50; of a charioteer, S.OT804.
2. one who does a thing first, shows the way to others, “τοῖς νεωτέροις ἡ. ἠθῶν χρηστῶν γίγνεσθαι” Pl.Lg.670e; “πατέρες τῆς σοφίας καὶ ἡ.” Id.Ly.214a; “πόνους τοῦ ζῆν ἡδέως ἡγεμόνας νομίζετε” X.Cyr.1.5.12; “τῆς εἰρήνης ἡ.” D.18.24; [“ἀχαριστία] ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ αἰσχρὰ ἡ.” X.Cyr.1.2.7: abs., of choir-leaders, Mnemos.47.253 (Argos, ii/i B.C.).
II. in Il., leader, commander, chief, opp. λαοί, πληθύς, 2.365, 11.304: c. gen., ἡγεμόνες Δαναῶν, φυλάκων, etc., 2.487, 9.85, cf. Hdt.6.43, 7.62, al.; στρατηγὸς καὶ ἡ. τῶν 'Ελλήνων πρὸς τὸν βάρβαρον ib.158; “ἡ. τῶν πολέμων” Id.9.33; ἔχοντες ἡγεμόνας τῶν πάνυ [στρατηγῶν] Th.8.89; = λοχαγός, Arr.Tact. 5.6; “ἡ. τῶν ἐν προχειρισμῷ” PAmh.2.39 (ii B.C.); chief, sovereign, Pi.I. 8(7).22, etc.; “ἡ. γῆς τῆσδε” S.OT103, cf. OC289; “πάντων . . καὶ αὐτοῦ βασιλέως ἡ.” X.HG3.5.14; “ἡ. συμμορίας” D.21.157; of the queen-bee and queen-wasp, regarded by Arist. as males, Arist.HA553a25, 629a3 (but “ἡ τῶν μελισσῶν ἡ.” X.Oec.7.32, cf. 38); ὁ ἡ. τῶν προβάτων, of the bell-wether, Arist.HA573b24; τῶν βοῶν ib.575b1; “νέμειν τὰ κρέα τοῦ ἡγεμόνος βοός” SIG144.36 (Piraeus, iv B.C.), cf. X.HG6.4.29.
b. ἡ. χοροῦ leader of a chorus, Poll.4.106; “παῖδες ἡ.” IG7.3196 (Orchom. Boeot.); president of a gymnasium, ib.3.1086, al.
c. a Roman Emperor, Str.4.3.2, Plu.Cic.2, al.; as translation of princeps, Mon.Anc.Gr.7.9; ἡ. νεότητος, = Lat. princeps juventutis, ib.18; a provincial governor, Str.17.3.25, Ev.Matt.27.2, Act.Ap.23.24: freq. of the praefectus Aegypti, PRyl.119.4 (i A.D.), etc.; ἡ. ἀμφοτέρων, i.e. of Upper and Lower Egypt, POxy.39.6 (i A.D.); “ἡ. Κύπρου” Tab. Defix.Aud. 25.13 (iii A.D.).
2. as Adj., “ἀνήρ” Pl.Criti.119a; [ναῦς], of the flagship, A.Supp.722; “ἡ. τῆς φυλῆς κορυφαῖος” D.21.60 (s.v.l.); “ἡ. πόδες” Arist.HA490b5, IA713b32: as neut., “ἡγεμόσι μέρεσι” Pl.Ti. 91e.