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κρα?́τιστ-ος , η, ον, Ep. κάρτ- (as always in Hom.), isolated Superl. from κρατύς,
A.strongest, mightiest, Il.1.266, etc.; θεῶν κ., i.e. Zeus. Pi.O.14.13; κ. Ἑλλήνων, i.e. Achilles, S.Ph.3: in Prose, “εἰ τοὺς κ. ἐνικήσαμενTh.7.67; Λημνίων τὸ κ. the best of their men, Id.5.8; τὸ δυνάμεως κ. the strength or flower of . . , X.Cyr.6.1.28, etc.; of things, καρτίστην . . μάχην fiercest fight, Il.6.185; “δεσμὸς κ.Ti.Locr.99a.
2. generally, best, most excellent, as Sup. of ἀγαθός, Pi.I.1.17, S.Ant. 1050, etc.: colloquially, "“ἄνδρα κ." εἰπώνThphr. Char.5.2; οἱ κράτιστοι the aristocracy, X.HG7.1.42, v. ἀγαθός 1; τὰ κ. τῆς χώρας ib.3.4.20.
b. as a title or mode of address, “κράτιστε ΘεόφιλεEv.Luc. 1.3; esp. = Lat. egregius, “ κ. ἡγεμώνPFay.p.33 (i A.D.); “ κ. ἐπίτροποςBGU891 (ii A.D.); κ., of a woman of the equester ordo, IG14. 1346; also, = Lat. clarissimus, of Senators, κ. ἀνθὐπατος ib.9(1).61; “ κ. συγκλητικόςIGRom.3.581, etc.; “ κ. βουλήPOxy.2108.6 (iii A. D.).
3. neut. folld. by inf., φυγέειν κάρτιστον to flee were best, Od.12.120, cf. E.El. 379, Ar.Eq.80, etc.: in pl., “κράτιστα . . ἑλεῖνE.Med.384: abs., ὅπερ κ. the main point, Th.1.143.
4. Adv. usages, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου in all good faith, Plb.8.17.4; “κατὰ τὸ κ.D.H.2.22: neut. pl. κράτιστα as Adv., X.HG3.4.16, Ages.1.25.—The Comp. in use is κρείσσων (q.v.).
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hide References (30 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (30):
    • Aristophanes, Knights, 80
    • Euripides, Electra, 379
    • Euripides, Medea, 384
    • Homer, Odyssey, 12.120
    • Plato, Statesman, 257a
    • Plato, Philebus, 67b
    • Plato, Phaedrus, 267d
    • Sophocles, Antigone, 1050
    • Sophocles, Philoctetes, 3
    • Thucydides, Histories, 1.143
    • Thucydides, Histories, 5.8
    • Thucydides, Histories, 2.40
    • Thucydides, Histories, 2.81
    • Thucydides, Histories, 7.67
    • Xenophon, Anabasis, 1.9.2
    • Xenophon, Cyropaedia, 1.3.15
    • Xenophon, Cyropaedia, 6.1.28
    • Xenophon, Hellenica, 1
    • Xenophon, Hellenica, 3.4.16
    • Xenophon, Hellenica, 3.4.20
    • Xenophon, Hellenica, 7.1.42
    • Xenophon, Memorabilia, 1.4.1
    • Xenophon, Memorabilia, 3.4.5
    • Xenophon, Agesilaus, 1.25
    • Homer, Iliad, 1.266
    • Homer, Iliad, 6.185
    • Theophrastus, Characters, 5.2
    • Polybius, Histories, 8.17.4
    • New Testament, Luke, 1.3
    • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Antiquitates Romanae, 2.22
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