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πρεσβ-εύω , pf.
A.“πεπρέσβευκα” Ar.Ach.610, D.19.310:—Med., aor. “ἐπρεσβευσάμην” Th.1.92, etc.:—Pass., pf. πεπρέσβευμαι (v. infr.):
I. prop. of age,
1. intr., to be the elder or eldest, S.OC1422; “οἱ ἀεὶ πρεσβεύοντες” Pl.Lg. 951e: c. gen. pers., to be older than, be the eldest of a number, “τῶν προτέρων ἐπρέσβευε” Hdt.7.2; “π. τῶν ἄλλων κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν” Timae. 114; π. ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ to be his eldest son, Th.6.55; of wine, “πολλαῖς π. ἐτέων . . ὥραις” Archestr.Fr.60.2; “π. τοῖς χρόνοις τὰ ἡρωικά” Ath.1.19a: hence,
b. take the first place, be best, S.Ant.720; οἷσι πρεσβεύει γένος, of the male sex, E.Heracl.45.
c. c. gen., rank before, take precedence of others, “π. τῶν πολλῶν πόλεων” Pl.Lg.752e: hence, rule over, “Ολύμπου π.” S.Aj.1389; “Ἴναχε . . μέγα πρεσβεύων Ἄργους γύαις” Id.Fr.270 (anap.); also, have at one's command or disposal, c. gen., καὶ εἰ （καὶ σὺ Kaibel) “τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ πρεσβεύεις” Ath.8.352d.
2. trans., place as oldest or first, put first in rank, “πρῶτον . . πρεσβεύω θεῶν Γαῖαν” A.Eu.1: hence, pay special honour or worship to, “πρῶτον τόνδε πρεσβεύσω τάφον” Id.Ch.488, cf.S.Tr.1065, Pl.Smp.186b; joined with “τιμῶ” Id.Cri.46c; “τὰ δίκαια πρὸ παντὸς ἰδίου συμφέροντος” Plu.Luc.3, cf. Arr. An.6.30.3:—Pass., hold the first place, “Παλλὰς . . ἐν λόγοις π.” A.Eu. 21; ὁ δ᾽ ὕστατός γε τοῦ χρόνου π. is first in point of time, Id.Ag.1300: c. gen., κακῶν πρεσβεύεται τὸ Αήμνιον is most notable of mischiefs, Id.Ch.631 (lyr.); τὸ πρεσβύτερον τοῦ νεωτέρου ἐστὶ πρεσβευόμενον is more honoured than . . , Pl.Lg.879b.
b. later, cultivate arts, etc., “διαλεκτικόν, τὸ . . τοὺς λόγους πρεσβεῦον” D.L.1.18; “π. παρὰ Ῥοδίοις ἃ μήπω ἐγίγνωσκον” Philostr.VS1 Praef.; “πόλις ὄρχησιν μάλιστα πρεσβεύουσα” Luc.Salt.76.
II. to be an ambassador or serve as one, IG12.135.5; “ἀπὸ Κορίνθου” Hdt.5.93; “εἰς Θετταλίαν” And.4.41; παρά or πρός τινα, Pl.Chrm.158a, X.Cyr.5.1.3; τινος for one, E.Heracl.479: abs., Ar. Ach.610, etc.: c. acc. cogn., “ἃς ἐπρέσβευσεν [εἰς Θήβας] πρεσβείας” Din.1.16.
b. at Rome, act as legatus, Plu.Sull.4.
2. c. acc. objecti, π. εἰρήνην negotiate peace, And.3.23, Isoc.4.177, D.19.134, etc.; π. ὑπὲρ τουτωνὶ τὰ βέλτιστα ib.189; π. πολλὰ καὶ δεινά ibid.:— Pass., τὰ αὑτῷ πεπρεσβευμένα his negotiations, ib.20; πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ πεπρεσβεῦσθαι ib.240.
3. Med., send ambassadors, ἐς χωρία, ἐς τὴν Θουρίαν, Th.2.7, 6.104; “πρεσβεύεσθαι παρά τινας” Id.4.41, etc.; “πρός τινας” Id.1.126; “ἐς Αακεδαίμονα περὶ καθόδου” Id.3.85.
b. go as ambassador, Id.5.39.
III. c. acc. rei, represent, urge, maintain, Luc.Pisc.23; [δόγματα] Gal.6.753; “τὴν ὄψιν κατὰ εἰσδοχὴν π.” Olymp. in Mete. 5.6: c. inf., κατὰ ἐκπομπὴν εἶναι τὴν ὄψιν ib. 10.
Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (41):
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