Georg Autenrieth, A Homeric Dictionary

ἄρχω , reg. in act. and mid., but without perf., and without pass.: I. act., lead off, begin (for others to follow), lead, command; τοῖς ἄρα μυ?θων ἦρχε, ‘was the first’ to speak; ἦρχ᾽ ἀγορεύειν, ἦρχε δ̓ ὁδοῖο, ‘lead the way,’ Od. 5.237 ; πάντες ἅμα, Ζεὺς δ᾽ ἦρχε, ‘headed by Zeus,’ Il. 1.495; in the sense of ‘commanding,’ foll. by dat., ἦρχε δ᾽ ἄρα σφιν | Ἕκτωρ, Il. 16.552, etc.; with part., ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἦρχον χαλεπαίνων, ‘was the first to offend,’ ‘began the quarrel,’ Il. 2.378, Il. 3.447, different from the inf.— II. mid., begin something that one is himself to continue; ἤρχετο μυ?θων, began ‘his’ or ‘her’ speaking; ἤρχετο μῆτιν ὑφαίνειν, etc.; ἔκ τινος ἄρχεσθαι, make a beginning ‘with’ something, or ‘at’ some point, sometimes gen. without a prep., σέο δ᾽ ἄρξομαι, Ι 97, Od. 21.142; of ritual observance (beginning a sacrifice), πάντων ἀρχόμενος μελέων, Od. 14.428 (cf. ἀπάρχομαι).