A.strength of body, Hes.Th.146, 823, etc.; “ἀκμαὶ ἰσχύος” Pi.O.1.96; “δεινὸν ἰσχύος θράσος” S.Ph.104; “τὴν ἰ. δεινὰ καὶ τὴν ῥώμην” Pl.Smp.190b; “πρὸς ἰσχὺν ὀφθαλμοὶ ἄριστα πεφυκότες” X.Smp.5.5: pl., “ἰσχύες καὶ ἀσθένειαι” Pl.R.618d; “κατὰ σωμάτων ἰσχῦς καὶ εὐμορφίας” Id.Lg.744c; of places, “ἰσχὺς γῆς” S.OC610; of a fortified place, Th.4.35.
2. might, power, θεοῦ, θεῶν, A.Th.226 (lyr.), S.Aj. 118; “ἰ. βασιλεία” A.Pers.590 (lyr.), cf. 12(anap.); ὅπου γὰρ ἰ. συζυγοῦσι καὶ δίκη might and right, Id.Fr.381; φύσεως ἰ., of Themistocles, Th. 1.138; ἐπὶ μέγα ἐλθεῖν ἰσχύος to a great height of power, Id.2.97, cf. 1.85, etc.; “παρὰ ἰσχὺν τῆς δυνάμεως” Id.7.66; ἰ. μάχης fighting power, Id.2.97; “ἰ. τῆς ἐλπίδος” Id.4.65, cf. 2.62; ἡ τῶν νόμων ἰ. POxy.67.14 (iv A.D.); validity, PGrenf.2.71ii11 (iii A.D.), etc.
3. brute force, κατ᾽ ἰσχύν perforce, opp. δόλῳ, A.Pr.214; “πρὸς ἰσχύος κράτος” S.Ph. 594; “πρὸς ἰσχύος χάριν” E.Med.538; “ὑπὸ τῆς ἰσχύος” Epicr.3.10; “κατέχοντες ἰσχύϊ τὸ πλῆθος” Th.3.62; “εἴ τι ἰσχύϊ πράττεται, ἰσχυρῶς πράττεται” Pl.Prt.332b.
5. in Lit. Crit., vigour of style, D.H.Pomp.3, Comp. 2,al.