I. of Place, before, in front, π. πόδες the fore-feet, Od.19.228; π. ἵπποι horses in front, B.5.43:— but mostly,
II. of Time, former, earlier, “ἄνδρες” Il.21.405; “ἄνθρωποι” 5.637, 23.332; οἱ π. men of former times, 4.308 (rarely without Art., A.Ag.1338 (anap.), etc.); “οὗτος δὲ προτέρης γενεῆς π. τ᾽ ἀνθρώπων” Il.23.790: also, older, opp. ὁπλότερος, 2.707, etc.; γενεῇ π. 15.182; but παῖδες π. children by the first or a former marriage, Od.15.22; “παῖδες ἐκ τῆς π. γυναικός” Hdt.7.2; τῇ προτέρῃ (sc. ἡμέρᾳ) on the day before, Od.16.50; ἠοῖ τῇ π. Il.13.794 (in Prose more freq. τῇ προτεραίᾳ, cf. προτεραῖος); τοῦ π. ἐνιαυτοῦ the year before, IG12.352.11; τοῖς π. Παναθηναίοις the preceding P., ib.57.8; τὰ π. what has preceded, Plot.3.2.8:—freq. used predicatively, sts. where we should expect the Adv. (which is never used by Hom.), “ὅ με π. κάκ᾽ ἔοργε” Il. 3.351, cf. 16.569, Hes.Op.708, etc.; “σπονδὰς οὐ λύσετε πρότεροι” Th.1.123; οἱ π. ἐπιόντες ibid.; “τοῖς π. μετὰ Κύρου ἀναβᾶσι” X.An.1.4.12, cf. IG22.1.7; “εἰ μὴ π. ἑωράκη αὐτὸν ἢ ἐκεῖνος ἐμέ” Pl.R.336d, cf. 432c, etc.; “ὅτι εἴη π. ὑπὸ ἐκείνων ἠδικημένος” PCair.Zēn. 288.9 (iii B.C.).
2. as regular Comp., c. gen., “ἐμέο πρότερος” Il.10.124; “π. τούτων” Hdt.1.168, cf. Pl.Phd.86b, Hp.Ma.282d; “τὰς γυναῖκας μὴ ἀπιέναι προτέρας τῶν ἀνδρῶν” IG12(5).593.19 (Iulis, v B.C.); τῇ π. ἡμέρᾳ τῆς τροπῆς the day before . . , Arist.Pol.1316a16; “προτέρᾳ εἰδυῶν Ὀκτωμβρίων” IG7.2225.14 (Thisbe, Senatus Consultum, ii B.C.); τῷ π. ἔτει Παναθηναίων τῶν μεγάλων ib.22.212.27; “τῷ π. ἔτει τῆς ἥττης” Plb.2.43.6: folld. by ἤ, τῷ προτέρῳ ἔτεϊ ἢ τὸν κρητῆρα [ἐληΐσαντο] Hdt.3.47.
III. of Rank, Worth, and generally of Precedence, superior, τῷ γένει, τῇ δυνάμει, Is.1.17, D.3.15; π. τινὸς πρός τι superior to him in . . , Pl.La. 183b; π. τι ἄγειν, π. ποιήσασθαι τὰ σὰ πράγματα, Lib.Or.58.36,52.1.
IV. after Hom., neut. πρότερον freq. as Adv., before, earlier, Pi.O.13.31, Hdt.4.45, IG12.374.265, etc.; ὀλίγον π. Pl.Prt.317e: c. gen., “π. φήμης” A.Th.866 (anap.); “ὀλίγῳ τι π. τούτων” Hdt.8.95; πολλοῖσι ἔτεσι π. τούτων ib.96; “ἐνιαυτῷ π. τῆς ἁλώσεως” D.9.60; also πρὸ τῶν Περσικῶν δέκα ἔτεσι π. Pl.Lg.642d, cf. Criti.112a; τούτου π. Paus.1.1.2: most freq. folld. by “ἤ, π. ἢ κατὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν” Pl.Sph. 264b; also “μὴ π. ἀπαναστῆναι ἢ ἐξέλωσι” Hdt.9.87, cf. 7.54, Antipho 2.1.2, Th.7.63, etc.: with inf., “π. ἢ βασιλεῦσαι” Hdt.7.2, cf. Th.1.69, etc.: folld. by πρίν, Hdt.1.82; by πρὶν ἄν, ib.140; by πρὶν ἤ with vb. in Indic., Id.6.45, 8.8, or Subj., 7.8.β́ (v.l. πρὶν ἂν ἢ), 9.93; also “οὐ π. εἰ μὴ . . ” Plu.Lys.10, etc.; οὐ π. ἕως . . , or ἕως ἂν . . , Lys.12.71, Ath.14.640c; “μὴ π., ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν . . ” Plb.9.13.3: also used with the Art., τὸ π. Pl.R.522a, X.An.4.4.14, etc. (τὸ π., also, for the first time, Ep. Gal.4.13): c. gen., “τὸ π. τῶν ἀνδρῶν τούτων” Hdt.2.144: the Adv. is freq. put between Art. and Subst., “ὁ π. βασιλεύς” Id.1.84; “τὰ π. ἀδικήματα” Id.6.87; “αἱ π. ἁμαρτίαι” Ar.Eq.1355, etc.
I. as Adj.,
1. of Place, foremost, “πρώτοισιν ἐνὶ προμάχοισι μιγέντα” Od.18.379; ἐν πρώτοις, μετὰ πρώτοισι alone, Il.19.424, 11.64; πρώτῃ ἐν ὑσμίνῃ, ἐνὶ πρώτῳ ὁμάδῳ, 15.340, 17.380; τῆς πρώτης τάττειν (sc. τάξεως) Isoc. 12.180, cf. Lys.16.15, etc.; ἐν π. ῥυμῷ at the front or end of the pole, Il.6.40, 16.371; πρώτῃσι θύρῃσιν at the outermost doors, 22.66; π. ξύλον the front bench, Ar.Ach.25, Poll.4.121, etc.; οἱ π. πόδες, like πρόσθιοι, Id.1.193.
3. of Order, serving as ordinal to εἷς, ἄεθλα θῆκε . . τῷ πρώτῳ: ἀτὰρ αὖ τῷ δευτέρῳ . . , αὐτὰρ τῷ τριτάτῳ . . , κτλ., Il.23.265, cf. 6.179; opp. ὕστατος, 2.281, 5.703, etc.; opp. τελευταῖος, A.Ag.314; opp. τανύστατος, Od. 9.449; “πρῶτοι πάντων ἀνθρώπων” Hdt.2.2; “τὰ π. τῶν ὀνομάτων” Pl.Cra. 421d; “τῇ π. τῶν ἡμερέων” Hdt.7.168, etc.; “π. ἄξων” IG12.115.10; ἐπὶ τοῦ π. [ἱερείου] first-offered, X.An.4.3.9; ἐν τοῖς π. λόγοις in the earlier books, Arist.Ph.263a11, al.; ἐν πρώτοις among the first, Is.7.40; hence, above all, especially, Hdt.8.69, Pl.R.522c; in Att., ἐν τοῖς πρῶτοι (v. ὁ, ἡ“, τό” A. VIII. 6):—freq. used predicatively of being the first to do something, “Νέστωρ πρῶτος κτύπον ἄϊε” Il.10.532; “πρῶτος ἀνατέλλει” Eratosth.Cal.42; “εἴθε π. σοι ἐνέτυχον” Luc.Tyr.21.
b. Philos., first in order of existence, primary, “αἱ π. οὐσίαι” Arist.Cat.2b26, cf. Metaph.1032b2; π. ὕλη, π. φιλοσοφία, ib.1015a7, 1061b19; primitive, simple, οἰκία π., ἡ π. πόλις, Id.Pol.1252b10, 1291a17; ἡ π. κοινωνία ib.1257a19; ἡ π. ὀλιγαρχία ib.1293a14; ὁ π. συλλογισμός normal, typical, Id.Rh.1357a17; τὰ π. σώματα, μόρια,= τὰ ὁμοιομερῆ, Gal.5.673,674; πρῶτα κατὰ φύσιν, e.g. health, perception, Stoic.3.34; τὰ π. πάθη ib.92; αἱ π. ἀρεταί ib.64.
c. Math., πρῶτοι ἀριθμοί prime numbers, Euc.7 Def.11,12; but also, first numbers (= 1 to 100,000,000) in the notation of Archim., Aren.3.2.
d. πρῶτος is sts. used where we should expect “πρότερος, Αἰνείας δὲ πρῶτος ἀκόντισεν” Il.13.502, cf. 18.92: in late Greek folld. by gen., “πρῶτός μου ἦν” Ev.Jo.1.15,30, cf. 15.18; “οἱ πρῶτοί μου ταῦτα ἀνιχνεύσαντες” Ael.NA 8.12; “πρώτη εὕρηται ἡ περὶ τοὺς πόδας κίνησις τῆς διὰ τῶν χειρῶν” Ath. 14.630c; “γεννήτορα πρῶτον μητέρος εἰς ἀΐδην πέμψει” Man.1.329, 4.404; ἀλόχου πρῶτος before his wife, IG12(5).590.5 (vi (?) A.D.).
4. of Rank or Dignity, μετὰ πρώτοισιν among the first men of the state, Od.6.60, etc.; “νομίσαντες πρῶτοι ἂν εἶναι” Th.6.28; διαβάλλειν τοὺς π. X.An.2.6.26, cf. Arist.Pol.1266a18; “αἱ π. πόλεις” Th. 2.8; “ὁ π. ἄρχων” IG12(3).481.10 (Thera), CIG2837 (Aphrodisias); ὁ π. τῆς πόλεως, as a title, IG12(5).292.2 (Paros); “ὁ π. τῆς νήσου” Act.Ap.28.7; τῶν π. φίλων, title at the Ptolemaic court, PTeb.31.15 (ii B.C.), etc.; τῶν π., as military title, PHib.1.110.72 (iii B.C.), PPetr.3p.23 (iii B.C.), PTeb.815 Fr.4.23,al.(iii B.C.): c. gen., “ἐν πρώτοισι Μυκηναίων” Il.15.643; “οἱ π. στρατοῦ” S.Ph.1305, cf. E.Hec.304, etc.: c. dat. modi, ἀρετῇ π., οἱ π. καὶ χρήμασι καὶ γένει, πλούτῳ π. τῶν Ἑλλήνων, etc., S.Ph.1425, Th.3.65, Isoc.16.31, etc.; “π. ἐν συμφοραῖς βίου” S.OT33.
1. (sc. ἆθλα), first prize, “τὰ π. λαβών” Il.23.275; “τὰ π. δόρει κρατύνων” S.OC1313; “ἔχειν πρῶτα κυναγεσίας” AP6.118 (Antip.); “τὰ π. φέρεσθαι” D.C.42.57, etc.
2. first part, beginning, τῆς Ἰλιάδος τὰ π. Pl.R.392e; ἐν τοῖς π. Id.Smp.221d; “τὸ π. τοῦ ᾁσματος” Id.Prt.343c.
3. first, highest, in degree, τὰ π. τᾶς λιμῶ (Dor.) the extremities of famine, Ar.Ach. 743 (nisi leg. ἄπρατα)“; ἐχέτωσαν τὰ π. τῆς εὐδαιμονίας” Luc.Cont.10; “ἐς τὰ π. τιμᾶσθαι” Th.3.39, cf. 56; φρενῶν ἐς τὰ ἐμεωυτοῦ π. οὔκω ἀνήκω I have not yet come to the highest development of my judgment, Hdt.7.13, cf. D.C.38.22; of persons, ἐὼν τῶν Ἐρετριέων τὰ π. Hdt. 6.100; Λάμπων . . Αἰγινητέων <ἐὼν> τὰ π. Id.9.78, cf. E.Med.917; ἐστὶν τὰ π. τῆς ἐκεῖ μοχθηρίας (of a person) Ar.Ra.421.
4. Philos., primary things, elements, Emp.38.1, Arist.GC335a29; “τὰ π. αἴτια” Id.Mete.338a20; also “τὸ π. ἐνυπάρχον ἑκάστῳ” Id.Ph.193a10.
5. in Logic, the first undemonstrable propositions, on which all future conclusions rest, Id.Top.100b18; “τὰ π. ἀναπόδεικτα” Id.APo.71b26.
III. in Adverbial phrases,
1. τὴν πρώτην (sc. ὥραν, ὁδόν) first, for the present, just now, Hdt.3.134, Ar. Th.662, D.3.2, Arist.Metaph.1038a35, etc.; “τὴν πρώτην εἶναι” Hdt.1.153.
2. with Preps., ἀπὸ πρώτης (sc. ἀρχῆς) Antipho 5.56, Th.1.77; “ἀπὸ τῆς π. εὐθύς” Luc.Hist.Conscr.1; ἐκ π. Babr.45.14; “κατὰ πρώτας” Pl.Plt.292b, D.C.52.19; “κατὰ τὴν π. εὐθύς” Id.62.3; παρὰ τὴν π. the first time, opp. ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας, Philostr.VA 1.22.
a. first, in the first place, πρῶτόν τε καὶ ὕστατον (vulg. ὕστερον) Hes.Th. 34; “π. μὲν . . , δεύτερον αὖ . . , τὸ τρίτον αὖ . . ” Il.6.179; τί π. τοι ἔπειτα, τί δ᾽ ὑστάτιον καταλέξω; Od.9.14; “Κύπριδα μὲν πρῶτα . . , αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ᾽ . . ” Il.5.458; “οὐρῆας μὲν π. ἐπῴχετο . . , αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα . . ” 1.50; “π. μὲν . . , ἔπειτα δὲ . . ” S.OC632, X.Cyr.2.1.2,23, An.5.6.7-8, Hier.11.8, etc.; “π. μὲν . . , ἔπειτα . . ” Pl.Phd.89a, etc.; “π. μὲν . . , ἔπειτα δεύτερον . . , τρίτον δὲ . . ” Aeschin.1.7; “π. μὲν . . , εἶτα . . ” Pl.Phlb.15b; “π. μὲν . . , εἶτα δὲ . . ” X. An.1.2.16; “π. μὲν . . , εἶτα . . , ἔτι δὲ . . ” Id.Mem.1.2.1; “π. μὲν . . , . . δὲ αὖ . . ” Pl.Lg.935a; “π. μὲν . . , ἔτι δὲ . . ” Lys.4.10, etc.; “π. μὲν . . , ἔτι τοίνυν . . ” D.44.57; freq. answered only by δέ, Id.9.48, etc.; sts. the answering clause must be supplied, A.Ag.810, D.7.7, etc.: also “πρῶτον μὲν . . δεύτερον μήν . . ” Pl.Phlb.66a: also “πρῶτα μὲν . . , ἔπειτα . . ” S.Tr. 616, Ar.Pl.728; “πρῶτα μὲν . . , ἔπειτα . . , εἶτα . . ” E.Med.548; “πρῶτα μὲν . . , . . δὲ . . ” A.Pr.447; πρῶτα μὲν . . , ἔπειτα δὲ . . X HG7.1.7, cf. S. Ph.919; ἐπεί σε πρῶτα κιχάνω since my first meeting is with you, Od. 13.228, cf. 7.53, Il.8.274: also τὸ πρῶτον, first, in the first place, at the beginning, “ὡς τὸ π. ὑπέστην καὶ κατένευσα” 4.267; “οὕνεκά σ᾽ οὐ τὸ π., ἐπεὶ ἴδον, ὧδ᾽ ἀγάπησα” Od.23.214. cf. Il.3.443, 6.345, Pi.P.9.41, N.3.49; τὸ μὲν οὖν π. Pl.Prt.333d, etc.; τὸ π . . ., μετὰ ταῦτα . .
D. 1.12: also τὰ π., Il.1.6, Od.1.257, etc.; “πόντῳ μὲν τὰ π . . . , αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα . . ” Il.4.424; “τὰ π. μὲν . . , ὡς δὲ . . ” A.Pers.412; “τὰ π . . . , τέλος δὲ . . ” S.Fr.149.5, cf. 966.
b. too early, before the time, ἦ τ᾽ ἄρα καὶ σοὶ πρῶτα (v.l. for πρωΐ)“ παραστήσεσθαι ἔμελλε Μοῖρ᾽ ὀλοή” Od.24.28.
c. = πρότερον, before, “ἢν . . πρῶτον ἀπόλωμαι κακῶς” Ar.Ec.1079; “π. οὐδ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ἑνὸς . . κρατηθέντες” X.HG5.4.1; θάλασσα π. ἦν ἢ γενέσθαι γῆν v.l. in Heraclit.31; “λόγῳ π. ἢ τοῖς ἔργοις” Arist.Rh.Al.1420b28; “οὐ π. αὐτὴν ἀπέκτειναν πρὶν ἢ ἀπεκύησεν” Ael.VH5.18; “π. συμμελετᾶν ἢ μελετᾶν μαθέτω” AP12.206 (Strat.).
d. first, for the first time, “οὐ . . νῦν πρῶτα ποδώκεος ἄντ᾽ Ἀχιλῆος στήσομαι” Il.20.89; “οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι” S.Ph.966; “ἐνταῦθα πρῶτον ἔφαγον” X.An.2.3.16.
e. πρῶτον, πρῶτα are used after the relat. Pron. and after relat.Advbs., like Engl.once (= at all), “οὐδ᾽ ἐνοσίχθων λήθετ᾽ ἀπειλάων, τὰς . . Ὀδυσῆϊ π. ἐπηπείλησε” Od.13.127, cf. 3.320, 10.328, 13.133, Il. 1.319, 19.136; μοῖραν δ᾽ οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν . . ἐπὴν τὰ π. γένηται when once he is born, 6.489, cf. Od.3.183, 4.13,414; “οὔτε . . Λυκίους ἐδύναντο τείχεος ἂψ ὤσασθαι, ἐπεὶ τὰ π. πέλασθεν” Il.12.420, cf. Od.11.106, 221; also ἐπεὶ τὸ (or τὰ) π. now that . . , ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεὶ οὖν τὸ π. ἀνέκραγον, οὐκ ἐπικεύσω now that I have spoken up, 14.467; “τὸ μὲν οὔ ποτε φύλλα καὶ ὄζους φύσει, ἐπεὶ δὴ πρῶτα τομὴν ἐν ὄρεσσι λέλοιπε” Il.1.235, cf. 276, 19.9: c. part., τῷ ῥ᾽ Αἴας τὸ π. ἐφεζόμενος μέγ᾽ ἀάσθη (the rock) on which once seated
A. blasphemed, Od.4.509: the sense as soon as is never necessary in Hom., but is possible in Od.4.414, 19.355; δινέμεν εὖτ᾽ ἂν πρῶτα φανῇ σθένος Ὠαρίωνος when once (or perh., as soon as), Hes.Op.598; ὅπως τις πρῶτα γένοιτο πάντας ἀποκρύπτεσκε as soon as each was born, Id.Th.156; ὡς τὸ π. X.An.7.8.14; “τότ᾽ εὐθὺς . . , ὅτε πρῶτον εἶδον” D.18.141; αὖθίς με ἀνερέσθαι ὅταν ἐντύχῃς πρῶτον the first time you meet me, Pl.Ly.211b; “ἐὰν μάθω γε πρῶτον . . τί λέγεις” Id.R.338c.
IV. Adv. πρώτως primarily, first in Arist., “π. καὶ κυρίως” EN1157a30; opp. δευτέρως, ib.1158b31; π. καθ᾽ αὑτό, opp. κατὰ συμβεβηκός, Id.Ph.192b22, cf. Gal.1.692, al., Jul.Or.5.168b.
2. ὅτε π. ἐπεδήμησεν . . when he first visited . . , BSA27.228 (Sparta, ii A.D.).—(From πρῶτος was formed a new Sup. πρώτιστος, q.v.)