A.rule over, c. dat., “νήεσσιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι” Il.10.214; “νήσοισιν” Od.1.245: abs., have or hold power, “εὖτ᾽ ἂν μηκέτ᾽ ἐπικρατέωσιν ἄνακτες” 17.320, cf. 14.60, Archil.69.
II.. prevail in battle, be victorious, ἐπικρατέουσί περ ἔμπης [to them] though they are victorious as it is, Il.14.98, cf. Ar.Lys.767; ἐ. ἢ ἀπόλλυσθαι conquer or die, Hdt.7.104; ἐ. τῇ “στάσι” Id.1.173; ἐ. τὰ πλείω τοῦ πολέμου gain the advantage in most points in the war, Th.4.19.
2.. freq. c.gen., prevail over, get the mastery of an enemy, “ἐ. μάχῃ τῶν Γελῴων” Hdt.7.155; “τῶν ἐχθρῶν” Id.8.94, Lys.34.4; “τῆς τινων πονηρίας” Id.22.16; ἐ. αὐτῶν （-οῦ codd.) παρὰ τῷ βασιλέϊ, in a suit at law, Hdt.4.65; “ἰσχυρὰ ἐ. ἀνδρὸς Ἀνάγκη” Philet.8; “ἐ. τοῦ πυρός” Hdt.1.86; “γήρως” Pl.Lg.752a; ὑμῶν -ήσω τῷ “κοάξ” Ar.Ra.267.
3.. rarely c. acc., master, conquer, τὰς τῆς φύσεως “ἁμαρτίας” Isoc.1.52; “δύο βασιλέας” D.C.36.16:—Pass., -ηθεῖσα (sc. ἡ δεξιά), in left-handed persons, Sor.1.111.
4.. c. gen., become master of, “τῶν πραγμάτων” Hdt.4.164; “τῆς θαλάσσης” Id.1.17,al.; τῶν πολίων, τῶν νεῶν, Id.6.32,115; τῆς ἀναγκαίου τροφῆς, τῆς ἀναβάσεως, Th.1.2,7.42; “τῶν ἐρώτων” Pi.N.8.5, etc.
b.. to be in possession of, [οἰκίας]PRyl.160.3 (i A.D.), etc.
5.. generally, prevail, be superior, “πλήθεϊ” Hdt.5.2; “πολὺ τῷ ναυτικῷ” Th.2.93; “τὰ πλείω τῷ πεζῷ” Id.7.63; “κατὰ θάλασσαν” X.HG7.1.6: c. inf., they carried the point that . . , Th. 5.46; “ἐπεκράτουν μὴ δέχεσθαι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους” Id.6.74.
b.. metaph., prevail, “τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἦθος ἐπεκράτει” Pl.Criti.121b; “τὸ δίκαιον” Men. Epit.16; τὸ ψῦχος, τὸ ὑγρόν, Arist.Mete.347b26, MM1210a20; τὸ “ὄνομα” Plb.2.38.1; “ὁ λόγος” D.S.5.62; “ὁ τραχὺς ἦχος” Phld.Po.994.33.
6.. c. part., ἐ. διαιροῦντες succeed in keeping it open, Arist. GA773a29.
