Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

A. Comp. πρότερος , α, ον,

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.

B. Sup. πρῶτος , η, ον, Dor. πρᾶτος (q.v.):

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.

2. of Time, στάντα πρὸς π. ἕω looking towards first dawn, S.OC477; “περὶ π. νύκτα” Poll.1.70.

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.

5. of Degree, first, highest, “μοῖρα” Id.OC145 (anap.), etc.

II. as Subst. in neut. pl. πρῶτα, τά,

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.

3. freq. as Adv. in neut. sg. and pl., πρῶτον, πρῶτα,

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.)