ἀρχή
arche
beginning, origin
Appears 587 times across Plato's dialogues.
Frequency by work
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Dictionary (LSJ)
ἀρχή, ἡ, (v. ἄρχω) A. beginning, origin, νείκεος ἀ. Il. 22.116; πήματος Od. 8.81; φόνου 21.4, etc.; opp. τέλος, 7.51, etc.; opp. τελευτή, 607, cf. Lg. 715e, Morb. 1.1; ἀ. γενέσθαι κακῶν 5.97; ἀ. ποιήσασθαί τινος 1.128, 2.37, 12.120, etc.; ἀ. λαβεῖν τινός 1.11; τὰς ἀρχὰς εἰληφέναι 4.28.3; ἀρχὴν ὑποθέσθαι lay a foundation, 3.2, etc.; βαλέσθαι Ep. 326e (and Pass., ἀρχαὶ βέβληνται N. 1.8); ἀρχὴν ἄρχεσθαί τινος Ti. 36e; source of action, [ὁ ἄνθρωπος] ἔχει ἀρχὴν ἐλευθέραν 3.3.4. b. with Preps. in adverbial usages, ἐξ ἀρχῆς from the beginning, from the first, from of old, Od. 1.188, 10, etc.; οὑξ ἀ. φίλος OT 385; ἡ ἐξ ἀ. ἔχθρα 54.3; τὸ ἐξ ἀ. Cyn. 12.6; but πλουτεῖν ἐξ ἀ. πάλιν anew, afresh, Pl. 221; λόγον πάλιν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀ. κινεῖν R. 450a; ὁ ἐξ ἀ. λόγος the original argument, Tht. 177c, etc.; τὰ ἐξ ἀ. the principal sum, Pol. 1280a30:—also ἀπʼ ἀ. Th. 425, 2.104, P. 8.25, Supp. 344, Tht. 206d; κατʼ ἀρχάς in the beginning, at first, 3.153, 7.5; αὐτίκα κατʼ ἀ. 8.94; τὸ κατʼ ἀ. Lg. 798a, al. c. acc. ἀρχήν, abs., to begin with, at first, 1.9, 2.28, 8.132; τὴν ἀρχήν 3.20: pl., τὰς ἀρχάς 16.22.8: freq. followed by a neg., not at all, ἀρχὴν μηδὲ λαβών 3.39, cf. 1.193, al.; ἀ. δὲ θηρᾶν οὐ πρέπει τἀμήχανα Ant. 92; ἀ. κλύειν ἂν οὐκ . . ἐβουλόμην Ph. 1239, cf. El. 439, 3, 5.73, Grg. 478c; sts. c. Art., τοῦτο οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι τὴν ἀ. 4.25; τὴν ἀ. γὰρ ἐξῆν αὐτῷ μὴ γράφειν 23.93. 2. first principle, element, first so used by Anaximander, acc. to in Ph. 150.23, cf. Metaph. 983b11, etc.; Ἡράκλειτος τὴν ἀ. εἶναί φησι ψυχήν de An. 405a25; of ὕλη and θεός, opp. στοιχεῖα, Placit. 1.3.25; practical principle of conduct, τῶν πράξεων τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις 2.10; principles of knowledge, Metaph. 995b8, al. 3. end, corner, of a bandage, rope, sheet, etc., 4.60, Off. 9, Hipp. 762, 18.14, Act.Ap. 10.11; of a compound pulley, Bel. 84.14. 4. Math., origin of a curve, τῆς ἕλικος Spir. 11 Def. 2, etc.; ξυνὸν ἀ. καὶ πέρας ἐπὶ κύκλου περιφερείας 103. 5. branch of a river, Ge. 2.10 (pl.). 6. sum, total, ib.Nu. 1.2. 7. vital organs of the body, 1.318, al. II. first place or power, sovereignty (not in ), Διὸς ἀρχά O. 2.64, cf. 1.6, etc.; γενέσθαι ἐπʼ ἀρχῆς Pol. 1284b2: metaph., μεγάλην μεντἂν ἀ. εἴης εὑρηκώς, of a stroke of fortune, 21.196: pl., ἀρχαὶ πολισσονόμοι Ch. 864 (lyr.); τὰς ἐμὰς ἀρχὰς σέβων Ant. 744, etc.: c. gen. rei, τῆσδʼ ἔχων ἀρχὴν χθονός OT 737; ἀ. τῶν νεῶν, τῆς θαλάσσης, power over them, 3.90, Ath. 2.7, etc.: prov., ἀ. ἄνδρα δείξει Bias ap. EN 1130a1, cf. Prooem. 48; method of government, οὐδὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἀ. ἐπαχθής 6.54. 2. empire, realm, Κύρου, Περδίκκου ἀ., 1.91, 4.128, etc. 3. magistracy, office, ἀρχὴν ἄρχειν, παραλαμβάνειν, 3.80, 4.147; καταστήσας τὰς ἀ. καὶ ἄρχοντας ἐπιστήσας 3.89; εἰς ἀ. καθίστασθαι 8.70; εἰς τὴν ἀ. εἰσιέναι 59.72, etc.; ἀ. λαχεῖν to obtain an office, 57.25; Ἑλληνοταμίαι τότε πρῶτον κατέστη ἀ. 1.96; ἐνιαύσιος ἀ. 6.54; ἀ. χειροτονητή, κληρωτή, Lex ap. 1.21; with sg. Noun, Κυθηροδίκης ἀ. ἐκ τῆς Σπάρτης διέβαινεν αὐτόσε 4.53; term of office, ἀρχῆς λοιποὶ αὐτῷ δύο μῆνες 6.42; ἀρχαὶ καὶ λειτουργίαι POxy. 119.16 (iii A.D.). 4. in pl., αἱ ἀρχαί the authorities, the magistrates, 5.47, cf. Decr. ap. 1.83; ἐν ταῖς ἀ. εἶναι 6.54; ἡ ἀρχή collectively, ‘the board’, 47.22, cf. IG 1.229, etc.; παραδιδόναι τινὰ τῇ ἀ. 5.48; but ἡ ἀ., of a single magistrate, 1.226 (iii B.C.); κατʼ ἀρχῆς γὰρ φιλαίτιος λεώς against authority, Supp. 485; πομποὺς ἀρχάς Ag. 124 (anap.). 5. command, i.e. body of troops, 1 Ki. 13.17, al. 6. pl., heavenly powers, 8.38, al., cf. Pr. 96; powers of evil, 6.12, al. III. = εἶδος μελίσσης ἀκέντρου,
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