best
ἄριστος[ᾰ],η,ον,(with Art. Ep.
A.
ὤριστος
Il. 11.288
, Att.
ἅριστος)bestin its kind, and so in all sorts of relations, serving as Sup. of
ἀγαθός:
I. of persons,
1. bestin birth and rank,noblest: hence, like ἀριστεύς ,a chief,
Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι
Il. 4.260
, cf. 6.209 ; ἄ. ἔην πολὺ δὲ πλείστους ἄγε λαούς
2.580
; θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄ.
19.258
; πατρὸς πάντων ἀ. παῖδα
S. El. 366
;ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἀ. ὁμιλίη,opp.δῆμος,
Hdt. 3.81 , cf. Cic. Att. 9.4.2 .
2. bestin any way,bravest,
ἀνδρῶν αὖ μέγ' ἄ. ἔην Τελαμώνιος Αἴας
Il. 2.768
, cf. 7.50 , etc.;οἰωνοπόλων, σκυτοτόμων ὄχ' ἄ.,
6.76 , 7.221 .
b. c. dat. modi, βουλῇ μετὰ πάντας . . ἔπλευ ἄ.
9.54
, al.; ἔγχεσιν εἶναι ἀρίστους
Od. 4.211
.
c. c. acc. rei, εἶδος ἄριστε
Il. 3.39
; ψυχὴν ἄ.
Ar. Nu. 1048
.
d. c.inf., ἄριστοι μάχεσθαι
X. Cyr. 5.4.44
;ἄ. διαβολὰς ἐνδέκεσθαι readiestto give ear to calumnies, Hdt. 3.80 ;ἄ. ἀπατᾶσθαι best,i.e.easiest,to cheat, Th. 3.38 .
3. morally best,
εἴς τινα
E. Alc. 83
(lyr.); οἱ ἄ. ἁπλῶς κατ' ἀρετήν
Arist. Pol. 1293b3
.
4. best, most useful,
πόλει
E. Fr. 194
codd. (leg.ἀρεστός) αὑτῷ
Id. Heracl. 5
.
II. of animals, things, etc.,best, finest,
ἵπποι
Il. 2.763
;μήλων, ὑῶν,
Od. 9.432 , 14.414 ; τεύχε' ἄριστα
Il. 15.616
; χῶρος
Od. 5.442
; ποταμῶν ἄ. τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἀκέσασθαι
Hdt. 4.90
;ἄριστα φέρεσθαιwin anexcellentreward, S. El. 1097 (lyr.).
III. neut. pl. asAdv.,ἄριστα best, most excellently,
ὄχ' ἄ.
Il. 3.110
, Od. 13.365 , cf. Hdt. 1.193 , al., etc.;ἄριστά γε,in answers,well said!
Pl. Tht. 163c : later also ἀρίστως
Iamb. Myst. 3.14
.
