κρείσσων, ον,
genitive ονος, as always in Epic dialect and old Attic dialect; later Attic dialect κρείττων; Ionic dialect κρέσσων [[ 5th c.BC: Hippocrates Medicus “Fract.” 3, +others, variant in 4th c.BC: Dionysius Tragicus (see. below 11); _Doric dialect_ ] Refs 5th c.BC+] κάρρων (which see); Cretan dialect κάρτων [[“Leg.Gort.” 1.15:] Refs] — _comparative_ of κρατύς (see. κράτιστος), stronger, mightier, [[ κ. βασιλεύς, ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηϊ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.80 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; especially in battle, [[ κρείσσοσιν ἶφι μάχεσθαι 21.486; Διὸς κ. νόος ἠέ περ ἀνδρῶν 16.688; κεραυνοῦ κρέσσον.. βέλος 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “I.” 8(7).36, compare 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.172, Hp.[same place], etc.; κρείσσων χεῖρας 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 4.4.7; τὸ τοῦ κ. συμφέρον Plato Philosophus [{5-6th c.BC}] “Respublica” 338c, compare 3rd c.AD: Democritus Epigrammaticus 267 ] Refs 6th c.BC+]: hence, having the upper hand, superior, [[ ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κ. τε γένηται 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 3.71; κ. ἀρετῇ τε βίῃ τε 23.578 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]: as Law-term, of witnesses, [[ κάρτονανς ἦμεν _prevail,_ Leges Gortynensium ] Refs] [prev. cited]
__2 frequently as comparative of ἀγαθός, better, κρέσσονες one's betters, especially in point of rank, [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 10(11).39, “N.” 10.72 (but also, _the stronger, more powerful_, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Or.” 710, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.8, etc.); ἐς τοὺς τοκέας καὶ ἐς τοὺς κρέσσονας τεθυμῶσθαι 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.52, compare “SIG” 685.134 (5th c.BC: Magnes Comicus Mae., 2nd c.BC); οἱ κ. corps of guards at Thebes, 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus 2.598e; κρείσσονες θεοί] Refs 5th c.BC+], of the greater gods, as opposed to to Oceanus, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Pr.” 902 (Lyric poetry); ὁ κ. Ζεύς [prev\. author] “Ag.” 60 ] Refs 4th c.BC+] (anapaest meter); οἱ κ. the Higher Powers, [[ [prev\. author] “fragment” 10, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Sph.” 216b, “Euthd.” 291a, etc.; τὰ κρείσσω, ={τὰ θεῖα}, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Ion” 973; τὸ κ.] Refs 5th c.BC+] the Almighty, Providence, [[ Corp.Herm. 18.11, 4th c.AD: Julianus Imperator “Ep.” 204, 6th c.AD: Agathias Historicus et Epigrammaticus 1.16, 5th-6th c.AD: Procopius Gazaeus Rhetor “Pan.” p.492; τὰ κρείσσονα] Refs 4th c.AD+] one's advantages, [[ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἡμῖν κρείσσω καταπροδοῦναι 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.10 ] Refs 5th c.BC+].