Ἄρης
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
Ἄριστος· κυρίως ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἰσχυρός· παρὰ τὸν ἄρην, ἐξ οὗ παρώνυμον ἀριστεύς. καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς προσήκοντος
Translation (En)
Aristos "best": it refers properly to the one who is strong in battle. It comes from Ares, and the derivative is aristeus "champion". By extension, <it is used> for anything that is good
Parallels
Etym. Magnum, Kallierges,p. 143 (idem); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 3 (ἄριστος (Β 5): παρὰ τὸ ἀρείων· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν πόλεμον, γίνεται συγκριτικὸν ἀρείων, ἄριστος· ἐξ οὗ ἄριστος κυρίως ὁ ἐν πολέμῳ ἀνδραγαθῶν, καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν οἱῳδήποτε πράγματι); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 196-197 (idem); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 198 (idem); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 263 (Ἄρης, ὁ πόλεμος, ἐξ οὗ κτητικὸν ἄρειος, ὡς Εὐριπίδης (HF 413 alibi), ἐξ οὗ συγκριτικὸν ἀρείων καὶ τὸ ὑπερθετικὸν ἄριστος, ὁ ἐν πολέμῳ μέγιστος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 291 (Ἄριστος. ὁ ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδραγαθῶν. παρὰ τῷ ἄρει τῷ πολέμῳ); Georgius Lacapenus, Epistulae 20, l. 161-165 (βέλτιον. ὅτι βέλτιον μὲν λέγεται ἐπὶ ψυχῆς, ἄριστον δὲ ἐπὶ σώματος ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἄρης, ὃ λέγεται ὁ πόλεμος. καί· ἄριστε Ἀχιλλεῦ, παρ’ Ἀριστείδῃ. λέγεται δὲ ἄριστος πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ ψυχῆς. κρείττων δὲ ἀεὶ ἐπὶ σώματος λέγεται, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπικρατέστερος); T Schol. Il. 6.7 (ἄριστον ἢ ἀνδρεῖον, ἢ διὰ τὸ εἰκάσθαι αὐτῷ Ἄρεα ἐν τῇ συμβολῇ); Geneva Schol. Il. 1.69 (ἄριστος] ἐκ τοῦ Ἄρης, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν πόλεμον, γίνεται Ἄρευς Ἄρεος καὶ ἀρείων καὶ ἄριστος· κυρίως ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἀριστεύων, καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν πᾶσι πράγμασιν); Schol. Od. 5.442h Pontani (ἄριστος] ἤγουν ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ φανεὶς μέγας, ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἄρης ὁ πόλεμος); Schol. Pindarum, O. 1.1 (Τὸ ἄριστον ὑπερθετικὸν ὄνομα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρείων συγκριτικοῦ· τὸ δὲ ἀρείων παρὰ τὸ ἄρης, ὁ πόλεμος ......., ὁ ἐν πολέμοις ἰσχυρός); Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν, alpha 121 (τὸ ἄριστον ὄνομα ὑπερθετικὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρείων συγκριτικοῦ. τὸ δὲ ἀρείων παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν πόλεμον· κυρίως γὰρ ἀρείων ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ κρείττων)
Comment
The superlative ἄριστος, as the comparative ἀρείων, are derived from the theonym Ares. This etymology implies the distinction between a proper meaning "best in battle" and a more general meaning by extension "best" whatever the field.