# ἀριστεύω
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* ἀριστέω (aristéō) — Byzantine

### Etymology 1

From ἀριστεύς (aristeús, the best man, the bravest man) +‎ -εύω (-eúō, suffix forming denominative verbs).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /a.ris.těu̯.ɔː/ → /a.risˈte.βo/ → /a.risˈte.vo/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /a.ris.těu̯.ɔː/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /a.risˈte.wo/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /a.risˈte.βo/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /a.risˈte.vo/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /a.risˈte.vo/

#### Verb

ἀριστεύω • (aristeúō)
* to be superlative in quality, to be the best or finest; to be outstanding or preeminent; to be excellent, to excel; (especially): to excel in valor, to be the bravest
    Synonyms: ὑπερέχω (huperékhō), ὑπερβάλλω (huperbállō)
** 479 BCE – 424 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound , Line 890:Χορός: ἦ σοφὸς ἦ σοφὸς ἦν ὃς / πρῶτος ἐν γνώμᾳ τόδ᾽ ἐβάστασε καὶ γλώσ- / σᾳ διεμυθολόγησεν, / ὡς τὸ κηδεῦσαι καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἀριστεύει μακρῷ, / καὶ μήτε τῶν πλούτῳ διαθρυπτομένων / μήτε τῶν γέννᾳ μεγαλυνομένων / ὄντα χερνήταν ἐραστεῦσαι γάμων.Chorus: Ah, sage, sage indeed, was he who first pondered this truth in his mind and with his tongue gave it utterance— that to marry in one's own class is far the best—a poor man should not desire to marry among those who are pampered by riches, or who are mighty in pride of birth.
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad , Book 6. Line 460:...καί ποτέ τις εἴπῃσιν ἰδὼν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαν: / Ἕκτορος ἥδε γυνὴ ὃς ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι / Τρώων ἱπποδάμων ὅτε Ἴλιον ἀμφεμάχοντο....kaí poté tis eípēisin idṑn katà dákru khéousan: / Héktoros hḗde gunḕ hòs aristeúeske mákhesthai / Trṓōn hippodámōn hóte Ílion amphemákhonto....and some man shall say as he beholdeth thee weeping: “Lo, the wife of Hector, that was pre-eminent in war above all the horse-taming Trojans, in the day when men fought about Ilios.” (Translation of A.T. Murray, 1924) or ...then someone seeing you as you weep may well say: ‘That woman is Hector’s wife. He was the finest warrior in battle of all horse-taming Trojans in that war when they fought for Troy.’ (Translation of Ian Johnston, ca. 1975)
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad , Book 11. Line 784:Πηλεὺς μὲν ᾧ παιδὶ γέρων ἐπέτελλ᾽ Ἀχιλῆϊ αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν καὶ ὑπείροχον ἔμμεναι ἄλλων...Peleus bade his son Achilles always to excel in valor, and to be pre-eminent above all others...
** 430 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.112:Ταῦτα εἶπε, καὶ μεταυτίκα συνέμισγε τὰ στρατόπεδα πεζῇ καὶ νηυσί. Νηυσὶ μέν νυν Ἴωνες ἄκροι γενόμενοι ταύτην τὴν ἡμέρην ὑπερεβάλοντο τοὺς Φοίνικας, καὶ τούτων Σάμιοι ἠρίστευσαν: πεζῇ δέ, ὡς συνῆλθε τὰ στρατόπεδα, συμπεσόντα ἐμάχοντο.Taûta eîpe, kaì metautíka sunémisge tà stratópeda pezêi kaì nēusí. Nēusì mén nun Íōnes ákroi genómenoi taútēn tḕn hēmérēn huperebálonto toùs Phoínikas, kaì toútōn Sámioi ērísteusan: pezêi dé, hōs sunêlthe tà stratópeda, sumpesónta emákhonto.This, then, was his response, and immediately afterwards war broke out on land and sea. The Ionians in their ships, displaying surpassing excellence that day, overcame the Phoenicians, and it was the Samnians who were most brave. On land, when the armies met, they charged and fought.
* to be victorious: to win, to win out, to prevail, to triumph; to conquer, to vanquish; to gain the highest distinction, to gain the prize for valor
    Synonym: νῑκάω (nīkáō)
** 430 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.144:Ἑτέρη τε Θεμιστοκλέι γνώμη ἔμπροσθε ταύτης ἐς καιρὸν ἠρίστευσε, ὅτε Ἀθηναίοισι γενομένων χρημάτων μεγάλων ἐν τῷ κοινῷ, τὰ ἐκ τῶν μετάλλων σφι προσῆλθε τῶν ἀπὸ Λαυρείου, ἔμελλον λάξεσθαι ὀρχηδὸν ἕκαστος δέκα δραχμάς: τότε Θεμιστοκλέης ἀνέγνωσε Ἀθηναίους τῆς διαιρέσιος ταύτης παυσαμένους νέας τούτων τῶν χρημάτων ποιήσασθαι διηκοσίας ἐς τὸν πόλεμον, τὸν πρὸς Αἰγινήτας λέγων.Hetérē te Themistokléi gnṓmē émprosthe taútēs es kairòn ērísteuse, hóte Athēnaíoisi genoménōn khrēmátōn megálōn en tôi koinôi, tà ek tôn metállōn sphi prosêlthe tôn apò Laureíou, émellon láxesthai orkhēdòn hékastos déka drakhmás: tóte Themistokléēs anégnōse Athēnaíous tês diairésios taútēs pausaménous néas toútōn tôn khrēmátōn poiḗsasthai diēkosías es tòn pólemon, tòn pròs Aiginḗtas légōn.The advice of Themistocles had prevailed on a previous occasion. The revenues from the mines at Laurium1 had brought great wealth into the Athenians' treasury, and when each man was to receive ten drachmae for his share, Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to make no such division but to use the money to build two hundred ships for the war, that is, for the war with Aegina. (Translation of A. E. Godley)

##### Descendants

* > Greek: αριστεύω (aristévo) (inherited)

### Etymology 2

From ᾱ̓́ρῑστον (ā́rīston, early meal; breakfast, lunch) +‎ -εύω (-eúō, suffix forming denominative verbs)
* (Byzantine) to eat breakfast or lunch

### Further reading

* “ἀριστεύω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* ἀριστεύω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* ἀριστεύω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* ἀριστεύω in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
* ἀριστεύω in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
* “ἀριστεύω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “ἀριστεύω”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
* Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited. champion idem, page 123.distinguish idem, page 241.meed idem, page 522.palm idem, page 590.prize idem, page 642.