στρατηγέω

Forms

στρᾰτηγέω (stratēgéō) ^[1] Doric στρατᾱγέω, Aeolic στροτᾱγέω.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek στρατηγός (stratēgós, “general”) + -έω (-éō).^[1][4] The noun is a compound of στρατός (stratós, “army”) and ἄγω (ágō, “to lead”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Aeschylus' Eumenides uses it with a dative of those led.^[2][5] Herodotus and Euripides use it for being a general.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Athens it meant above all to hold the office of στρατηγός (stratēgós), one of the elected generals, and Aristophanes, Thucydides and the orators use it so, and Aristotle notes that eligibility could depend on property.^[2][4] With the genitive it meant to command an army, a fleet or a place.^[2][4]

The title spread with the institutions: in Ptolemaic Egypt the verb meant to hold the office of strategos, and Polybius uses it for the Roman consulship, Plutarch more often for the praetorship.^[2][4] The middle came to mean to use a stratagem, to outmanoeuvre an enemy.^[4][3] Xenophon uses it figuratively of Fortune taking command, and Theophrastus of a money-lender lording it over the market traders.^[4] The Septuagint uses it twice, in 2 Maccabees, for commanding.^[6]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it for leading as a general.^[2][5][7]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it with the genitive for commanding an army.^[2][4][7]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it for holding the Athenian generalship.^[2][4][7]
• 3rd century BC – Papyri use it for the office of strategos in Egypt.^[2]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for being a Roman consul.^[2][4][7]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it for being a Roman praetor.^[2][4][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To be a general, military commander.^[2][4]
2. To command (an army, a fleet, a place: genitive; troops: dative).^[2][4]
3. (Athens) To hold the office of στρατηγός (stratēgós).^[2][4]
4. (Egypt) To hold the office of strategos of a district.^[2]
5. (Rome) To be consul; to be praetor.^[2][4]
6. (middle) To use a stratagem, outmanoeuvre.^[4][3]
7. (passive) To serve under a general; to be commanded.^[4]

Related words

• στρατηγία (stratēgíā)
• στρατός (stratós)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
5. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
7. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge