κράτος Ancient Greek · revision 2241

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Homer, Iliad|origins=ine-pro *kret-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /krá.tos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈkra.tos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈkra.tos/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''κρᾰ́τος''' (krátos) ''n'' (genitive κρᾰ́τους); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Epic and Ionic κάρτος, Aeolic κρέτος.^(Beekes 2010)^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ine-pro|*krét-os]], from the root [[m|ine-pro|*kret-|t=strength]].^(Wiktionary)^(Beekes 2010) The Aeolic κρέτος keeps the old full grade, while κράτος took its vowel from the adjective [[κρατύς|tr=kratús|t=strong]], which had the zero grade *kr̥t-.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(van Beek 2022)^(Πάπυρος) According to van Beek, Homeric κάρτος is an artificial form of the epic language: the dative κάρτεϊ replaced the metrically awkward κράτεϊ, on the model of the pair [[καρτερός|tr=karterós]] beside [[κρατερός|tr=kraterós]], and a new nominative followed.^(van Beek 2022)

+

+ No exact match is found in the other Indo-European languages.^(Beekes 2010) The closest are Sanskrit [[m|sa|क्रतु|tr=krátu-|t=power, mind, will]] and its Avestan counterpart, meaning “mind, will”.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) Frisk notes that their mental sense is no obstacle, since Old English [[m|ang|cræft]] means both strength and skill.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary) The Germanic word for “hard”, Gothic [[m|got|𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃|tr=hardus]] and English [[m|en|hard]], is often connected, although its vowel does not match.^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Homer it is mainly bodily strength: a warrior was killed “by guile, not by strength”, and youth has its flower, “which is the greatest strength”.^(LSJ 1940)^(Cunliffe 1924) It is also the might of the gods, especially Zeus, “whose power is greatest”, and authority, as in “his is the power in the house”.^(LSJ 1940)^(Cunliffe 1924)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Greek κατὰ κράτος meant “with all one's might”, and a city taken κατὰ κράτος was taken by storm.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) Hesiod and Aeschylus personify Might: Kratos and Bia (Force) appear in the ''Prometheus''.^(CGL 2021)^(LSJ 1940) Above all it became political power and sovereignty: Alcaeus has Aeolic κρέτος of a man seeking supreme power, Herodotus speaks of handing power to the people, and Sophocles of tyrannical power.^(LSJ 1940) Thucydides says “great is the power of the sea”.^(Πάπυρος)

+

+ The Septuagint and the New Testament use it for the might of God.^(Lust 2003)^(BDAG 2000) Medieval vernacular Greek used it for strength, authority, government and dominion, and as a form of address to rulers, “your Might”.^(Kriaras)

+

+ In Modern Greek [[m|el|κράτος|tr=krátos]] means the state, as a learned equivalent of French ''état'' and German ''Staat'';^(Triantafyllidis 1998) κατά κράτος means “completely”, as in a total defeat.^(Πάπυρος) Its compounds gave English words in ''-cracy''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'' use it for bodily strength and for the might of Zeus.^(LSJ 1940)^(Cunliffe 1924)

+ * Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod personifies Might.^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ * 7th–6th century BC – Alcaeus uses κρέτος for supreme political power.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus brings Kratos on stage in the ''Prometheus''.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 5th century BC – Herodotus speaks of giving power to the people.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 5th century BC – Thucydides uses κατὰ κράτος for taking a city by storm.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 1100–1669 – Medieval vernacular Greek uses it as a form of address to rulers.^(Kriaras)

+ * Modern Greek – It means the state.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|strength]], might, especially bodily strength.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # κατὰ κράτος, with all one's might; by storm.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Might, [[m|en|power]], authority, especially of the gods.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(personified)'' Might.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Political power, rule, [[m|en|sovereignty]].^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Victory, mastery.^(Frisk 1960)

+ # ''(Homer)'' Of a bird of omen, its force as a sign.^(Cunliffe 1924)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ἀκρατής|tr=akratḗs]]

+ * [[αὐτοκρατής|tr=autokratḗs]]

+ * [[ἐγκρατής|tr=enkratḗs]]

+ * [[ἐπικρατής|tr=epikratḗs]]

+ * [[κάρτα|tr=kárta]]

+ * [[κραταιός|tr=krataiós]]

+ * [[κρατερός|tr=kraterós]]

+ * [[κρατέω|tr=kratéō]]

+ * [[κρατύς|tr=kratús]]

+ * [[παγκρατής|tr=pankratḗs]]

+ * [[πολυκρατής|tr=polukratḗs]]

+ * [[κρείσσων|tr=kreíssōn]]

+ * [[κράτιστος|tr=krátistos]]

+ * [[αὐτοκράτωρ|tr=autokrátōr]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|aristocracy]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Byzantine grammarians derived κράτος from [[κάρα|tr=kára|t=head]] or from [[κραίνω|tr=kraínō|t=to accomplish]].^(Etygram)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}