ἄρχω
Etym. pf. pass. ἦργμαι only in mid. sense
in pass. sense:— "to be first",
I. of Time, "to begin, make a beginning", both in Act. and Mid.:
1. c. gen. "to make a beginning of", πολέμοιο, μάχης, etc., Hom.; so Hdt. and attic:—Mid. also in a religious sense, like ἀπάρχεσθαι, ἀρχόμενος μελέων "beginning the sacrifice with" the limbs, Od.; ἄρχειν σπονδῶν Thuc.
2. c. gen. also "to begin from or with", ἐν σοὶ μὲν λήξω σέο δ᾽ ἄρξομαι Il.; so, ἄρχεσθαι ἔκ τινος Od.; ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ παιδίων "even" from boyhood, Hdt.
3. c. gen. rei et dat. pers., ἄρχ. θεοῖς δαιτός "to make preparations for a banquet to the gods", Il.; τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε id=Il., etc.
4. c. acc., ἄρχειν ὁδόν τινι, like Lat. praeire viam alicui, to shew him the way, Od.; absol. (sub. ὁδόν), "to lead the way", Hom.; then generally ἄρχειν τι Aesch., Soph.
5. c. inf. "to begin" to do a thing, Hom., etc.; c. part. of continued action or condition, ἦρχον χαλεπαίνων Il.; ἄρχ. διδάσκων Xen.
6. absol., ἄρχε "begin"! Hom.; ἄρχει ἡ ἐκεχειρία Thuc.; ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένωι, θέρους ἀρχομένου id=Thuc.
II. of Authority, "to lead, rule, govern", only in Act.:
1. c. gen. "to rule, be leader of..", τινός Hom., attic
2. c. dat. "to rule over", Hom., Aesch.
3. absol. "to rule, govern", id=Aesch.: esp. "to hold a subordinate office", ὁκοῖον εἴη ἄρχειν μετὰ τὸ βασιλεύειν Hdt.:—at Athens, "to be archon", Dem.; cf. ἄρχων.
4. Pass. "to be ruled, governed", Hdt., attic; οἱ ἀρχόμενοι "subjects", Xen.