ἀρχή
Etym. ἄρχω
I. "a beginning, origin, first cause", Hom., etc.:—with Preps. ἐξ ἀρχῆς ῀ ἀρχῆθεν, "from the beginning, from of old", Od., attic; ἐξ ἀρχῆς πάλιν "anew, afresh", Ar.:—so, ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς Hdt., Trag.:— κατ᾽ ἀρχάς "in the beginning, at first", Hdt.:—absol. in acc. ἀρχήν, "to begin with, first", id=Hdt.; ἀρχὴν οὐ "absolutely" not, not "at all", Lat. omnino non, id=Hdt., attic; with numerals, ἀρχὴν ἑπτά "in all", Hdt.
2. "the end, corner", of a bandage, rope, sheet, id=Hdt., Eur., NTest.
II. "the first place or power, sovereignty, dominion, command", Hdt., attic; c. gen. rei, ἀρχὴ τῶν νεῶν, τῆς θαλάσσης Thuc., etc.
2. "a sovereignty, empire, realm", Hdt., Thuc.
3. in Prose, "a magistracy, office", Hdt., attic:—also "a term of office", τὴν ἐνιαυσίαν ἀρχήν Thuc.:—these offices were commonly obtained in two ways, χειροτονητή by election, κληρωτή by lot, Aeschin.
4. in pl., αἱ ἀρχαί (as we say) ""the authorities, "" i. e. "the magistrates", Thuc., etc.