commencement and duration

1) General subject: currency (чего-л.), period of validity (охранного документа), duration, validity, duration of validity, in-force period, effective date

2) American: TIME IN FORCE (соглашения)

3) Military: active life (мины и т.п.), expiration date, life cycle (чего-л.)

4) Law: currency, duration (договора, приказа и т. д.), duration (договора, приказа и т.д..), endurance, life, run of validity, continuance in effect, survival

5) Economy: period of availability (документа, удостоверени)

6) Insurance: tenure (страхового полиса)

7) Advertising: effective period

8) Patents: lifetime, term of validity

9) Business: period of validity, commencement and duration (в официальных договорах), effective term

10) SAP. life-span, validity period

11) Sakhalin energy glossary: length of validity (предложения), length of validity

12) Investment: effective duration

13) EBRD: tenor

14) Robots: action time

15) Cables: period of validity

16) Makarov: duration (какого-л. документа), term of validity (договора)

17) SAP.tech. maturity period, validity date

18) SAP.fin. required period of retention

dum, conj. [for dium, acc. from dius; cf. diu, Corss. Ausspr. 2, 856], denotes the temporal relation of two actions to cach other,

As contemporaneous, or,

As in immediate succession, so that with the commencement of one action the other ceases.

As contemporaneous.

Without respect to the limits of the two actions, while, whilst, during the time in which.

In gen., construed with the indicative, except in oratio obliqua, where the subjunctive was sometimes used. In Aug. poets and late prose the subjunctive often stands in oratio directa, v. the following).

Indic. praes.:

dum cum hac usuraria Uxore mihi nunc morigero, haec curata sint Fac sis,

Plaut. Am. 3, 3, 25; so id. Aul. 4, 2, 14; id. Bacch. 4, 7, 19; Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 11; Cic. Clu. 32 fin.; Verg. E. 3, 75; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 190 et saep.— In the praes. histor.:

dum haec loquimur, interea loci ad macellum ubi advenimus, etc.,

Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 24; id. Phorm. 5, 9, 18; Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 15; id. Div. in Caec. 17, 56:

dum haec geruntur, Caesari nuntiatum est, etc.,

Caes. B. G. 1, 46, 1; cf.

these forms of transition,

id. ib. 3, 17, 1; 4, 32, 1; 4, 34, 3; 5, 22, 1; 6, 7, 1; 7, 57, 1; id. B. C. 1, 56, 1; 2, 1, 1 et saep. dum ea conquiruntur et conferuntur, nocte intermissa circiter hominum milia VI ad Rhenum contenderunt, Caes. B. G. 1, 27, 4; cf. id. B. C. 1, 37, 1; id. ib. 1, 36, 1; Liv. 21, 7, 1; Verg. G. 4, 559.—In the imperf.:

dum haec in Appulia gerebantur, Samnites... urbem non tenuerunt,

Liv. 10, 36 fin.; 21, 53; 41, 14; Nep. Hann. 2, 4; Tac. Agr. 41; cf.:

dum is in aliis rebus erat occupatus,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 32, 91 —In the fut.; nunc animum advortite Dum argumentum hujus eloquar comoediae, Plaut. Am. prol. 96.—In the perf.:

dum Cyri et Alexandri similis esse voluit, Crassorum inventus est dissimillimus,

Cic. Brut. 81, 292; so id. Mur. 27, 55; id. Fin. 2, 13; id. Phil. 14, 12, 33; id. Att. 1, 16, 2; Nep. Reg. 2, 2 al.—In the pluperf.:

dum in unam partem oculos animosque hostium certamen averterat, pluribus locis scalis capitur murus,

Liv. 32, 24.—In the fut. perf.:

bellum ingens geret Italia... Tertia dum Latio regnantem viderit aestas,

Verg. A. 1, 265.—Prov.:

dum loqueris,

i. e. this instant, Petr. 99.—In the oratio obliqua: dic, hospes, Spartae, nos te hic vidisse jacentes, Dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur, Poëta ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 42, 101; Liv. 2, 57; 26, 16; Tac. A. 15, 59; id. H. 1, 33; Ov. M. 4, 776 et saep.—

Subj. In oratio obliqua:

dixisti, dum Planci in me meritum verbis extollerem, me arcem facere e cloaca,

Cic. Planc. 40; so id. de Or. 1, 41 fin.; id. Mur. 24; id. Att. 5, 17, 3; Sall. C. 7, 6; Tac. H. 4, 17 fin. al.—In oratio recta:

o quotiens ausae, caneret dum valle sub alta, Rumpere mugitu carmina docta boves,

Tib. 2, 3, 19:

dum intentus in eum se rex totus averteret, etc.,

Liv. 1, 40, 7:

dum ea in Samnio gererentur,

id. 10, 18, 1; Ov. Pont. 3, 3, 2; Verg. G. 4, 457; Mart. 1, 22, 1; Hirt. B. Hisp. 23; Aur. Vict. Vir. Ill. 35; id. Caes. 39; Hyg. Fab. 12 al.—

When the principal action is an immediate and sudden sequence of that described in [p. 618] the clause with dum, subito or repente is often used in the principal clause:

dum tempus teritur, repente milites, etc.,

Liv. 29, 9, 5: dum advenientes filia interrogat, repente in osculis, etc. Suet. Aug. 99:

dum Appium orno, subito sum factus accusatoris ejus socer,

Cic. Att. 6, 6, 1; Hirt. B. Afr. 61.—

When the actions are simply presented as contemporaneous, interea, jam or interea jam is often used in the principal clause:

dum haec mecum reputo, accersitur lavatum interea virgo,

Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 44; Cic. Quint. 6, 28:

dum ea Romani parant, jam Saguntum oppugnabatur,

Liv. 21, 7, 1; cf.

also: dum... interim,

Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 8; id. Men. 1, 3, 31; Liv. 21, 47, 7 al.—

Esp., of duration in the present, now, yet.

In combination with etiam primum, and esp. freq. with the negations non, nec, ne, haud, nihil, nullus, nemo, v. h vv.—

Colloq., as an enclitic with imperatives and interjections (by some separately written ades dum, abi dum, etc, but v. Ritschl, Opusc Phil p. 567 sq.), orig, acc of time, a moment, a second, a little Sosia adesdum, paucis te volo, Ter. And 1, 1, 2 abidum, id. Heaut. 2, 3, 8 circumspicedum, Plaut Trin. 1, 2, 109:

dicdum,

Ter. Hec 5, 3, 5 facitodum, id. Heaut 3, 2, 39 iteradum, Poëta ap. Cic. Att. 14, 14 jubedum, Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 7:

manedum,

id. Bacch. 4, 6, 24; Ter. Hec. 5, 4, 4:

memoradum,

Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 103:

tacedum,

id. Men. 2, 2, 73:

tangedum,

id. Rud. 3, 5, 5 al.:

agedum (most freq.),

id. Am. 2, 2, 151; 5, 1, 29; id. As. 4, 1, 1; 5, 1, 1 et saep. (for which, agidum, id. Trin. 2, 2, 89 Ritschl ad loc.); Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 27; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 69; id. Hec. 3, 1, 35; id. Phorm. 5, 3, 1; Cic. Sull. 26; Liv. 7, 9; 9, 16 al.; Cat. 63, 78; Stat. Th. 7, 126 al.:

agitedum,

Liv. 3, 62 Drak.; 5, 52; 7, 34 fin.:

cedodum,

Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 15:

ehodum,

id. And. 1, 2, 13; 2, 1, 24; 3, 5, 10; id. Eun. 2, 3, 68; also in Plaut. in enumerations: primumdum (= Gr. prôton men), Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 26; id. Most. 2, 1, 53; id. Trin. 1, 2, 61 al.—

With respect to the temporal limit of both actions, i. q. tamdiu quam or usque eo, as long as, while.

Lit. (with indic. when the duration of the action in the principal clause is alone implied, except in the oratio obliqua).—In praes.: bene factum a vobis, dum vivitis, non abscedet, Cato ap. Gell. 16, 1 fin.; so Cic. Lael. 4, 14; id. de Sen. 23, 86; id. Fin. 3, 2, 9; Caes. B. G. 7, 50 fin. al.—In fut.: quid illos opinamini animi habuisse atque habituros, dum vivent? Cato ap. Gell. 10, 13, 17; Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 103; Cic. Rosc. Am. 32 fin.; id. Leg. 1, 1, 2; Verg. A. 1, 607 sq. et saep.—

Subj., often, when the clause with dum expresses a desired end, or refers to an indefinite future:

non tibi venit in mentem, Si, dum vivas, tibi bene facias, etc.,

Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 76:

pars, dum vires suppeterent, eruptionem censebant,

Caes. B. G. 7, 77, 2:

ut sua sponte, dum sine periculo liceret, excederet Gadibus,

id. B. C. 2, 20, 3:

hoc unum esse tempus de pace agendi, dum sibi uterque confideret ut pares ambo viderentur,

id. ib. 3, 10, 7:

de quo (sc. animo) dum disputarem, tuam mihi dari vellem, Cotta, eloquentiam,

Cic. N. D. 2, 59, 147 Bait. (v. Roby, Gram. 2, 284 sq.). —

With tamdiu, tantum, tantummodo, tantisper, usque; or opp. postea, postquam, deinde, ubi, nunc, etc.—With tamdiu, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 3; id. Cat. 3, 7; id. de Sen. 12, 41; id. Tusc. 5, 33 fin.; id. Att. 9, 6, 5 al.—With tantum, Liv. 27, 42.—With tantummodo, Sall. J. 53, 3.—With tantisper, Plaut. Truc. prol. 11; Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 44; id. Heaut. 1, 1, 54.—With usque, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 5: dum... postea, id. Mur. 12, 26—dum... postea quam, Caes. B. G. 7, 82, 1; Cic. Rosc. Am. 43 fin. —dum... postquam, Sall. J. 53, 3; Liv. 21, 13; cf. Ter. And. 1, 1, 27—dum... deinde, Cic. Att. 9, 6, 5; Liv. 27, 42, 13—dum... sed ubi, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 37; Caes. B. C. 1, 51, 5—dum... nunc, Ter. And. 1, 2, 17; Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 11.—For tamdiu... dum, less freq. dum... dum, as long as... so long:

sic virgo dum intacta manet, dum cara suis,

Cat. 62, 45 and 56; cf. Quint. 9, 3, 16:

dum habeat, dum amet,

Plaut. Truc. 2, 1, 23 (al. tum).—

In Plautus repeatedly with an emphatic quidem, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 57; 5, 2, 20; id. Bacch. 2, 2, 48; id. Merc. 2, 3, 53; id. Ps. 1, 5, 92.—

Transf.

In conditional relations as a restrictive particle, like quatenus and duntaxat, so long as, if so be that, provided that, if only (so regularly connected with the subjunctive;

freq. in prose and poetry): dum pereas, nihil interduo aiant vivere,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 36: Ly. Concede, inspiciam quid sit scriptum. Cu. Maxime, Tuo arbitratu, dum auferam abs te id quod peto, id. Curc. 3, 58; cf.:

dum res maneant, verba fingant arbitratu suo,

Cic. Fin. 5, 29 fin.: oderint, dum metuant, Att. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 28, 97:

licet lascivire, dum nihil metuas,

Cic. Rep. 1, 40 et saep.; in the imperf.:

qui sese in cruciatum dari cuperet, dum de patris morte quaereretur,

id. Rosc. Am. 41, 119; Sall. C. 40, 4; id. J. 68, 3; Quint. 10, 1, 33: An. Non pudet vanitatis? Do. Minime, dum ob rem, Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 41;

so without a verb,

Cic. Fam. 7, 9; id. Ac. 2, 32, 104; Quint. 4, 1, 70; 9, 4, 58; 10, 3, 5; cf.:

dum eatenus,

id. 1, 11, 1.—

With an emphatic modo, and often in one word, dummodo:

aeque istuc facio dummodo Eam des, quae sit quaestuosa, etc.,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 189; id. Aul. 2, 2, 62; id. Mil. 2, 2, 98; Cic. Rep. 3, 3; id. Off. 3, 21; id. Cat. 1, 5; 9; Prop. 3, 17, 17 (4, 16, 17 M.); Ov. F. 5, 242 al.; cf.:

sin autem jejunitatem... dummodo sit polita, dum urbana, dum elegans, in Attico genere ponit, etc.,

Cic. Brut. 82, 285:

dummodo sit dives, barbarus ille placet,

Ov. A. A. 2, 276.—Separated by other words:

mea nil refert, dum patiar modo,

Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28:

certumst pati, dum illum modo habeam mecum,

id. Heaut. 3, 1, 57; Val. Fl. 5, 265.—

With tamen, and, in Plautus (cf. above, 1. c.), with quidem.—With tamen, Cic. de Or. 2, 77, 314; Cels. 3, 4; Quint. 1, 1, 11; 2, 12, 7; 8 prooem. § 32; Dig. 39, 22, 4.—With quidem, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 20; id. Aul. 2, 2, 34; cf. the foll. number.—

In negative conditional clauses, with ne, so long as not, provided that not, if only not:

VTEI. SENATVS. NOSTER. DECERNERET. DVM. NE. MINVS. SENATORIBVS. C. ADESENT., S. C. de Bac. (thrice): id faciat saepe, dum ne lassus fiat,

Cato, R. R. 5, 4; Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 137; cf. id. Bacch. 4, 8, 26; id. Curc. 1, 1, 36; Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 12; Cic. Att. 6, 1, 4; 8, 11, B fin.; Liv. 3, 21 Drak.; 28, 40; Ov. H. 3, 81.—So too, dummodo ne, Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 185; id. Fam. 10, 25, 2; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 7; id. Att. 12, 45 al.:

dum quidem ne,

Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 89.—

With a causal accessory notion, until, long enough for, etc (very rare, only with subjunctive) obsidio deinde per paucos dies magis quam oppugnatio fuit, dum vulnus ducis curaretur, Liv 21, 8; cf. id. 24, 40; Suet Aug. 78 fin. nam se quoque moveri finget, dum aditum sibi ad aures faciat, Quint. 4, 1, 46.

In immediate suceession, until, until that (with the subjunctive or the indicative, as the idea of aim or simply of time predominates; cf.

e.g.: quid dicam, quantus amor bestiarum sit in educandis custodiendisque iis, quae procreaverunt, usque ad eum finem, dum possint se ipsa defendere?

Cic. N. D. 2, 51 fin.:

ea mansit in condicione atque pacto usque ad eum finem, dum judices rejecti sunt,

id. Verr. 1, 6, 16; cf. Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 32; id. Eun. 1, 2, 126; Liv. 4, 21 fin.; 27, 42. Cicero generally, Caesar always employs the subjunctive).

Subj.:

is dum veniat, sedens ibi opperibere,

Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 14; cf.:

paulisper mane, dum edormiscat unum somnum,

id. Am. 2, 2, 64; cf. also Cic. Att. 7, 1, 4;

so with exspectare,

id. Lael. 13; Caes. B. G. 1, 11 fin.; 4, 13, 2; Liv. 3, 11 fin.: Tac. Or. 19 fin.; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 42; Luc. 5, 303 et saep.;

with morari,

Hirt. B. G. 8, 28; Liv. 4, 21 fin.; 22, 38 al.; cf. infra, b:

sic deinceps omne opus contexitur, dum justa muri altitudo expleatur,

Caes. B. G. 7, 23, 4; id. B. C. 1, 58, 4; cf.:

multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem Inferretque deos Latio,

Verg. A. 1, 5:

ut spatium intercedere posset, dum milites convenirent, legatis respondit, etc.,

Caes. B. G. 1, 7 fin.: Caesar ex eo tempore, dum ad flumen Varum veniatur, se frumentum daturum pollicetur, from that time until, etc., id. B. C. 1, 87, 1:

differant in tempus aliud, dum defervescat ira,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 36, 78 (cf. ib.:

dum se ipsi colligant): quippe qui moram temporis quaererent, dum Hannibal in Africam traiceret,

Liv. 30, 16 fin. et saep.—

Indic.:

tu hic nos, dum eximus, interea opperibere,

Ter. Heaut. 4, 7, 5;

so with opperiri,

Cic. Att. 10, 3;

with manere aliquem,

Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 28;

with exspectare,

id. Eun. 1, 2, 126;

with morari,

Liv. 27, 42; cf.:

causas innecte morandi, Dum pelago desaevit hiems,

Verg. A. 4, 52:

retine, dum ego huc servos evoco,

Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 89; cf.:

Tityre, dum redeo, pasce capellas,

Verg. E. 9, 23: struppis, quibus lectica deligata erat, usque adeo verberari jussit, dum animam efflavit, Gracch. ap. Gell. 10, 3, 5; cf. in the perf., Prop. 1, 3, 45; in the fut., id. 1, 14, 14. See Hand, Turs. II. pp. 303-330.

ἀρχή, ῆς, ἡ (Hom.+)

① the commencement of someth. as an action, process, or state of being, beginning, i.e. a point of time at the beginning of a duration.

ⓐ gener. (opp. τέλος; cp. Diod S 16, 1, 1 ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς μέχρι τοῦ τέλους; Ael. Aristid. 30, 24 K.=10 p. 123 D.: ἐξ ἀ. εἰς τέλος; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 9, §36; Wsd 7:18) B 1:6; IEph 14:1; IMg 13:1; IRo 1:2, cp. vs. 1. W. gen. foll. (OGI 458, 10 life) ἡμέρας ὀγδόης B 15:8; ἡμερῶν (2 Km 14:26) Hb 7:3; τῶν σημείων first of the signs J 2:11 (ἀ. τοῦ ἡμετέρου δόγματος Orig., C. Cels. 2, 4, 20; cp. Isocr., Paneg. 10:38 Blass ἀλλʼ ἀρχὴν μὲν ταύτην ἐποιήσατο τ. εὐεργεσιῶν, τροφὴν τοῖς δεομένοις εὑρεῖν=but [Athens] made this the starting point of her benefactions: to provide basic needs for livelihood; Pr 8:22; Jos., Ant. 8, 229 ἀ. κακῶν); ὠδίνων Mt 24:8; Mk 13:8; κακῶν ISm 7:2. As the beginning, i.e. initial account, in a book (Ion of Chios [V B.C.] 392 Fgm. 24 Jac. [=Leurini no. 114] ἀρχὴ τοῦ λόγου; Polystrat. p. 28; Diod S 17, 1, 1 ἡ βύβλος τὴν ἀ. ἔσχε ἀπὸ …; Ael. Aristid. 23, 2 K.=42 p. 768 D.: ἐπʼ ἀρχῇ τοῦ συγγράμματος; Diog. L. 3, 37 ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς Πολιτείας; cp. Sb 7696, 53; 58 [250 A.D.]) ἀ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰ. Χ. Beginning of the gospel of J. C. Mk 1:1 (cp. Hos 1:2 ἀ. λόγου κυρίου πρὸς Ὡσηέ; s. RHarris, Exp. 8th ser., 1919, 113–19; 1920, 142–50; 334–50; FDaubanton, NThSt 2, 1919, 168–70; AvanVeldhuizen, ibid., 171–75; EEidem, Ingressen til Mkevangeliet: FBuhl Festschr. 1925, 35–49; NFreese, StKr 104, ’32, 429–38; AWikgren, JBL 61, ’42, 11–20 [ἀρχή=summary]; LKeck, NTS 12, ’65/66, 352–70). ἀ. τῆς ὑποστάσεως original commitment Hb 3:14. ἀρχὴν ἔχειν w. gen. of the inf. begin to be someth. IEph 3:1. ἀρχὴν λαμβάνειν begin (Polyb.; Aelian, VH 2, 28; 12, 53; Diog. L., Prooem. 3, 4; Sext. Emp., Phys. 1, 366; Philo, Mos. 1, 81) λαλεῖσθαι to be proclaimed at first Hb 2:3; cp. IEph 19:3.—W. prep. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς from the beginning (Paus. 3, 18, 2; SIG 741, 20; UPZ 160, 15 [119 B.C.]; BGU 1141, 44; JosAs 23:4; Jos., Ant. 8, 350; 9, 30) J 6:64 v.l.; 15:27; 1J 2:7, 24; 3:11; 2J 5f; Ac 26:4; MPol 17:1; Hs 9, 11, 9; Dg 12:3. οἱ ἀπʼ ἀ. αὐτόπται those who fr. the beginning were eyewitnesses Lk 1:2. Also ἐξ ἀρχῆς (Diod. Sic. 18, 41, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 45 [189]; SIG 547, 9; 634, 4; UPZ 185 II 5; PGen 7, 8; BGU 1118, 21; Jos., Bell. 7, 358) J 6:64; 16:4; 1 Cl 19:2; Pol 7:2; Dg 2:1. πάλιν ἐξ ἀ. (Ael. Aristid. 21, 10 K.=22 p. 443 D.; SIG 972, 174) again fr. the beginning (=afresh, anew; a common expr., Renehan ’75, 42) B 16:8. ἐν ἀρχῇ (Diod S 19, 110, 5; Palaeph. p. 2, 3; OGI 56, 57; PPetr II, 37, 2b verso, 4; PTebt 762, 9; POxy 1151, 15; BGU 954, 26; ViHab 14 [p. 87, 4 Sch.]) at the beginning, at first Ac 11:15; AcPlCor 2:4. ἐν ἀ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου when the gospel was first preached Phil 4:15; sim., word for word, w. ref. to beg. of 1 Cor: 1 Cl 47:2.—τὴν ἀ. J 8:25, as nearly all the Gk. fathers understood it, is emphatically used adverbially=ὅλως at all (Plut., Mor. 115b; Dio Chrys. 10 [11], 12; 14 [31], 5; 133; Lucian, Eunuch. 6 al.; Ps.-Lucian, Salt. 3; POxy 472, 17 [c. 130 A.D.]; Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 121; Jos., Ant. 1, 100; 15, 235 al.; as a rule in neg. clauses, but the negation can inhere in the sense: 48th letter of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 356, 17]; Philo, Abrah. 116, Decal. 89; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 6, 11; without art. ApcSed 10:3; cp. Hs 2:5 cj. by W., endorsed by Joly; s. Field, Notes, 93f) τὴν ἀ. ὅτι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν (how is it) that I even speak to you at all? But s. B-D-F §300, 2. More prob. the mng. is somewhat as follows: What I said to you from the first (so NT in Basic English; sim. REB et al.; cp. τὴν ἀρχήν ‘at the beginning’ Thu 2, 74, 2; s. also RFunk, HTR 51, ’58, 95–100; B-D-F §300, 2, but appeal to P⁶⁶ is specious, s. EMiller, TZ 36, ’80, 261).

ⓑ beginning, origin in the abs. sense (ἀ. τῆς τῶν πάντων ὑποστάσεως Orig. C. Cels. 6, 65, 4) ἀ. πάντων χαλεπῶν Pol 4:1; ἀ. κακῶν ISm 7:2 (cp. 1 Ti 6:10, which has ῥίζα for ἀ., and s. e.g. Ps 110:10; Sir 10:13); ἀ. κόσμου B 15:8; ἀ. πάντων PtK 2, p. 13, 21. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς fr. the very beginning (Is 43:13; Wsd 9:8; 12:11; Sir 24:9 al.; PsSol 8:31; GrBar 17:2) Mt 19:4, 8; J 8:44; 1J 1:1 (of the Hist. beg. of Christianity: HWendt, D. Johannesbriefe u. d. joh. Christent. 1925, 31f; HWindisch, Hdb. ad loc.; difft. HConzelmann, RBultmann Festschr., ’54, 194–201); 3:8; 2 Th 2:13; ὁ ἀπʼ ἀ. 1J 2:13f; Dg 11:4; οἱ ἀπʼ ἀ. those at the very beginning, the first people 12:3; τὰ ἀπʼ ἀ. γενόμενα 1 Cl 31:1; ἀπʼ ἀ. κτίσεως Mk 10:6; 13:19; 2 Pt 3:4 (on ἀ. κτίσεως cp. En 15:9); ἀπʼ ἀ. κόσμου Mt 24:21. Also ἐξ ἀ. (X., Mem. 1, 4, 5; Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D. [of the existence of Zeus]; TestAbr A 15 p. 96, 11 [Stone p. 40]; B 4 p. 109, 7 [St. p. 66]; Ath., R. 16, p. 67, 18; Philo, Aet. M. 42, Spec. Leg. 1, 300; Did., Gen. 50, 1) Dg 8:11; ἐν ἀ. in the beginning (Simplicius in Epict. p. 104, 2; Did., Gen. 29, 25 al.) J 1:1f; ἐν ἀ. τῆς κτίσεως B 15:3. κατʼ ἀρχάς in the beg. Hb 1:10 (Ps 101:26; cp. Hdt. 3, 153 et al.; Diod S; Plut.; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 92, Det. Pot. Insid. 118; Ps 118:152; Just., D. 2, 3).

② one with whom a process begins, beginning fig., of pers. (Gen 49:3 Ῥουβὴν σὺ ἀρχὴ τέκνων μου; Dt 21:17): of Christ Col 1:18. W. τέλος of God or Christ Rv 1:8 v.l.; 21:6; 22:13 (Hymn to Selene 35 ἀ. καὶ τέλος εἶ: Orphica p. 294, likew. PGM 4, 2836; 13, 362; 687; Philo, Plant. 93; Jos., Ant. 8, 280; others in Rtzst., Poim. 270ff and cp. SIG 1125, 7–11 Αἰών, … ἀρχὴν μεσότητα τέλος οὐκ ἔχων, expressed from the perspective of historical beginning).

③ the first cause, the beginning (philos. t.t. ODittrich, D. Systeme d. Moral I 1923, 360a, 369a;—Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D.: ἀρχὴ ἁπάντων Ζεύς τε καὶ ἐκ Διὸς πάντα; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 190 God as ἀρχὴ κ. μέσα κ. τέλος τῶν πάντων [contrast SIG 1125, 10f]) of Christ ἡ ἀ. τῆς κτίσεως Rv 3:14; but the mng. beginning=‘first created’ is linguistically probable (s. above 1b and Job 40:19; also CBurney, Christ as the Ἀρχή of Creation: JTS 27, 1926, 160–77). [ὁ γὰ]ρ π̣̄ρ̣̄ (=πατὴρ) [ἀρ]|χή ἐ[ς]τ̣[ιν τῶν μ]ελλόν|των for the Father is the source of all who are to come into being in contrast to the προπάτωρ, who is without a beginning Ox 1081, 38f (SJCh 91, 1 ἀρχή; on the context, s. WTill, TU 60/5, ’55 p. 57).

④ a point at which two surfaces or lines meet, corner (from the perspective of an observer the object appears to begin at that point), pl. corners of a sheet Ac 10:11; 11:5 (cp. Hdt. 4, 60; Diod S 1, 35, 10).

⑤ a basis for further understanding, beginning τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀ. elementary principles Hb 5:12 (perh. w. an element of gentle satire: ‘the discrete items or ABC’s that compose the very beginning [of divine instructions]’; cp. MKiley, SBLSP 25, ’86, 236–45, esp. 239f). ὁ τῆς ἀ. τοῦ Χ. λόγος elementary Christian teaching 6:1.

⑥ an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority (Aeschyl., Thu. et al.; ins; pap, e.g. PHal 1, 226 μαρτυρείτω ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ δικαστηρίῳ; Gen 40:13, 21; 41:13; 2 Macc 4:10, 50 al., s. Magie 26; so as a loanw. in rabb. ἀ. = νόμιμος ἐπιστασία Did., Gen. 60, 9) w. ἐξουσία Lk 20:20; pl. (Oenomaus in Eus., PE 6, 7, 26 ἀρχαὶ κ. ἐξουσίαι; 4 Macc 8:7; Jos., Ant. 4, 220) Lk 12:11; Tit 3:1; MPol 10:2 (αἱ ἀρχαί can also be the officials as persons, as those who took part in the funeral procession of Sulla: Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 106 §497.—The same mng. 2, 106 §442; 2, 118 §498 al. Likewise Diod S 34+35 Fgm. 2, 31).—Also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization (Damascius, Princ. 96 R.) Ro 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15; AcPl Ha 1, 7. Cp. TestJob 49, 2; Just., D. 120, 6 end.

⑦ the sphere of one’s official activity, rule, office (Diod S 3, 53, 1; Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 13 §57; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 177, Ant. 19, 273), or better domain, sphere of influence (Diod S 17, 24, 2; Appian, Syr. 23 §111; Arrian, Anab. 6, 29, 1; Polyaen. 8:55; Procop. Soph., Ep. 139) of angels Jd 6. Papias (4 v.l. for ἄρχω).—S. the lit. on ἄγγελος and HSchlier, Mächte u. Gewalten im NT: ThBl 9, 1930, 289–97.—144–50 (‘Archai’). EDNT. DELG s.v. ἄρχω D. M-M. TW. Sv.