κορυφή

κορῠφ-ή, ἡ, ([etym.] κόρυς)

A head, top: hence,

1 crown, top of the head, of a horse, Il.8.83, X.Eq.1.11; of a man or god, h.Ap.309, Pi.O.7.36, Hdt.4.187, Sammelb.6003.8 (iv A. D.): between βρέγμα and ἰνίον, Arist.HA491a34;

τὸ ὀστέον τῆς κ. Hp.VC2

.

2 top, peak of a mountain (so mostly Hom.),

οὔρεος ἐν κορυφῇς Il.2.456

;

ὄρεος κορυφῇσι 3.10

, cf. Alcm.60.1;

κορυφαὶ γαίας B.5.24

;

κ. Οὐλύμποιο Il.1.499

, cf. Ar.Nu.270;

Αἴτνας μελάμφυλλοι κορυφαί Pi.P.1.27

;

τηλαυγέ' ἀγ κορυφάν Id.Pae.7.12

;

κ. πόληος Alc.Supp.17.6

;

ἀστρογείτονας κ. A.Pr.722

, cf. Hdt.4.49, 181, 9.99.

3 generally, summit, top, κατὰ κορυφὴν ἐσβαλεῖν ἐς τὴν κάτω Μακεδονίαν straight over the summit, ridge, Th.2.99, cf. IG42(1).71.11 (Epid., iv B. C.), OGI383.125 (Nemrud Dagh, i B. C.); κατὰ κ. [τῆς στήλης] ἔσφαττον (sc. ταύρους) Pl.Criti.119e; ἵσταται κατὰ κ. ὁ ἥλιος in the zenith, Plu.2.938a; τὸ κατὰ κ., with or without σημεῖον, the zenith, Gem.5.64, etc., cf. Plu.Mar.11, Procl.Hyp.4.59; ταῖς τῶν κατὰ κ. λίθων ἐμβολαῖς by the stones falling vertically, Plb.8.7.3.

4 apex, vertex of a triangle, Id.2.14.8; of the Delta, Pl.Ti.21e; point of an angle,

τὸ ἐπὶ τὴν κ. μέρος Plb.1.26.16

, etc.; apex of a cone, Arist.Mete.362b3; κατὰ κορυφήν vertically opposite, of angles, Euc.1.15; of halves of double cone, Apollon. Perg.1 Def.

5 extremity, tip, κορυφαὶ [κλημάτων], τῶν συγκυπτῶν, Thphr.CP3.14.8, Ath.Mech.22.8; in Anatomy, the os coccygis, Poll. 2.183: in pl., finger-tips, Ruf.Onom.85, cf. Poll.2.146: Medic., of an abscess, ἐς κορυφὴν ἀνισταμένης ἀποστάσιος coming to a head, Aret. SA1.7.

II metaph., λόγων κορυφαί the sum of all his words, Pi.O.7.69, cf. Pae.8.23;

ἔρχομαι ἐπὶ τὴν κ. ὧν εἴρηκα Pl.Cra.415a

; but λόγων κ. ὀρθάν true sense of legends, Pi.P.3.80; κορυφὰς ἑτέρας ἑτέρῃσι προσάπτων μύθων springing from peak to peak, i.e. treating a subject disconnectedly, Emp.24; κ. ὁ λόγος ἐπιθεὶς ἑαυτῷ having reached its conclusion, put the finishing touch to itself, Plu.2.975a; κ. τοῦ κακοῦ height, full development of . . , Aret.SD1.6; τοῦ πάθεος κ. ἴσχοντος ib.1.16.

2 height, excellence of . . , i.e. the choicest, best,

κορυφαὶ πολίων Pi.N.1.15

; κ. ἀρετᾶν ib.34, cf. O.1.13; κ. ἀέθλων, of the Olympic games, Id.O.2.13, cf. N.9.9;

φιάλαν . . πάγχρυσον κ. κτεάνων Id.O.7.4

; ὁ καιρὸς παντὸς ἔχει κορυφάν is the best of all, Id.P.9.79.

3 κορυφᾷ Διὸς εἰ κρανθῇ πρᾶγμα his head, i.e. his nod, A. Supp.92.

4 ἡ τῆς οἰκουμένης κ., of Rome, Lib.Or.59.19.