αἱρέω The forms εἷλον etc. come from the stem ἑλ-. Act. to take with the hand, grasp, αἱρ. τι ἐν χερσίν, μετὰ χερσίν to take a thing in hand, Od.; αἱρ. χερσὶ δόρυ Il.; αἱρ, τινὰ χειρός to take one by the hand, Il.:—part. ἑλών is sometimes used as adv., by force, Soph. to take away, Hom. to take by force, to take a city, Il., etc.; to overpower, kill, Hom., etc.:—often of passions, etc., to seize, Hom., etc.:—to conquer (in a race), Il. to take, catch, as in hunting, in good sense, to win over, Xen., etc.:—c. part. to catch or detect one doing a thing, Soph. to win, gain, κῦδος Il.; of the public games, Simon., etc. as Attic law-term, to convict a person of a thing, τινά τινος Ar., etc.: also c. part., αἱρεῖν τινὰ κλέπτοντα to convict of theft, Ar.; ἡιρῆσθαι κλοπεύς (sc. ὤν) Soph.; τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ὃ ἐμὲ αἱρήσει Plat. ὁ λόγος αἱρέει, Lat. ratio evincit, reason proves, Hdt. Mid. to take for oneself, Hom., etc.; αἱρ. δόρπον, δεῖπνον to take oneʼs supper, Hom.:—so in most senses of Act. to choose, Hom.: to take in preference, prefer one thing to another, τι πρό τινος Hdt.; τι ἀντί τινος Xen.; also, τί τινος Soph.; τι μᾶλλον ἢ . . , or μᾶλλόν τινος Attic:—c. inf. to prefer to do, Hdt., etc. αἱρεῖσθαι τά τινος or τινά to take anotherʼs part, join his party, Hdt., etc. to choose by vote, elect to an office, Plat., etc. Pass. to be taken, Hdt.; but ἁλίσκομαι is used in Attic for Pass. as Pass. to the mid. sense, to be chosen, in perf. ᾕρημαι (which is also mid.), Hdt., Attic