ἀγαθός

See also: αγαθός

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀγασός (agasós) — Laconian
• ἀζαθός (azathós) — Arcadocypriot

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Hellenic *əgatʰós, from Proto-Indo-European *m̥ǵh₂dʰh₁ós (“made great; whose deeds are great”), from *méǵh₂s (“great”) + *dʰeh₁- (“do”) + *-ós. Compare Latin magnificus from same roots.

Beekes notes that if the glossing synonyms ἀκαθός (akathós) and χάσιος (khásios) are related to ἀγαθός (agathós), one would be forced to assume Pre-Greek borrowing instead.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.ɡa.tʰós/ → /a.ɣaˈθos/ → /a.ɣaˈθos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.ɡa.tʰós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.ɡaˈtʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/

Adjective

ᾰ̓γᾰθός • (agathós) m (feminine ᾰ̓γᾰθή, neuter ᾰ̓γᾰθόν); first/second declension

1. good, brave, noble, moral, gentle
2. fortunate, lucky
3. useful

Usage notes

The difference between the three most common comparatives/superlatives is the following:

• ἀμείνων (ameínōn), ἄριστος (áristos): stronger, braver, preferable, superior.
• βελτίων (beltíōn), βέλτιστος (béltistos): more fitting, morally superior.
• κρείσσων (kreíssōn), κράτιστος (krátistos): better, stronger.

Declension

First and second declension of ᾰ̓γᾰθός; ᾰ̓γᾰθή; ᾰ̓γᾰθόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓γᾰθός agathós	ᾰ̓γᾰθή agathḗ	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón		ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ agathā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ		ᾰ̓γᾰθοί agathoí	ᾰ̓γᾰθαί agathaí	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ agathá
Genitive		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῦ agathoû	ᾰ̓γᾰθῆς agathês	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῦ agathoû		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖν agathaîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn		ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν agathôn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν agathôn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν agathôn
Dative		ᾰ̓γᾰθῷ agathôi	ᾰ̓γᾰθῇ agathêi	ᾰ̓γᾰθῷ agathôi		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖν agathaîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν agathoîn		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖς agathoîs	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖς agathaîs	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖς agathoîs
Accusative		ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón	ᾰ̓γᾰθήν agathḗn	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón		ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ agathā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ		ᾰ̓γᾰθούς agathoús	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ς agathā́s	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ agathá
Vocative		ᾰ̓γᾰθέ agathé	ᾰ̓γᾰθή agathḗ	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν agathón		ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ agathā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ agathṓ		ᾰ̓γᾰθοί agathoí	ᾰ̓γᾰθαί agathaí	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ agathá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ᾰ̓γᾰθῶς / εὖ agathôs / eû				ᾰ̓γᾰθώτερος / ἀμείνων / ἀρείων / βελτίων / κρείττων / λῴων / φέρτερος agathṓteros / ameínōn / areíōn / beltíōn / kreíttōn / lṓiōn / phérteros				ᾰ̓γᾰθώτᾰτος / ἄριστος / βέλτιστος / κράτιστος / λῷστος / φέρτατος agathṓtatos / áristos / béltistos / krátistos / lôistos / phértatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• Αγαθάνωρ (Agathánōr)
• Ἀγάθαρχος (Agátharkhos)
• Ἀγαθή (Agathḗ)
• Ἀγαθήμερος (Agathḗmeros)
• ἀγαθοδαίμων (agathodaímōn)
• ἀγαθοεργέω (agathoergéō)
• Ἀγαθόκλεια (Agathókleia)
• Ἀγαθοκλῆς (Agathoklês)
• ἀγαθοποιέω (agathopoiéō)
• ἀγαθοποιΐα (agathopoiḯa)
• ἀγαθοποιός (agathopoiós)
• ἀγαθότης (agathótēs)
• Ἀγάθων (Agáthōn)
• ἀγαθωσύνη (agathōsúnē)
• Ἀνδράγαθος (Andrágathos)
• Ἀρχάγαθος (Arkhágathos)
• καλοκαγαθία (kalokagathía)

 

Descendants

• Greek: αγαθός (agathós)
• → Coptic: ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ (agathos)

Further reading

• “ἀγαθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀγαθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀγαθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀγαθός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• ἀγαθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἀγαθός in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “ἀγαθός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G18 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • admirable idem, page 12.
  • adroit idem, page 13.
  • bold idem, page 88.
  • brave idem, page 93.
  • courageous idem, page 178.
  • estimable idem, page 283.
  • excellent idem, page 288.
  • exemplary idem, page 290.
  • gallant idem, page 352.
  • good idem, page 366.
  • skilful idem, page 780.
  • virtuous idem, page 954.