1. to make beginning of a thing, with genitive, (Aeschulus Tragicus); ὁδοῦ κατάρχειν to lead the way, (Sophocles Tragicus):—; rarely with accusative to begin a thing, (Plato Philosophus):—;with participle to begin doing, (Xenophon Historicus)

2. to honour , (Euripides)

3. Mid. to make a beginning, to begin , like Act. with genitive, (Euripides); also with accusative, (Euripides): absolute, κατάρχεται μέλος is beginning , (Euripides)

4. in religious sense, to begin the sacrificial ceremonies , Νέστωρ χέρνιβά τt οὐλοχύτας τε κατήρχετο Nestor began [the sacrifice] with the washing of hands and sprinkling the barley on the victim's head, (Odyssey by Homer); κατάρχομαι I begin the function , (Euripides):—;with genitive, κατάρχεσθαι τοῦ τράγου to make a beginning of the victim, i. e. consecrate him for sacrifice by cutting off the hair of his forehead, (Aristophanes Comicus); πῶς δ᾽ αὖ κατάρξει θυμάτω; (Euripides)

5. to sacrifice, slay , (Euripides):—;Pass. σὸν κατῆρκται σῶμα hath been devoted , (Euripides)

6. simply, to strike , (Plutarch) (ML)