ἥσσων, ἧσσον, gen. ονοσ; Att. ἥττων, Ion. ἥσσων (not ἕσσων) Hdt. (v. infr.), Democr.50, Hp.VC2: formed from ἦκα (prop. ἠσσ-, cf. ἤκιστοσ), but in sense Comp. of κακός, μικρόσ: I. c. gen. pers.,
inferior
; esp. in force,
weaker
, αἴθ' ὅσον ἥ. εἰμὶ τόσον σέο φέρτερος εἴηνIl.16.722; of horses, 23.322, al.; ῥώμῃ ἥσσονες τῶν ΠερσέωνHdt.8 113, cf. 9.62; γυναικῶν ἥσσονεσS.Ant.680; ΚύπριδοσE.Andr.631; ἔς τι in a thing, Hdt.3.102: c. inf. modi, ἥσς. τινὸς θέειν
not so good
at running, ib.105; οὐδενὸς ἥσς. γνῶναι
second
to none in judging, Th.2.60; ἱππεύειν ἥττ. τῶν ἡλίκων
inferior
to them in riding, X.Cyr. 1.3.15. 2. abs., οἱ ἥσσ.
the weaker party
, A.Supp.203, 489; οὐχ ἥσσους γενέσθαι to have the best of it, Th.4.72; τὸ λαμβάνειν τὰ τῶν ἡττ. X.An.5.6.32: c. dat. modi, ἥσσονες ναυμαχίῃHdt.5.86: c. acc. modi, τὸν νοῦν ἥσσ. S.El.1023, cf. X.Cyr.1.4.4; of things, τὸν ἥττω λόγον κρείττω ποιεῖν 'to make
the worse
appear the better cause', Pl.Ap.18b, cf. Ar.Nu.114: pl., οἱ ἥττους λόγοι ib.1042, Isoc.15.15; τὸ ἧσς. ἀδικία νέμεισE.Supp.379 (lyr.). b.
less, fewer
, ἵνα πλείω μὲν ἀκούωμεν, ἥττονα δὲ λέγωμενZeno Stoic.1.68. II. c. gen. rei,