κατά

All prepositions

κατά down (cp. κάτω), opposed to ἀνά. With the genitive (the genitive proper (of the goal) and the ablatival genitive) and the accusative. With the genitive, the motion is perpendicular; with the accusative, horizontal.

1. κατά with the Genitive

a. Local: down from, down toward, under: ἁλάμενοι κατὰ τῆς πέτρᾱς having leapt down from the rock X. A. 4.2.17, κατ᾽ ἄκρᾱς utterly, completely (down from the summit) P. L. 909b, ψῡχὴ κατὰ χθονὸς ᾤχετο his soul went down under the earth Ψ 100, μύρον κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς καταχέαντες having poured myrrh (down) over their heads P. R. 398a; rarely of rest: ὁ κατὰ γῆς the man under the earth X. C. 4.6.5.

b. Temporal (very rare): κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος for all eternity Lyc. 7.

c. Other relations: against, as κατ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐρεῖν to speak against myself P. A. 37b; rarely in a favourable or neutral sense, as οἱ κατὰ Δημοσθένους ἔπαινοι the eulogies on Demosthenes Aes. 3.50, κατὰ πάντων λέγειν to speak with regard to all X. C. 1.2.16; by (with verbs of swearing), as ὀμνύντων τὸν ὅρκον κατὰ ἱερῶν τελείων let them swear the oath by (lit. down over) fullgrown victims T. 5.47.