ἥσσων comp. of κακός or μικρός(but formed from ἦκα, softly, so that the orig. form was ἡκίων, with Sup. ἥκιστος):
I.c. gen. pers. less, weaker, less brave, Hom., etc.; c. inf., ἕσσων θεῖν not so good at running, Hdt.; οὐδενὸς ἥσσων γνῶναι "second to none" in judging, Thuc.
2.absol. of the weaker party, ἥσσους γενέσθαι to have the worst of it, id=Thuc.; τὰ τῶν ἡττόνων the fortunes of the vanquished, Xen.; of things, τὸν ἥττω λόγον κρείττω ποιεῖν "to make the worse appear the better reason, " Plat.
II.c. gen. rei, yielding to a thing, a slave to, ἔρωτος Soph.; κέρδους Ar., etc.: —generally, yielding to, unable to resist, τοῦ πεπρωμένου Eur.