(distinction and) comparison

With verbs signifying to surpass, be inferior to, the genitive denotes that with which anything is compared.

τῑμαῖς τούτων ἐπλεονεκτεῖτε you had the advantage over them in honours X. A. 3.1.37, ἡττῶντο τοῦ ὕδατος they were overpowered by the water X. H. 5.2.5, ὑστερεῖν τῶν ἔργων to be too late for operations D. 4.38, ἡμῶν λειφθέντες inferior to us X. A. 7.7.31. So with πρεσβεύειν hold the first place, ἀριστεύειν be best (poet.), μειοῦσθαι fall short of, μειονεκτεῖν be worse off, ἐλαττοῦσθαι be at a disadvantage. νικᾶσθαί τινος is chiefly poetic. ἡττᾶσθαι often takes ὑπό. Akin to this genitive is that with verbs of ruling (1370), which are often derived from a substantive signifying ruler.

Many verbs compounded with πρό, περί, ὑπέρ denoting superiority take the genitive, which may depend on the preposition (1384): τάχει περιεγένου αὐτοῦ you excelled him in speed X. C. 3.1.19, γνώμῃ προέχειν τῶν ἐναντίων to excel the enemy in spirit T. 2.62, τοῖς ὅπλοις αὐτῶν ὑπερφέρομεν we surpass them in our infantry 1. 81. So with περιεῖναι, ὑπερέχειν. προτῑμᾶν, προκρῑ́νειν, and προαιρεῖσθαι prefer, προεστηκέναι be at the head of certainly take the genitive by reason of the preposition. ὑπερβάλλειν and ὑπερβαίνειν surpass take the accusative.

The object compared may be expressed by πρό, ἀντί with the genitive, or by παρά, πρός with the accusative. See under Prepositions. That in which one thing is superior or inferior to another usually stands in the dative (1513, 1515).