Genitive › dependent › ablatival genitive
GENITIVE OF SEPARATION
With verbs signifying to cease, release, remove, restrain, give up, fail, be distant from, etc., the genitive denotes separation.
λήγειν τῶν πόνων
to cease from toil 1.14, ἐπιστήμη χωριζομένη δικαιοσύνης
knowledge divorced from justice Menex. 246e, μεταστᾱ̀ς τῆς Ἀθηναίων ξυμμαχίᾱς
withdrawing from the alliance with the Athenians 2.67, παύσαντες αὐτὸν τῆς στρατηγίᾱς
removing him from his office of general H. 6.2.13, εἴργεσθαι τῆς ἀγορᾶς
to be excluded from the forum 6.24, σῶσαι κακοῦ
to save from evil Ph. 919, ἐκώλῡον τῆς πορείᾱς αὐτόν
they prevented him from passing Ages. 2.2, πᾶς ἀσκὸς δύο ἄνδρας ἕξει τοῦ μὴ καταδῦναι
each skin will keep two men from sinking A. 3.5.11, λόγου τελευτᾶν
to end a speech 3.59, τῆς ἐλευθερίᾱς παραχωρῆσαι Φιλίππῳ
to surrender their freedom to Philip 18.68, οὐ πόνων ὑφῑ́ετο, οὐ κινδῡ́νων ἀφῑ́στατο, οὐ χρημάτων ἐφείδετο he did not relax his toil, stand aloof from dangers, or spare his money Ages. 7.1, ψευσθέντες τῶν ἐλπίδων
disappointed of their expectations 4.58 (but cp. 1352), ἡ νῆσος οὐ πολὺ διέχουσα τῆς ἠπείρου
the island being not far distant from the mainland 3.51.
Several verbs of separation, such as ἐλευθεροῦν (especially with a personal subject), may take ἀπό or ἐξ when the local idea is prominent. Many take also the accusative.
The genitive, instead of the accusative (1628), may be used with verbs of depriving: ἀποστερεῖ με τῶν χρημάτων
he deprives me of my property 17.35, τῶν ἄλλων ἀφαιρούμενοι χρήματα
taking away property from others M. 1.5.3.
The genitive of the place whence is employed in poetry where a compound verb would be used in prose: βάθρων ἵστασθε
rise from the steps O. T. 142 (cp. ὑπανίστανται θᾱ́κων
they rise from their seats S. 4. 31), χθονὸς ἀείρᾱς
raising from the ground Ant. 417.
The genitive with verbs signifying to want, lack, empty, etc. may be classed with the genitive of separation.
τῶν ἐπιτηδείων οὐκ ἀπορήσομεν
we shall not want provisions A. 2.2.11, ἐπαίνου οὔποτε σπανίζετε
you never lack praise Hi. 1.14, ἀνδρῶν τᾱ́νδε πόλιν κενῶσαι
to empty this city of its men Supp. 660. So with ἐλλείπειν and στέρεσθαι lack, ἐρημοῦν deliver from.
δέω I lack (the personal construction) usually takes the genitive of quantity: πολλοῦ γε δέω
nothing of the sort Phae. 228a, μῑκροῦ ἔδεον ἐν χερσὶ τῶν ὁπλῑτῶν εἶναι
they were nearly at close quarters with the hoplites H. 4.6.11, τοσούτου δέω ζηλοῦν
I am so far from admiring 8.70 (also τοσοῦτον δέω).
δέομαι I want, request may take the genitive, or the accusative (regularly of neuter pronouns and adjectives), of the thing wanted; and the genitive of the person: ἐρωτώμενος ὅτου δέοιτο, Ἀσκῶν, ἔφη, δισχῑλίων δεήσομαι being asked what he needed, he said ‘I shall have need of two thousand skins’ A. 3.5.9, τοῦτο ῡ̔μῶν δέομαι
I ask this of you A. 17c. The genitive of the thing and of the person is unusual: δεόμενοι Κῡ́ρου ἄλλης ἄλλης πρᾱ́ξεως
petitioning Cyrus about different matters C. 8.3.19.
δεῖ (impersonal) is frequently used with genitives of quantity: πολλοῦ δεῖ οὕτως ἔχειν
far from that being the case A. 35d, οὐδὲ πολλοῦ δεῖ 8.42 (only in D.) and οὐδ᾽ ὀλίγου δεῖ no, far from it 19.184. δεῖν may be omitted (but not with πολλοῦ), leaving ὀλίγου and μῑκροῦ in the sense of almost, all but; <*>λίγου πάντες almost all R. 552d, ὀλίγου εἷλον τὴν πόλιν
they all but. took the city 8.35. On δεῖν used absolutely, see 2012 d; on δέων with numerals, 350 c.
δεῖ μοί τινος means I have need of something. In place of the dative (1467) an accusative of the person is rarely allowed in poetry on the analogy of δεῖ with the infinitive (1985): οὐ πόνου πολλοῦ με δεῖ
I have need of no great toil Hipp. 23 (often in E.). The thing needed is rarely put in the accusative: εἴ τι δέοι τῷ χορῷ
if the chorus need anything 6.12 (here some regard τὶ as nominative). Cp. 1562.
In the index: Genitive case · Separation · Accusative case · Ceasing · Failing · Releasing · Removing · Restraining · Depriving · Place · Emptying · Lacking