genitive of the divided whole

Position.—The genitive of the whole stands before or after the word denoting the part: τῶν Θρᾳκῶν πελτασταί targeteers of the Thracians T. 7.27, οἱ ἄποροι τῶν πολῑτῶν the needy among the citizens D. 18.104; rarely between the limited noun and its article: οἱ τῶν ἀδίκων ἀφικνούμενοι those of the unrighteous who come here P. G. 525c. Cp. 1161 N. 1.

When all are included there is no partition: so in οὗτοι πάντες all of these, all these, τέτταρες ἡμεῖς ἦμεν there were four of us, τὸ πᾶν πλῆθος τῶν ὁπλῑτῶν the entire body of the hoplites T. 8.93, ὅσοι ἐστὲ τῶν ὁμοίων as many of you as belong to the ‘peers’ X. A. 4.6.14.

The idea of division is often not explicitly stated. See third example in 1310.

(I) The genitive of the divided whole is used with substantives.

μέρος τι τῶν βαρβάρων some part of the barbarians T. 1.1, οἱ Δωριῆς ἡμῶν those of us who are Dorians 4. 61. The governing word may be omitted: Ἀρχίᾱς τῶν Ἡρᾱκλειδῶν Archias (one) of the Heraclidae T. 6.3. To an indefinite substantive without the article may be added a genitive denoting the special sort: Φεραύλᾱς Πέρσης τῶν δημοτῶν Pheraulas, a Persian, one of the common people X. C. 2.3.7.

Chorographic Genitive.—τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἐς Οἰνόην to Oenoë in Attica T. 2.18 (or ἐς Οἰνόην τῆς Ἀττικῆς, not ἐς τῆς Ἀττικῆς Οἰνόην), τῆς Ἰταλίᾱς Αοκροί the Locrians in Italy 3. 86. The article, which is always used with the genitive of the country (as a place well known), is rarely added to the governing substantive (τὸ Κήναιον τῆς Εὐβοίᾱς Cenaeum in Euboea T. 3.93).

(II) With substantive adjectives and participles.

οἱ ἄδικοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων the unjust among men D. 27.68 (but always οἱ θνητοὶ ἄνθρωποι), μόνος τῶν πρυτάνεων alone of the prytans P. A. 32b, ὀλίγοι αὐτῶν few of them X. A. 3.1.3, τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων ὁ βουλόμενος whoever of the rest of the Greeks so desires T. 3.92. So τὸ καταντικρὺ αὐτῶν τοῦ σπηλαίου the part of the cavern facing them P. R. 515a. For nihil novi the Greek says οὐδὲν καινόν.

Adjectives denoting magnitude, and some others, may conform in gender to the genitive, instead of appearing in the neuter: ἔτεμον τῆς γῆς τὴν πολλήν they ravaged most of the land T. 2.56, τῆς γῆς ἡ ἀρίστη the best of the land 1. 2. This construction occurs more frequently in prose than in poetry.

But such adjectives, especially when singular, may be used in the neuter: τῶν Ἀργείων λογάδων τὸ πολύ the greater part of the picked Argives T. 5.73, ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς χώρᾱς over a great part of the land 4. 3.

(III) With comparatives and superlatives.

ἡμῶν ὁ γεραίτερος the elder of us X. C. 5.1.6 (1066 b), οἱ πρεσβύτατοι τῶν στρατηγῶν the oldest of the generals X. A. 3.3.11, σῑ́τῳ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πλείστῳ χρώμεθ᾽ ἐπεισάκτῳ we make use of imported grain more than all other people D. 18.87. So with a superlative adverb: ἡ ναῦς ἄριστά μοι ἔπλει παντὸς τοῦ στρατοπέδου my ship was the best sailer of the whole squadron L. 21.6.

In poetry this use is extended to positive adjectives: ἀριδείκετος ἀνδρῶν conspicuous among men A 248, ὦ φίλᾱ γυναικῶν oh dear among women E. Alc. 460. In tragedy an adjective may be emphasized by the addition of the same adjective in the genitive: ἄρρητ᾽ ἀρρήτων horrors unspeakable S. O. T. 465. Cp. 1064.

(IV) With substantive pronouns and numerals.

οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν, οἱ δ᾽ οὔ some of them and not others P. A. 24e, οἳ ὕστερον ἐλήφθησαν τῶν πολεμίων those of the enemy who were taken later X. A. 1.7.13, οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων no one in the world P. S. 220a, τὶ τοῦ τείχους a part of the wall T. 7.4, τὶς θεῶν one of the gods E. Hec. 164 (τὶς θεός a god X. C. 5.2.12), ἓν τῶν πολλῶν one of the many things P. A. 17a; rarely after demonstrative pronouns: τούτοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων to these (of) men T. 1.71.

a. With ὀλίγοι and with numerals ἀπό and ἐξ are rarely added: ἐκ τριῶν ἕν one of three S. Tr. 734. ἐξ with superlatives is also rare. See also 1688. 1 c.

The genitive of the divided whole may do duty as the subject of a finite verb (928 b) or of the infinitive: (ἔφασαν) ἐπιμειγνύναι σφῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους they said that some of their number associated with them X. A. 3.5.16.

Predicate Use.—ἦν δ᾽ αὐτῶν Φαλῖνος and among them was Phalinus X. A. 2.1.7, Σόλων τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφιστῶν ἐκλήθη Solon was called one of the Seven Sages I. 15.235, τῶν ἀτοπωτάτων ἂν εἴη it would be very strange D. 1.26; and often with verbs signifying to be, become, think, say, name, choose. With some of these verbs εἷς with the genitive may be used instead of the genitive alone.

With impersonals a partitive genitive does duty as the subject: πολέμου οὐ μετῆν αὐτῇ she had no share in war X. C. 7.2.28, ἐμοὶ οὐδαμόθεν προσήκει τούτου τοῦ πρᾱ́γματος I have no part whatever in this affair And. 4.34. Cp. 1318.

The genitive is used with verbs of sharing.

πάντες μετεῖχον τῆς ἑορτῆς all took part in the festival X. A. 5.3.9, μετεδίδοσαν ἀλλήλοις ὧν (= τούτων ἃ) εἶχον ἕκαστοι they shared with each other what each had 4. 5. 6, τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος μετείληφεν ἀθανασίᾱς the human race has received a portion of immortality P. L. 721b, σῑ́του κοινωνεῖν to take a share of food X. M. 2.6.22, δικαιοσύνης οὐδὲν ῡ̔μῖν προσήκει you have no concern in righteous dealing X. H. 2.4.40, πολῑτείᾱ, ἐν ᾗ πένησιν οὐ μέτεστιν ἀρχῆς a form of government in which the poor have no part in the management of affairs P. R. 550c. So with μεταλαγχάνειν get a share (along with somebody else), συναίρεσθαι and κοινοῦσθαι take part in, μεταιτεῖν and μεταποιεῖσθαι demand a share in.

The part received or taken, if expressed, stands in the accusative. οἱ τύραννοι τῶν μεγίστων ἀγαθῶν ἐλάχιστα μετέχουσι tyrants have the smallest por- tion in the greatest blessings X. Hi. 2.6, τούτων μεταιτεῑ τὸ μέρος he demands his share of this Ar. Vesp. 972.

a. With μέτεστι the part may be added in the nominative: μέτεστι χῡ̓μῖν τῶν πεπρᾱγμένων μέρος ye too have had a share in these doings E. I. T. 1299.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to touch, take hold of, make trial of.

(ἡ νόσος) ἥψατο τῶν ἀνθρώπων the plague laid hold of the men T. 2.48, τῆς γνώμης τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχομαι I hold to the same opinion 1. 140, ἐν τῇ ἐχομένῃ ἐμοῦ κλῑ́νῃ on the couch next to me P. S. 217d, ἀντιλάβεσθε τῶν πρᾱγμάτων take our public policy in hand D. 1.20, ὅπως πειρῷντο τοῦ τείχους to make an attempt on (a part of) the wall T. 2.81. So with ψαύειν touch (rare in prose), ἀντέχεσθαι cling to, ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι and συλλαμβάνεσθαι lay hold of.

The genitive of the part, with the accusative of the person (the whole) who has been touched, is chiefly poetical: τὸν δὲ πεσόντα ποδῶν ἔλαβε but him as he fell, he seized by his feet Δ 463, ἔλαβον τῆς ζώνης τὸν Ὀρόντᾱν they took hold of Orontas by the girdle X. A. 1.6.10 (but μοῦ λαβόμενος τῆς χειρός taking me by the hand P. Charm. 153b), ἄγειν τῆς ἡνίᾱς τὸν ἵππον to lead the horse by the bridle X. Eq. 6.9 (cp. βοῦν δ᾽ ἀγέτην κεράων they led the cow by the horns γ 439).

Verbs of beseeching take the genitive by analogy to verbs of touching: ἐμὲ λισσέσκετο γούνων she besought me by (clasping) my knees I 451 (cp. γενείου ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι beseech by touching his chin K 454).

The genitive is used with verbs of beginning.

a. Partitive: ἔφη Κῦρον ἄρχειν τοῦ λόγου ὧδε he said that Cyrus began the discussion as follows X. A. 1.6.5, τοῦ λόγου ἤρχετο ὧδε he began his speech as follows 3. 2. 7. On ἄρχειν as distinguished from ἄρχεσθαι see 1734. 5.

b. Ablatival (1391) denoting the point of departure: σέο δ᾽ ἄρξομαι I will make a beginning with thee I 97. In this sense ἀπό or ἐξ is usually added: ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ σοῦ D. 18.297, ἄρξομαι ἀπὸ τῆς ῑ̓ᾱτρικῆς λέγων I will make a beginning by speaking of medicine P. S. 186b.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to aim at, strive after, desire (genitive of the end desired).

ἀνθρώπων στοχάζεσθαι to aim at men X. C. 1.6.29, ἐφῑέμενοι τῶν κερδῶν desiring gain T. 1.8, πάντες τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιθῡμοῦσιν all men desire what is good P. R. 438a, τὸ ἐρᾶν τῶν καλῶν the passionate love of what is noble Aes. 1.137, πεινῶσι χρημάτων they are hungry for wealth X. S. 4. 36, πόλις ἐλευθερίᾱς διψήσᾱσα a state thirsting for freedom P. R. 562c. So with ὀϊστεύειν shoot at (poet.), λιλαίεσθαι desire (poet.), γλίχεσθαι desire. φιλεῖν love, ποθεῖν long for take the accusative.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to reach, obtain (genitive of the end attained).

τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐφικέσθαι to attain to virtue I. 1.5, οἱ ἀκοντισταὶ βραχύτερα ἠκόντιζον ἢ ὡς ἐξικνεῖσθαι τῶν σφενδονητῶν the javelin-throwers did not hurl far enough to reach the slingers X. A. 3.3.7, σπονδῶν ἔτυχε he obtained a truce 3. 1. 28. So with κυρεῖν obtain (poet.), κληρονομεῖν inherit, ἀποτυγχάνειν fail to hit. τυγχάνειν, when compounded with ἐν, ἐπί, παρά, περί, and σύν, takes the dative. λαγχάνειν obtain by lot usually takes the accusative.

a. This genitive and that of 1349 form the genitive of the goal.

The genitive of the thing obtained may be joined with an ablatival genitive (1410) of the person: οὗ δὲ δὴ πάντων οἰόμεθα τεύξεσθαι ἐπαίνου in a case where we expect to win praise from all men X. A. 5.7.33. But where the thing obtained is expressed by a neuter pronoun, the accusative is employed.

It is uncertain whether verbs signifying to miss take a partitive or an ablatival genitive: οὐδεὶς ἡμάρτανεν ἀνδρός no one missed his man X. A. 3.4.15, σφαλέντες τῆς δόξης disappointed in expectations T. 4.85.

Verbs of approaching and meeting take the genitive according to 1343 or 1349. These verbs are poetical. Thus, ἀντιόων ταύρων for the purpose of obtaining (his share of) bulls α 25, ἀντήσω τοῦδ᾽ ἀνέρος I will encounter this man II 423, πελάσαι νεῶν to approach the ships S. Aj. 709. In the meaning draw near to verbs of approaching take the dative (1463).

The genitive is used with verbs of smelling.

ὄζω μύρου I smell of perfume Ar. Eccl. 524. So πνεῖν μύρου to breathe (smell of) perfume S. fr. 140.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to enjoy, taste, eat, drink.

ἀπολαύομεν πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν we enjoy all the good things X. M. 4.3.11, εὐωχοῦ τοῦ λόγου enjoy the discourse P. R. 352b, ὀλίγοι σῑ́του ἐγεύσαντο few tasted food X. A. 3.1.3. So (rarely) with ἥδεσθαι take pleasure in.

a. Here belong ἐσθίειν, πῑ́νειν when they do not signify to eat up or drink up: ὠμῶν ἐσθίειν αὐτῶν to eat them alive X. H. 3.3.6, πῑ́νειν οἴνοιο drink some wine χ 11, as boire du vin (but πῑ́νειν οἶνον drink wine Ξ 5, as boire le vin). Words denoting food and drink are placed in the accusative when they are regarded as kinds of nourishment.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to remember, remind, forget, care for , and neglect.

τῶν ἀπόντων φίλων μέμνησο remember your absent friends I. 1.26, βούλομαι δ᾽ ῡ̔μᾶς ἀναμνῆσαι τῶν ἐμοὶ πεπρᾱγμένων I desire to remind you of my past actions And. 4.41, δέδοικα μὴ ἐπιλαθώμεθα τῆς οἴκαδε ὁδοῦ I fear lest we may forget the way home X. A. 3.2.25, ἐπιμελόμενοι οἱ μὲν ὑποζυγίων, οἱ δὲ σκευῶν some taking care of the pack animals, others of the baggage 4. 3. 30, τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης δεῖ ἡμᾶς φροντίζειν we must pay heed to the world's opinion P. Cr. 48a, τί ἡμῖν τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης μέλει; what do we care for the world's opinion? 44 c, τοῖς σπουδαίοις οὐχ οἷόν τε τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀμελεῖν the serious cannot disregard virtue I. 1.48, μηδενὸς ὀλιγωρεῖτε μηδὲ καταφρονεῖτε (cp. 1385) τῶν προστεταγμένων neither neglect nor despise any command laid on you 3. 48.

So with μνημονεύειν remember (but usually with the accus., especially of things), ἀμνημονεῖν not to speak of, κήδεσθαι care for, ἐντρέπεσθαι give heed to, ἐνθῡμεῖσθαι think deeply of, προορᾶν make provision for (in Hdt.), μεταμέλει μοι it repents me, καταμελεῖν neglect.

Many of these verbs also take the accusative. With the accus. μεμνῆσθαι means to remember something as a whole, with the gen. to remember something about a thing, bethink oneself. The accus. is usually found with verbs of remembering and forgetting when they mean to hold or not to hold in memory, and when the object is a thing. Neuter pronouns must stand in the accus. ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι forget takes either the genitive or the accusative, λανθάνεσθαι (usually poetical) always takes the genitive. μέλει it is a care, ἐπιμέλεσθαι care for, μεμνῆσθαι think about may take περί with the genitive. οἶδα generally means I remember when it has a person as the object (in the accusative).

Verbs of reminding may take two accusatives: ταῦθ᾽ ὑπέμνησ᾽ ῡ̔μᾶς I have reminded you of this D. 19.25 (1628).

With μέλει, the subject, if a neuter pronoun, may sometimes stand in the nominative (the personal construction): ταῦτα θεῷ μελήσει God will care for this P. Phae. 238d. Except in poetry the subject in the nominative is very rare with other words than neuter pronouns: χοροὶ πᾶσι μέλουσι P. L. 835e.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to hear and perceive: ἀκούειν, κλύειν (poet.) hear, ἀκροᾶσθαι listen to, αἰσθάνεσθαι perceive, πυνθάνεσθαι hear, learn of, συνῑέναι understand, ὀσφραίνεσθαι scent. The person or thing, whose words, sound, etc. are perceived by the senses, stands in the genitive; the words, sound, etc. generally stand in the accusative.

τινὸς ἤκουσ᾽ εἰπόντος I heard somebody say D. 8.4, ἀκούσαντες τῆς σάλπιγγος hearing the sound of the trumpet X. A. 4.2.8, ἀκούσαντες τὸν θόρυβον hearing the noise 4. 4. 21, ἀκροώμενοι τοῦ ᾁδοντος listening to the singer X. C. 1.3.10, ὅσοι ἀλλήλων ξυνῑ́εσαν all who understood each other T. 1.3, ἐπειδὰν συνῑῇ τις τὰ λεγόμενα when one understands what is said P. Pr. 325c (verbs of understanding, συνῑέναι and ἐπίστασθαι, usually take the accus.), κρομμύων ὀσφραίνομαι I smell onions Ar. Ran. 654.

a. A supplementary participle is often used in agreement with the genitive of the person from whom something is heard: λέγοντος ἐμοῦ ἀκροᾱ́σονται οἱ νέοι the young men will listen when I speak P. A. 37d.

b. The accusative is almost always used when the thing heard is expressed by a substantivized neuter adjective or participle, but the genitive plural in the case of οὗτος, ὅδε, αὐτός, and ὅς is frequent.

A double genitive, of the person and of the thing, is rare with ἀκούειν: τῶν ὐπὲρ τῆς γραφῆς δικαίων ἀκούειν μου to listen to my just pleas as regards the indictment D. 18.9.

ἀκούειν, αἰσθάνεσθαι, πυνθάνεσθαι, meaning to become aware of, learn, take the accusative (with a participle in indirect discourse, 2112 b) of a personal or impersonal object: οἱ δέ Πλαταιῆς, ὡς ᾔσθοντο ἔνδον τε ὄντας τοὺς Θηβαίους και κατειλημμένην τὴν πόλιν but the Plataeans, when they became aware that the Thebans were inside and that the city had been captured T. 2.3, πυθόμενοι Ἀρταξέρξην τεθνηκότα having learned that Artaxerxes was dead 4. 50.

a. To hear a thing is usually ἀκούειν τι when the thing heard is something definite and when the meaning is simply hear, not listen to.

ἀκούειν, ἀκροᾶσθαι, πυνθἁνεσθαι, meaning to hear from, learn from, take the genitive of the actual source (1411).

ἀκούειν, κλύειν, πυνθάνεσθαίτινος may mean to hear about, hear of: εἰ δέ κε τεθνηῶτος ἀκούσῃς but if you hear that he is dead α 289, κλύων σοῦ hearing about thee S. O. C. 307, ὡς ἐπύθοντο τῆς Πύλου κατειλημμένης when they heard of the capture of Pylos T. 4.6. For the participle (not in indirect discourse) see 2112 a. περί is often used with the genitive without the participle.

In the meaning heed, hearken, obey, verbs of hearing generally take the genitive: ἄκουε πάντων, ἐκλέγου δ᾽ ἃ συμφέρει listen to everything, but choose that which is profitable Men. Sent. 566, τῶν πολεμίων ἀκούειν to submit to enemies X. C. 8.1.4. πείθεσθαι takes the genitive, instead of the dative, by analogy to this use (Hdt. 6.12, T. 7.73). (On the dative with ἀκούειν obey see 1465.)

αἰσθάνεσθαι takes the genitive, or (less frequently) the accusative, of the thing immediately perceived by the senses: τῆς κραυγῆς ᾔσθοντο they heard the noise X. H. 4.4.4, ᾔσθετο τὰ γιγνόμενα he perceived what was happening X. C. 3.1.4. The genitive is less common than the accusative when the perception is intellectual: ὡς ᾔσθοντο τειχιζόντων when they heard that they were progressing with their fortification T. 5.83. Cp. 1363.

Some verbs, ordinarily construed with the accusative, take the genitive by the analogy of αἰσθάνεσθαι, etc.: ἔγνω ἄτοπα ἐμοῦ ποιοῦντος he knew that I was acting absurdly X. C. 7.2.18, ἀγνοοῦντες ἀλλήλων ὅ τι λέγομεν each of us mistaking what the other says P. G. 517c. This construction of verbs of knowing (and showing) occurs in Attic only when a participle accompanies the genitive.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to fill, to be full of. The thing filled is put in the accusative.

οὐκ ἐμπλήσετε τὴν θάλατταν τριήρων ; will you not cover the sea with your triremes? D. 8.74, ἀναπλῆσαι αἰτιῶν to implicate in guilt P. A. 32c, τροφῆς εὐπορεῖν to have plenty of provisions X. Vect. 6.1, τριήρης σεσαγμένη ἀνθρώπων a trireme stowed with men X. O. 8.8, ὕβρεως μεστοῦσθαι to be filled with pride P. L. 713c. So with πλήθειν, πληροῦν, γέμειν, πλουτεῖν, βρῑ́θειν (poet.), βρύειν (poet.).

a. Here belong also χεὶρ στάζει θυηλῆς Ἄρεος his hand drips with sacrifice to Ares S. El. 1423, μεθυσθεὶς τοῦ νέκταρος intoxicated with nectar P. S. 203b, ἡ πηγὴ ῥεῖ ψῡχροῦ ὕδατος the spring flows with cold water P. Phae. 230b. The instrumental dative is sometimes used.

The genitive is used with verbs signifying to rule, command, lead.

θεῖον τὸ ἐθελόντων ἄρχειν it is divine to rule over willing subjects X. O. 21.12, τῆς θαλάττης ἐκράτει he was master of the sea P. Menex. 239e, Ἔρως τῶν θεῶν βασιλεύει Love is king of the gods P. S. 195c, ἡγεῖτο τῆς ἐξόδου he led the expedition T. 2.10, στρατηγεῖν τῶν ξένων to be general of the mercenaries X. A. 2. 6. 28. So with τυραννεῖν be absolute master of, ἀνἀσσειν be lord of (poet.), ἡγεμονεύειν be commander of. This genitive is connected with that of 1402.

Several verbs of ruling take the accusative when they mean to conquer, overcome (so κρατεῖν), or when they express the domain over which the rule extends; as τὴν Πελοπόννησον πειρᾶσθε μὴ ἐλᾱ́σσω ἐξηγεῖσθαι try not to lessen your dominion over the Peloponnese T. 1.71. ἡγεῖσθαί τινι means to be a guide to any one, show any one the way. Cp. 1537.