Semantic roles (AGDT table) › place
§§1448–1449 · 2 sections
GENITIVE OF TIME AND PLACE
Place.—The genitive denotes the place within which or at which an action happens. This is more frequent in poetry than in prose.
πεδίοιο διωκέμεν to chase over the plain E 222, ἷζεν τοίχου τοῦ ἑτέροιο he was sitting by the other wall (lit. in a place of the wall) I 219, λελουμένος Ὠκεανοῖο having bathed in Oceanus E 6, οὔτε Πύλου ἱερῆς οὔτ᾽ Ἄργεος οὔτε Μυκήνης
neither in sacred Pylos nor in Argos nor in Mycenae φ 108, τόνδ᾽ εἰσεδέξω τειχέων
thou didst admit this man within the walls Phoen. 451, ἰέναι τοῦ πρόσω
to go forward A. 1.3.1, ἐπετάχῡνον τῆς ὁδοῦ τοὺς σχολαίτερον προσιόντας
they hastened on their way those who came up more slowly 4.47; λαιᾶς χειρὸς οἰκοῦσι
they dwell on the left hand Pr. 714 (possibly ablatival).
Many adverbs of place are genitives in form (αὐτοῦ there, ποῦ where? οὐδαμοῦ nowhere). Cp. 341.
§§1531–1538 · 8 sections
LOCATIVE DATIVE
Dative of Place.—In poetry the dative without a preposition is used to denote place.
a. Where a person or thing is: στᾱ̀ς μέσῳ ἕρκεϊ
taking his stand in the middle of the court Ω 306, γῇ ἔκειτο
she lay on the ground O. T. 1266, ναίειν ὄρεσιν to dwell among the mountains O. T. 1451. Often of the parts of the body (Hom. θῡμῷ, καρδίῃ, etc.). With persons (generally in the plural): ἀριπρεπὴς Τρώεσσιν conspicuous among the Trojans Z 477. τοῖσι δ᾽ ἀνέστη A 68 may be rose up among them or a dative proper (for them).
b. Place whither (limit of motion): πεδίῳ πέσε fell on the ground E 82, κολεῷ ἄορ θέο
put thy sword into its sheath κ 333.
After verbs of motion the dative, as distinguished from the locative, denotes direction towards and is used of persons (1485), and is a form of the dative of interest.
Many verbs capable of taking the locative dative in poetry, require, in prose, the aid of a preposition in composition. The limit of motion is usually (1589) expressed by the accusative with a preposition (e.g. εἰς, πρός).
In prose the dative of place (chiefly place where) is used only of proper names: Πῡθοῖ at Pytho, Ἰσθμοῖ at the Isthmus, Σαλαμῖνι at Salamis, Ὀλυμπίᾱσι at Olympia, Ἀθήνησι at Athens (inscr.); especially with the names of Attic demes, as Φαληροῖ, Θορικοῖ, Μαραθῶνι. But ἐν Μαραθῶνι and ἐν Πλαταιαῖς occur. Some deme-names require ἐν, as ἐν Κοίλῃ.
Many adverbs are genuine locatives, as οἴκοι, πάλαι, πανδημεί, Φαληροῖ; Ἀθήνησι, Πλαταιᾶσι; others are datives in form, as κύκλῳ, Πλαταιαῖς.
With names of countries and places, ἐν is more common than the locative dative, and, with the above exceptions, the place where is expressed in Attic prose with ἐν.
Verbs of ruling often take the dative, especially in Homer: Μυρμιδόνεσσιν ἄνασσε Α 180, Γιγάντεσσιν βασίλευεν η 59, ἦρχε δ᾽ ἄρα σφιν Ἀγαμέμνων Ξ 134. Rarely in prose: ἡγεῖσθαί τινι to serve as guide (leader) to some one, ἐπιστατεῖν τινι to be set over one; ἄρχειν τινί means only = to be archon (Πῡθοδώρου ἄρχοντος Ἀθηναίοις 2.2). Cp. 1371.
a. Only when stress is not laid on the idea of supremacy is the dative, instead of the genitive (1370), used with verbs of ruling.
It is not clear whether the dative with verbs of ruling is a dative proper (for), a locative (among; cp. ἐν Φαίηξιν ἄνασσε η 62), or an instrumental (by). ἄρχειν, ἡγεῖσθαι may take the dative proper, ἀνάσσειν, βασιλεύειν, κρατεῖν may take the locative dative.
§1581
Space.—The accusative denotes the space or way over which an action is extended, and the measure of the space traversed.
ἄγειν (στρατιᾱ̀ν) στενᾱ̀ς ὁδούς
to lead an army over narrow roads C. 1.6.43, ἐξελαύνει σταθμοὺς τρεῖς, παρασάγγᾱς εἴκοσι καὶ δύο he advances three stages, twenty- two parasangs A. 1.2.5, ἀπέχει ἡ Πλάταια τῶν Θηβῶν σταδίους ἑβδομήκοντα
Plataea is seventy stades distant from Thebes 2.5.
a. This use is analogous to the cognate accusative after verbs of motion (ἐξόδους ἐξελθεῖν, πλεῖν θάλατταν).
In the index: Place · Dative case · Locative dative · Limit of motion · Genitive case · Ruling · Deme-names · Adverbs · Locative case · Accusative case · Extent · Space