Manner (see also 1527).—The dative of manner is used with comparative adjectives and other expressions of comparison to mark the degree by which one thing differs from another (Dative of Measure of Difference).

κεφαλῇ ἐλᾱ́ττων a head shorter (lit. by the head) P. Ph. 101a, οὐ πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ὕστερον ἦλθεν he arrived not many days later X. H. 1.1.1, ἰόντες δέκα ἡμέραις πρὸ Παναθηναίων coming ten days before the Panathenaic festival T. 5.47, τοσούτῳ ἥδῑον ζῶ ὅσῳ πλείω κέκτημαι the more I possess the more pleasant is my life X. C. 8.3.40, πολλῷ μείζων ἐγίγνετο ἡ βοὴ ὅσῳ δὴ πλείους ἐγίγνοντο the shouting became much louder as the men increased in number X. A. 4.7.23. So with πολλῷ by much, ὀλίγῳ by little, τῷ παντί in every respect (by all odds).

a. With the superlative: μακρῷ ἄριστα by far the best P. L. 858e.

§1514

With comparatives the accusatives (1586) τί, τὶ, οὐδέν, μηδέν without a substantive are always used: οὐδὲν ἧττον nihilo minus X. A. 7.5.9. In Attic prose (except in Thuc.) πολύ and ὀλίγον are more common than πολλῷ and ὀλίγῳ with comparatives. Hom. has only πολὺ μείζων.

§1515

Measure of difference may be expressed by ἔν τινι; εἴς τι, κατά τι; or by ἐπί τινι.

In the index: Dative case · Manner · Measure · Comparative · Superlative degree