Prepositions
παρά (Hom. παραί, Lat. por- in porrigere) alongside, by, near. Except with the accusative παρά is commonly used of persons and personified things.
1. παρά with the (Ablatival) Genitive
Usually coming or proceeding from a person, in Hom. also of things; cp. de chez.
a. Local: οἱ αὐτομολοῦντες παρὰ βασιλέως
the deserters from the king A. 2.1.6. In poetry, where we might expect the dat. (1659 a): ἔγρετο παρ᾽ Ἥρης lit. he awoke from the side of Hera O 5. In standard Attic prose παρά with the gen. of a thing is excessively rare. When so used, the thing is personified, or the thing implies a person (as πόλις, ἀρχή, θέᾱτρον).
b. Author, Source (cp. 1410): with verbs of receiving, taking, asking, learning, sending, etc.: παρὰ Μήδων τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐλάμβανον Πέρσαι
the Persians wrested the empire from the Medes A. 3.4.8, παρὰ σοῦ ἐμάθομεν
we learned from you C. 2.2.6; ἡ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν εὔνοια
the good-will on the part of the gods 2.1 (less commonly ἀπό); with passives and intransitives (instead of ὑπό with the gen. of the agent): τὰ παρὰ τῆς τύχης δωρηθέντα
the gifts of Fortune 4.26, τοῦτο παρὰ πάντων ὁμολογεῖται this is acknowledged on all sides (on the part of all) 30.12.
2. παρά with the Dative
Almost always of persons in standard Attic prose; cp. chez.
a. Local: οὐ παρὰ μητρὶ σῑτοῦνται οἱ παῖδες, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῷ διδασκάλῳ
the boys do not eat with their mothers, but with their teachers C. 1.2.8, παρ᾽ ἐμοί σκηνοῦν to mess with me (as chez moi) 6. 1. 49; of things: τὰ παρὰ θαλάττη χωρία
the places along the sea A. 7.2.25.
b. Other relations: Possessor: τὸ μὲν χρῡσίον παρὰ τούτῳ, οἱ δὲ κίνδῡνοι παρ᾽ ῡ̔μῖν
this man has the gold, you the dangers 3.240; of the superior in command: οἱ παρὰ βασιλεῖ ὄντες
those under the king A. 1.5.16; of the person judging: ἀναίτιος παρὰ τοῖς στρατιώταις
blameless in the opinion of the troops C. 1.6.10, ὁμολογεῖται παρὰ τῷ δήμῳ it is agreed in the opinion of the people Lyc. 54 (here παρά denotes the sphere of judgment); with the gen. after a passive (1692. 1. b) it denotes the source.
3. παρά with the Accusative
a. Local: of motion to, in prose only of persons: ἧκε παρ᾽ ἐμέ
come to me C. 4.5.25; motion along, by, past (a place): παρὰ γῆν πλεῖν
sail along shore 6.13; of parallel extent (along, alongside, beside) with verbs of motion and of rest (often the dat.), and often when no verb is used: ἥνπερ ἔλαβον ναῦν, ἀνέθεσαν παρὰ τὸ τροπαῖον
the ship they captured they set up alongside of the trophy 2.92, εἶπεν αὐτῷ μένειν παρ᾽ ἑαυτόν
he told him to remain close by him C. 1.4.18, τὸ πεδίον τὸ παρὰ τὸν ποταμόν
the plain extending along the river A. 4.3.1, ἦν παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν κρήνη there was a spring by the road 1. 2. 13. Contrary to: παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἢ κατ᾽ αὐτούς contrary to (i.e. going past) the laws or in accordance with them 23.20; in addition to (along beside): ἔχω παρὰ ταῦτα ἄλλο τι λέγειν
besides this I have to say something else Ph. 107a. Phrase: παρ᾽ ὀλίγον ἐποιοῦντο Κλέανδρον they treated Cleander as of no account (cp. ‘next to nothing’) A. 6.6.11.
b. Temporal: (duration) παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον
throughout the whole time 5.2, (momentary) παρὰ τὰ δεινά
in the hour of danger 3.170, παρ᾽ αὐτὰ τᾱ̓δικήματα at the time of (i.e. immediately after) the offences themselves 18.13.
c. Other relations: Cause = διά: παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέρᾱν ἀμέλειαν
in consequence of our negligence 4.11, εἰ παρὰ τὸ προαισθέσθαι κεκώλῡται if it was prevented by being perceived in advance 19. 42. Dependence: παρὰ τοῦτο γέγονε τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων
the fortunes of the Greeks depend on this 18.232. Measure: παρὰ μῑκρὸν ἤλθομεν ἐξανδραποδισθῆναι we had a narrow escape (came by a little) from being enslaved 7.6, παρὰ πολύ
by far 2.8. Comparison: ἐξέτασον παρ᾽ ἄλληλα
contrast with each other 18.265, χειμὼν μείζων παρὰ τὴν καθεστηκυῖαν ὥρᾱν stormy weather more severe than was to be expected at the season then present 4.6.
4. παρά in Composition
Alongside, by, beside (παριέναι go alongside), beyond, past (παρελαύνειν drive past), over (παρορᾶν overlook), aside, amiss (παρακούειν misunderstand).
In the index: Cause · Prepositions · Source