possession or belonging/possessor

Here may be classed the genitive of origin: οἱ Σόλωνος νόμοι the laws of Solon D. 20.103, ἡ ἐπιστολὴ τοῦ Φιλίππου the letter of Philip 18. 37, κῡ́ματα παντοίων ἀνέμων waves caused by all kinds of winds B 396.

The possessive genitive is used with the neuter article (singular or plural) denoting affairs, conditions, power, and the like: τὸ τῶν ἐφόρων the power of the ephors P. L. 712d, τὸ τῆς τέχνης the function of the art P. G. 450c, τὸ τοῦ Σόλωνος the maxim of Solon P. Lach. 188b, ἄδηλα τὰ τῶν πολέμων the chances of war are uncertain T. 2.11, τὰ τῆς πόλεως the interests of the State P. A. 36c, τὰ τοῦ δήμου φρονεῖ is on the side of the people Ar. Eq. 1216. Sometimes this is almost a mere periphrasis for the thing itself: τὸ τῆς τύχης chance D. 4.12 τὰ τῆς σωτηρίᾱς safety 23. 163, τὸ τῆς ὁσίᾱς, ὁτιδήποτ᾽ ἐστί the quality of holiness, whatever it is 21. 126, τὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἡμῶν we elders P. L. 657d. So τὸ τούτου S. Aj. 124 is almost = οὗτος, as τοὐμόν is = ἐγώ or ἐμέ. Cp. L. 8.19.

The genitive of possession may be used after a demonstrative or relative pronoun: τοῦτό μου διαβάλλει he attacks this action of mine D. 18.28.

With persons the genitive may denote the relation of child to parent, wife to husband, and of inferior to superior: Θουκῡδίδης ὁ Ὀλόρου Thucydides, the son of Olorus T. 4.104 (and so υιός is regularly omitted in Attic official documents), Διὸς Ἄρτεμις Artemis, daughter of Zeus S. Aj. 172, ἡ Σμῑκυθίωνος Μελιστίχη Melistiche wife of Smicythion Ar. Eccl. 46, Αῡδὸς ὁ Φερεκλέους Lydus, the slave of Pherecles And. 1.17, οἱ Μένωνος the troops of Menon X. A. 1.5.13 (οἱ τοῦ Μένωνος στρατιῶται 1. 5. 11).

a. In poetry we may have an attributive adjective: Τελαμώνιος Αἴᾱς ( = Αἴᾱς ὁ Τελαμῶνος) B 528. Cp. 846 f.

The word on which the possessive genitive depends may be represented by the article: ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν from their own country (γῆς) T. 1.15 (cp. 1027 b). A word for dwelling (οἰκίᾱ, δόμος, and also ἱερόν) is perhaps omitted after ἐν, εἰς, and sometimes after ἐξ. Thus, ἐν Ἀρίφρονος at Ariphron's P. Pr. 320a, ἐν Διονῡ́σου (scil. ἱερῷ) at the shrine of Dionysus D. 5.7, εἰς διδασκάλου φοιτᾶν to go to school X. C. 2.3.9, ἐκ Πατροκλέους ἔρχομαι I come from Patroclus's Ar. Plut. 84. So, in Homer, εἰν(εἰς) Ἀίδᾱο.

Predicate Use.—The genitive may be connected with the noun it limits by means of a verb.

Ἱπποκράτης ἐστὶ οἰκίᾱς μεγάλης Hippocrates is of an influential house P. Pr. 316b, Βοιωτῶν ἡ πόλις ἔσται the city will belong to the Boeotians L. 12.58, ἡ Ζέλειά ἐστι τῆς Ἀσίᾱς Zelea is in Asia D. 9.43, οὐδὲ τῆς αὐτῆς Θρᾴκης ἐγένοντο nor did they belong to the same Thrace T. 2.29, ἃ διώκει τοῦ ψηφίσματος, ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν the clauses in the bill which he attacks, are these D. 18.56.

The genitive with εἰμί may denote the person whose nature, duty, custom, etc., it is to do that set forth in an infinitive subject of the verb: πενίᾱν φέρειν οὐ παντός, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ 'tis the sage, not every one, who can bear poverty Men. Sent. 463, δοκεῖ δικαίου τοῦτ᾽ εἶναι πολῑ́του this seems to be the duty of a just citizen D. 8.72, τῶν νῑκώντων ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ ἑαυτῶν σῴζειν καὶ τὰ τῶν ἡττωμένων λαμβάνειν it is the custom of conquerors to keep what is their own and to take the possessions of the defeated X. A. 3.2.39.

With verbs signifying to refer or attribute, by thought, word, or action, anything to a person or class. Such verbs are to think, regard, make, name, choose, appoint, etc.

λογίζου . . . τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα τῆς τύχης deem that the rest belongs to chance E. Alc. 789, τῶν ἐλευθερωτάτων οἴκων νομισθεῖσα deemed a daughter of a house most free E. And. 12, ἐμὲ γράφε τῶν ἱππεύειν ὑπερεπιθῡμούντων put me down as one of those who desire exceedingly to serve on horseback X. C. 4.3.21, τῆς πρώτης τάξεως τεταγμένος assigned to the first class L. 14.11, τῆς ἀγαθῆς τύχης τῆς πόλεως εἶναι τίθημι I reckon as belonging to the good fortune of the State D. 18.254, εἰ δέ τινες τὴν Ἀσίᾱν ἑαυτῶν ποιοῦνται but if some are claiming Asia as their own X. Ages. 1.33, νομίζει ῡ̔μᾶς ἑαυτοῦ εἶναι he thinks that you are in his power X. A. 2.1.11.

So with verbs of thinking and perceiving: τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἄρχοντα βλέποντα νόμον ἀνθρώποις ἐνόμισεν Cyrus considered that a good ruler was a living law to man X. C. 8.1.22, θαρροῦσι μάλιστα πολέμιοι, ὅταν τοῖς ἐναντίοις πρᾱ́γματα πυνθάνωνται the enemy are most courageous when they learn that the forces opposed to them are in trouble X. Hipp. 5.8.

In the phrase ὄνομά (ἐστί) τινι the name is put in the same case as ὄνομα. Thus, ἔδοξα ἀκοῦσαι ὄνομα αὐτῷ εἶναι Ἀγάθωνα I thought I heard his name was Agathon P. Pr. 315e. ὄνομά μοί ἐστι and ὄνομα (ἐπωνυμίᾱν) ἔχω are treated as the passives of ὀνομάζω. Cp. 1322 a.

Here belong the phrases (1) τί (ἐστιν) ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; what have I to do with thee?; cp. τί τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τῇ βασάνῳ; what have the law and torture in common? D. 29.36. (2) τί ταῦτ᾽ ἐμοί; what have I to do with this? D. 54.17. (3) τί ἐμοὶ πλέον; what gain have I? X. C. 5.5.34.

The dative of the possessor denotes that something is at the disposal of a person or has fallen to his share temporarily. The genitive of possession lays stress on the person who owns something. The dative answers the question what is it that he has?, the genitive answers the question who is it that has something? The uses of the two cases are often parallel, but not interchangeable. Thus, in Κῦρος, οὗ σὺ ἔσει τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε Cyrus, to whom you will henceforth belong X. C. 5.1.6, ᾧ would be inappropriate. With a noun in the genitive the dative of the possessor is used (τῶν ἑκατέροις ξυμμάχων T. 2.1); with a noun in the dative, the genitive of the possessor (τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ξυμμάχοις 1. 18).