Divided whole

The subject nominative may be replaced

a. By a prepositional phrase in the accusative: ἐνθῡμεῖσθε καθ᾽ ἑκάστους τε καὶ ξύμπαντες consider individually and all together T. 7.64.

b. By a genitive of the divided whole (1318): Πελληνεῖς δὲ κατὰ Θεσπιέᾱς γενόμενοι ἐμάχοντό τε καὶ ἐν χώρᾳ ἔπῑπτον ἑκατέρων the Pellenians who were opposed to the Thespians kept up the contest and several on both sides fell on the spot X. H. 4.2.20.

In partitive apposition emphasis is laid on the whole, which is stated at once as the subject or object of the sentence. In the genitive of the divided whole (1306) emphasis is laid on the parts; thus, τῶν πόλεων αἱ μὲν τυραννοῦνται, αἱ δὲ δημοκρατοῦνται, αἱ δὲ ἀριστοκρατοῦνται of states some are despotic, others democratic, others aristocratic P. R. 338d.

The superlative expresses either the highest degree of a quality (the relative superlative: ὁ σοφώτατος ἀνήρ the wisest man) or a very high degree of a quality (the absolute superlative, which does not take the article: ἀνὴρ σοφώτατος a very wise man). The relative superlative is followed by the genitive of the person or thing surpassed (1315, 1434). On the agreement, see 1050.

a. The class to which an individual, marked by the superlative, belongs, may be designated by a genitive of the divided whole (1315): ὁ σοφώτατος τῶν Ἑλλήνων the wisest of the Greeks. So often by πάντων: πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀγνωμονέστατοι the most senseless of all men Lyc. 54. On the superlative with ἄλλων, see 1434.

b. With two the comparative exhausts all the degrees of comparison: hence πρότερος and πρῶτος, ὕστερος and ὕστατος, ἑκάτερος each of two, and ἕκαστος each of several, are carefully to be distinguished.

Continents: ἡ Εὐρώπη Europe, ἡ Ἀσίᾱ Asia. Other names of countries, except those originally adjectives (as ἡ Ἀττική Attica), omit the article (Λιβύη Libya). γῆ and χώρᾱ may be added only to such names as are treated as adjectives: ἡ Βοιωτίᾱ (γῆ) Boeotia. The names of countries standing in the genitive of the divided whole (1311) usually omit the article only when the genitive precedes the governing noun: Σικελίᾱς τὸ πλεῖστον the most of Sicily T. 1.12. The article is generally used with names of mountains and rivers; but is often omitted with names of islands, seas (but ὁ Πόντος the Pontus), and winds. Names of cities usually omit the article. Names of cities, rivers, and mountains often add πόλις, ποταμός, ὄρος (1142 c). The article is omitted with proper names joined with αὐτός used predicatively (1206 b): αὐτοὺς Ἀθηναίους the Athenians themselves T. 4.73.

The genitive of a substantive limiting the meaning of another substantive may take any one of four positions:—

a. τὸ τοῦ πατρὸς βιβλίον the father's book (very common). Thus, ἡ <*> τεθνεώτων ἀρετή the valour of the dead L. 12.36.

b. τὸ βιβλίον τὸ τοῦ πατρός (less common). Thus, ἡ οἰκίᾱ ἡ Σίμωνος the house of Simon L. 3.32.

c. τοῦ πατρὸς τὸ βιβλίον (to emphasize the genitive or when a genitive has just preceded). Thus, τῆς ϝῑ́κης τὸ μέγεθος the greatness of the victory X. H. 6.4.19.

d. τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ πατρός (very common). Thus, ἡ τόλμα τῶν λεγόντων the effrontery of the speakers L. 12.41. The genitive of the divided whole (1306) is so placed or as in c.

N. 1.—A substantive with no article is sometimes followed by the article and the attributive genitive: ἐπὶ σκηνὴν ἰόντες τὴν Ξενοφῶντος going to the ten<*> (namely, that) of Xenophon X. A. 6.4.19. Cp. 1159.

The predicate position is employed with the demonstratives οὗτος, ὅδε, ἐκεῖνος, and ἄμφω, ἀμφότερος, ἑκάτερος, and ἕκαστος; with the possessive genitives of personal and relative pronouns (1185, 1196) and of αὐτός (1201); with αὐτός meaning self (1206 b); with the genitive of the divided whole (1306), as τούτων οἱ πλεῖστοι the most of these X. A. 1.5.13, οἱ ἄριστοι τῶν περὶ αὐτόν the bravest of his companions 1. 8. 27; and with πᾶς meaning all (1174 b).

a. This wise man is οὗτος ὁ σοφὸς ἀνήρ, ὁ σοφὸς ἀνὴρ οὗτος (and also ὁ σοφὸς οὗτος ἀνήρ).