Mountains

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.

When the name of a person or place is defined by an appositive (916) or attributive, the following distinctions are to be noted:

a. Persons: Περδίκκᾱς Ἀλεξάνδρου Perdiccas, son of Alexander T. 2.99: the official designation merely stating the parentage. Δημοσθένης ὁ Ἀλκισθένους (the popular designation) distinguishes Demosthenes, the son of Alcisthenes (T. 3.91) from other persons named Demosthenes. (Similarly with names of nations.)

b. Deities: the article is used with the name and with the epithet or (less often) with neither: τῷ Διὶ τῷ Ὀλυμπίῳ to Olympian Zeus T. 5.31, Διὶ ἐλευθερίῳ to Zeus guardian of freedom 2. 71.

c. Geographical Names are usually treated as attributives, as ὁ Εὐφρᾱ́της ποταμός the river Euphrates X. A. 1.4.11, ἡ Βόλβη λίμνη lake Bolbe T. 4.103. In a very few cases (six times in Thuc.) ὁ is omitted with the name of a river when ποταμός is inserted; but Hdt. often omits ὁ. With the names of mountains the order is τὸ Πήλιον ὄρος Mt. Pelion Hdt. 7.129 when the gender agrees, but otherwise ἐς τὸ ὄρος τὴν Ἰστώνην to Mt. Istone T. 3.85 (rarely as ὑπὸ τῇ Αἴτνῃ τῷ ὄρει at the foot of Mt. Aetna T. 3.116). With names of islands, towns, etc., the order varies: τὸ Παρθένιον πόλισμα the town of Parthenium X. A. 7.8.21; ἡ Ψυττάλεια νῆσος the island of Psyttalea Hdt. 8.95; Τραγίᾱ ἡ νῆσος the island of Tragia T. 1.116; τοῦ Πειραιῶς τοῦ λιμένος of the harbour of Peiraeus T. 2.93; τὸ φρούριον τὸ Λάβδαλον fort Labdalon 7. 3. The city of Mende would be Μένδη πόλις, ἡ Μένδη ἡ πόλις, Μένδη ἡ πόλις.