Nations

Names of nations may omit the article, but οἱ Ἕλληνες is usual when opposed to οἱ βάρβαροι the barbarians. When nations are opposed, the article is usually absent: ὁ πόλεμος Ἀθηναίων καὶ Πελοποννησίων T. 2.1 (but ὁ πόλεμος τῶν Πελοποννησίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων 1. 1). The name of a nation without the article denotes the entire people. Names of families may omit the article: Ἀσκληπιάδαι P. R. 406a.

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.