Space

The genitive denotes measure of space, time, or degree.

ὀκτὼ σταδίων τεῖχος a wall eight stades long T. 7.2, πέντε ἡμερῶν σῑτία provisions for five days 7. 43 (cp. fossa pedum quindecim, exilium decem annorum Less commonly with a neuter adjective or pronoun: ἐπὶ μέγα ἐχώρησαν δυνά<*> they advanced to a great pitch of power T. 1.118, τὶ δόξης some honour (aliq<*> famae) 1. 5, ἀμήχανον εὐδαιμονίᾱς (something infinite in the way of happiness) infinite happiness P. A. 41c (with emphasis on the adj.). But the phrases εἰς τοῦτο, εἰς τοσοῦτο ἀφικέσθαι (ἤκειν, ἐλθεῖν, προσβαίνειν, usually with a personal subject) followed by the genitive of abstracts are common: εἰς τοῦτο θράσους ἀφῑ́κετο he reached such a pitch of boldness D. 21.194, ἐν παντὶ ἀθῡμίᾱς in utter despondency T. 7.55, ἐν τούτῳ παρασκευῆς in this stage of preparation 2. 17, κατὰ τοῦτο καιροῦ at that critical moment 7. 2. The article with this genitive is unusual in classical Greek: εἰς τοῦτο τῆς ἡλικίᾱς to this stage of life L. 5.3. Some of these genitives may also be explained by 1306.

Space and Time.—The dative of space and time may sometimes be regarded as comitative.

a. Space: the way by which (qua), as ἐπορεύετο τῇ ὁδῷ ἣν πρότερον ἐποιήσατο he marched by the road (or on the road?) which he had made before T. 2.98; b. Time: κατηγόρει ὡς ἐκείνη τῷ χ<*>όνῳ πεισθείη she charged that she had been persuaded in (by) the course of time L. 1.20. Some of these uses are instrumental rather than comitative.

The accusative denotes extent in space and time.

Space.—The accusative denotes the space or way over which an action is extended, and the measure of the space traversed.

ἄγειν (στρατιᾱ̀ν) στενᾱ̀ς ὁδούς to lead an army over narrow roads X. C. 1.6.43, ἐξελαύνει σταθμοὺς τρεῖς, παρασάγγᾱς εἴκοσι καὶ δύο he advances three stages, twenty- two parasangs X. A. 1.2.5, ἀπέχει ἡ Πλάταια τῶν Θηβῶν σταδίους ἑβδομήκοντα Plataea is seventy stades distant from Thebes T. 2.5.

a. This use is analogous to the cognate accusative after verbs of motion (ἐξόδους ἐξελθεῖν, πλεῖν θάλατταν).