Superlative degree

ἀγαθός good, ἄξιος worthy, μακρός long are thus declined:

ἐσθλός good, κακός bad, σοφός wise, κοῦφος, κούφη, κοῦφον light, δῆλος clear; ἀνδρεῖος, ἀνδρείᾱ, ἀνδρεῖον courageous, δίκαιος just, ὅμοιος like, αἰσχρός, αἰσχρᾱ́, αἰσχρόν base, ἐλεύθερος free; all participles in -ος and all superlatives.

a. The accent in the feminine nominative and genitive plural follows that of the masculine: ἄξιαι, ἀξίων, not ἀξίαι, ἀξιῶν, as would be expected according to the rule for substantives (205), e.g. as in αἰτίᾱ cause, αἰτίαι, αἰτιῶν.

b. All adjectives and participles may use the mas uline instead of the feminine dual forms: τὼ ἀγαθὼ μητέρε the two good mothers.

Comparison of Adverbs.—In adverbs derived from adjectives the comparative is the same as the neuter singular of the comparative of the adjective; the superlative is the same as the neuter plural of the superlative adjective.

a. Adverbs of place ending in ω, and some others, retain ω in the comparative and superlative.

b. ἐγγύς near has ἐγγύτερον (-τέρω), ἐγγυτάτω (-τατα rare). πρῴ early has πρωϊαίτερον, πρωϊαίτατα.

c. There are some forms in -ως from comparatives: ἀσφαλεστέρως (ἀσφαλέστερον) more securely, βελτῑόνως (βέλτῑον) better. Superlatives in -ον are usually poetic; as μέγιστον.

Strengthened Forms.—The superlative may be strengthened by prefixing ὅτι or ὡς, rarely ᾗ (also ὅσον or ὅπως in poetry): ὅτι πλεῖστοι as many men as possible, ὅτι τάχιστα as quickly as possible, ᾗ ἄριστον the very best way X. C. 7.5.82 (ὅπως ἄριστα A. Ag. 600). ὅτι or ὥς is always added when a preposition precedes the superlative: ὡς εἰς στενώτατον into as narrow compass as possible X. O. 18.8. ὡς and ὅτι may be used together: ὡς ὅτι βέλτιστον ἐμέ γενέσθαι for me to become as good as may be P. S. 218d.

a.With ὡς and ᾖ, rarely with ὅπῃ (not with ὅτι), a form of δύναμαι or οἷός τέ εἰμι, may be employed: διηγήσομαι ῡ̔μῖν ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι διὰ βραχυτάτων I will relate to you in the briefest terms I can I. 21.2.

ὡς is often used to heighten a superlative (1086).

The superlative with the genitive is both partitive and ablatival; the latter, when a thing is compared with many things taken singly. Thus, σοφώτατος ἀνθρώπων P. A. 22c means wisest among men (part.) and wiser than any other single man. The partitive idea is the stronger. The comparative and the superlative idea are both expressed in ἀνὴρ ἐπιεικὴς υἱὸν ἀπολέσᾱς οἴσει ῥᾷστα τῶν ἄλλων a reasonable man will bear the loss of a son more easily than other men (and most easily of all men) P. R. 603e, στρατείᾱ μεγίστη τῶν πρὸ αὐτῆς an expedition greater than any preceding it T. 1.10, τῶν ἄλλων ὕστατοι the last among nations D. 8.72. Cp. μόνος τῶν ἄλλων = alone of all D. 21.223.

Manner (see also 1527).—The dative of manner is used with comparative adjectives and other expressions of comparison to mark the degree by which one thing differs from another (Dative of Measure of Difference).

κεφαλῇ ἐλᾱ́ττων a head shorter (lit. by the head) P. Ph. 101a, οὐ πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ὕστερον ἦλθεν he arrived not many days later X. H. 1.1.1, ἰόντες δέκα ἡμέραις πρὸ Παναθηναίων coming ten days before the Panathenaic festival T. 5.47, τοσούτῳ ἥδῑον ζῶ ὅσῳ πλείω κέκτημαι the more I possess the more pleasant is my life X. C. 8.3.40, πολλῷ μείζων ἐγίγνετο ἡ βοὴ ὅσῳ δὴ πλείους ἐγίγνοντο the shouting became much louder as the men increased in number X. A. 4.7.23. So with πολλῷ by much, ὀλίγῳ by little, τῷ παντί in every respect (by all odds).

a. With the superlative: μακρῷ ἄριστα by far the best P. L. 858e.

The relatives οἷος, ὅσος, ἡλίκος, ὅστις δή, ὁστισοῦν (and some others) and a following nominative with the copula may be attracted to the case of the antecedent. Thus, χαριζόμενος τοιούτῳ ἀνδρὶ οἷος δὺ εἶ showing favour to such a man as you are is commonly condensed to χαριζόμενος οἵῳ σοι ἀνδρί (X. M. 2.9.3). Here the whole relative clause (with copula omitted) is attracted. The antecedent, if expressed, is often incorporated (2536) in the relative clause.

πρὸς ἄνδρας τολμηροὺς οἵους καὶ Ἀθηναίους (for οἷοι καὶ Ἀθηναῖοί εἰσι) to bold men such as the Athenians T. 7.21, ἀνίστη Ἀγριᾶνας . . . καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἔθνη Παιονικά he called out the Agrianes and all the other Paeonian tribes 2. 96, χειμῶνος ὄντος οἵου λέγεις when the weather is such as you describe X. A. 5.8.3, ἀνέλαμψεν οἰκίᾱ . . . ὅτου δὴ ἐνάψαντος (for ἐνάψαντός τινος ὅστις δὴ ἦν) the house burst into flames, some one or other having set it on fire 5. 2. 24.

a. οἷος is often attracted with superlatives: ὄντος πάγου οἵου δεινοτάτου (for τοιούτου οἷός ἐστι δεινότατος) when the frost was tremendous P. S. 220b. Cp. 1087.

b. The article may appear in this construction with οἷος and ἡλίκος, the relative clause being treated like a substantive: τοῖς οἵοις ἡμῖν to such as we are X. H. 2.3.25.

c. The subject of the relative clause rarely stands in the nominative, not being attracted along with οἷος. Thus, κιναίδους οἵουσπερ σύ rascals just like you Aes. 2.151. This occurs only when the number of the subject is different from that of the attracted relative. When the article precedes, as in Σόλων ἐμῑ́σει τοὺς οἷος οὗτος ἀνθρώπους Solon detested men like him (D. 19.254), editors generally read τοὺς οἵους οὗτος.

An attributive adjective, or an attributive genitive belonging to a substantive standing in the main clause, may be placed either in the relative clause (if either is emphatic) or in the main clause. Two adjectives may be divided between the two clauses. The substantives may remain in the main clause or be transferred to the relative clause. Thus, τὸ τείχισμα δ̀ ἦν αὐτόθι τῶν Συρᾱκοσίων αἱροῦσι they captured the fort of the Syracusans which was there T. 7.43, ὧν ἐγὼ ἤθελον τούτῳ ταύτην ἥτις εἴη μεγίστη πίστις δοῦναι of which I was willing to offer to the plaintiff the assurance that was most solemn D. 52.12, ἐπιδεῖξαι . . . τὴν δικαίᾱν ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀπολογίᾱ to show what the fair line of defence is 19. 203, ἔφρῑξεν δὲ μάχη . . . ἐγχείῃσιν μακρῇς, ᾱ̔̀ς εἶχον ταμεσίχροας and the battle bristled with the long spears, the flesh-piercing spears, which they grasped N 339.

a. From the transference of superlatives to the relative clause arise such expressions as ἤγαγον συμμάχους ὁπόσους πλείστους ἐδυνάμην (1087). Similarly ὡς τάχιστα (scil. δύνασαι or the like) as soon as, as soon as possible, ἐπεὶ (ὅτε) τάχιστα as soon as.