ADJECTIVES

1021

An attributive adjective (or participle) generally with the article, often dispenses with its substantive, and thus itself acquires the value of a substantive.

a. This occurs when the substantive may be supplied from the context; when it is a general notion; or when it is omitted in common expressions of a definite character, when the ellipsis is conscious.

1022

Masculine or feminine, when the substantive is a person: ὁ δίκαιος the just man, δίκαιος a just man, οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι the Athenians, οἱ πολλοί the many, the rabble, οἱ ὀλίγοι the oligarchical party, οἱ βουλόμενοι all who will, ἡ καλή the beautiful woman, ἡ τεκοῦσα the mother (poet., E. Alc. 167), ἐκκλησιάζουσαι women in assembly.

1023

Neuter, when the substantive idea is thing in general: τὸ ἀγαθόν the (highest) good P. R. 506b (but

), , τὸ κοινόν the commonwealth Ant. 3. β. 3, , , , .

1024

In words denoting a collection (996) of persons or facts:

, , (and many words in -ικόν), ; and in words denoting festivals ( ).

1025

With participles, especially in Thucydides:

, τῆς πόλεως τὸ τῑμώμενον the dignity of the State 2. 63. The action of the verb is here represented as taking place under particular circumstances or at a particular time. These participles are not dead abstractions, but abstract qualities in action.

1026

A substantivized adjective may appear in the neuter plural as well as in the neuter singular:

, , ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων to the greatest part of mankind 1. 1, ἐς τοῦτο δυστυχίᾱς to this degree of misfortune 7. 86 (cp. 1325).

a. On the construction of

, see 1313.

1027

In common expressions a definite noun is often implied (such as ἡμέρᾱ day, ὁδός way, χείρ hand).

a. Masculine: κόλπος gulf, ὁ Ἰόνιος the Ionian gulf T. 6.34, στρατός force, ὁ πεζός the land force 1. 47.

b. Feminine: γῆ land ( χώρᾱ country)—ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν from their own country T. 1.15; οὔθ᾽ ἡ Ἑλλὰς οὔθ᾽ ἡ βάρβαρος neither Greece nor barbaric land D. 9.27; γνώμη judgment: κατὰ τὴν ἐμήν according to my opinion Ar. Eccl. 153, ἐκ τῆς νῑκώσης according to the prevailing opinion X. A. 6.1.18; δίκη suit:

; ἡμέρᾱ day: , ; κέρας wing: τὸ εὐώνυμον the left wing T. 4.96; μερίς part: εἰκοστή a twentieth 6. 54; μοῖρα portion: ἡ πεπρωμένη (I. 10.61) or ἡ εἱμαρμένη (D. 18.205) the allotted portion, destiny; ναῦς ship: ἡ τριήρης the ship with three banks of oars; ὁδός way: εὐθείᾳ by the straight road P. L. 716a, τὴν ταχίστην by the shortest way X. A. 1.3.14; τέχνη art: μουσική the art of music P. L. 668a; χείρ hand: ἐν δεξιᾷ on the right hand X. A. 1.5.1, ἐξ ἀριστέρᾱς on the left 4. 8. 2; ψῆφος vote:

τὴν ἐναντίᾱν Νῑκίᾳ ἔθετο

he voted in opposition to Nicias

(P. Lach. 184d)

.

1028

The context often determines the substantive to be supplied: τοῦτον ἀνέκραγον ὡς ὀλίγᾱς (πληγὰ̄ς) παίσειεν they shouted that he had dealt him (too, 1063) few blows X. A. 5.8.12, τρία τάλαντα καὶ χῑλίᾱς (δραχμά̄ς) three talents and a thousand drachmas D. 27.34; cp. a dollar and twenty (cents). Cp. 1572.

1029

From such substantivized adjectives arose many prepositional and adverbial expressions of whose source the Greeks themselves had probably lost sight. Many of these seem to be analogues of phrases once containing ὁδός:

(i.e. the way leading elsewhere than the goal), , ἀπὸ τῆς ἴσης on an equality 1. 15, ἐξ ἐναντίᾱς from an opposite direction, facing 7. 44.

1030

An attributive adjective belonging to more than one substantive agrees with the nearest:

. In some cases it is repeated with each substantive (often for emphasis): .

1031

But occasionally the adjective agrees with the more important substantive:

.

1032

Of two adjectives with one substantive, one may stand in closer relation to the substantive, while the other qualifies the expression thus formed:

.

1033

If one substantive has several attributive adjectives, these are sometimes added without a conjunction (by Asyndeton): κρέᾱ ἄρνεια, ἐρίφεια, χοίρεια flesh of lambs, kids, swine X. A. 4.5.31. This is commoner in poetry, especially when the adjectives are descriptive: ἔγχος βρῑθὺ μέγα στιβαρόν a spear heavy, huge, stout Π 141.

1034

Two adjectives joined by καί may form one combined notion in English, which omits the conjunction. So often with πολύς to emphasize the idea of plurality:

, .

a. καλὸς κἀ̄γαθός means an aristocrat (in the political sense), or is used of a perfect quality or action (in the moral sense) as T. 4.40, P. A. 21d.

1035

An attributive adjective is often used in poetry instead of the attributive genitive: βίη Ἡρᾱκληείη B 658 the might of Heracles (cp. “a Niobean daughter” Tennyson); rarely in prose:

.

1036

An attributive adjective belonging logically to a dependent genitive is often used in poetry with a governing substantive:

(for strife of kindred men). Rarely in prose in the case of the possessive pronoun: .

1037

An attributive adjective may dispense with its substantive when that substantive is expressed in the context: μετέχει τῆς καλλίστης (τέχνης)

.

1038

A substantivized participle may take the genitive rather than the case proper to the verb whence it is derived:

; contrast .

1039

Adjectives used substantively may take an attributive:

.

1063

The positive, used to imply that something is not suited or inadequate for the purpose in question, is especially common before an infinitive with or without ὥστε (ὡς): (τὸ ὕδωρ) ψῡχρόν ἐστιν ὥστε λούσασθαι the water is too cold for bathing X. M. 3.13.3, νῆες ὀλίγαι ἀμύ̄νειν ships too few to defend T. 1.50, μακρὸν ἂν εἴη μοι λέγειν it would take too long for me to state And. 2.15.

1064

A positive adjective followed by the genitive of the same adjective has, in poetry, the force of a superlative:

.

1065

μᾶλλον ἤ rather than, more . . . than may be used after a positive:

.

1066

The comparative expresses contrast or comparison. Thus, δεξίτερος is right in contrast to its opposite, ἀριστερός left. Cp. 1082 b. Usually comparison is expressed, as

.

a. When the positive precedes, μα῀λλον alone may stand for the comparative; as in ἐκεῖνοί τε ἄξιοι ἐπαίνου καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον (i.e. ἀξιώτεροι)

.

b. The persons or things with which comparison is made may include all others of the same class: ἡμῶν ὁ γεραίτερος the elder (= eldest) of us X. C. 5.1.6.

1067

The comparative is sometimes used merely as an intensive and does not differ essentially from the positive: τούτων καταδεέστερος at a disadvantage with (inferior to) these men D. 27.2.

1068

For the use of μᾶλλον instead of the comparative, and μάλιστα instead of the superlative, see 323. When either form can be used, that with μᾶλλον or μάλιστα is more emphatic. Thucydides sometimes uses πλέον (τι), τὸ πλέον instead of μᾶλλον.

1069

The comparative degree may be followed by the genitive (1431) or by ἤ than: σοφώτερος ἐμοῦ or σοφώτερος ἢ ἐγώ wiser than I. The genitive may precede or follow the comparative. With ἤ, the persons or things compared usually stand in the same case, and always so when they are connected by the same verb:

.

a. The genitive is usual if two subjects would have the same verb in common; as οἱ Κρῆτες βραχύτερα τῶν Περσῶν ἐτόξευον the Cretans shot a shorter distance than the Persians ( = ἢ οἱ Πέρσαι) X. A. 3.3.7.

b. When two objects have the same verb in common: if the object stands (1) in the accusative, the genitive is preferred, as

, but the accusative is not uncommon, as E. Med. 327 quoted above; (2) in the dative, the genitive is frequent, as ; (3) in the genitive, the genitive is very rare (X. M. 4.3.10). Here ἤ is preferred to the genitive for the sake of euphony: οἱ γὰρ πονηροὶ πολὺ πλειόνων εὐεργεσιῶν ἢ οἱ χρηστοὶ (not τῶν χρηστῶν) .

c. The genitive is often used where ἤ would be followed by some other case than nominative or accusative, or by a preposition: ταῦτα τοῖς ὁπλί̄ταις οὐχ ἧσσον τῶν ναυτῶν ( = ἢ τοῖς ναύταις)

παρακελεύομαι

I address these exhortations to the hoplites not less than to the sailors

(T. 7.63)

, (δεῖ βλέπειν) εἰς τὴν ἐμπειρίᾱν μᾶλλον τῆς ἀρετῆς ( = ἢ εἰς τὴν ἀρετήν) we must look at skill more than (at) courage Aristotle, Politics 1309 b 5.

d. ἐλά̄ττων (χείρων, ἐνδεέστερος, ὕστερος, etc.) οὐδενός inferior to none, greater than all; here ἤ is not used). Thus,

δουλεύειν δουλείᾱν οὐδεμιᾶς ἧττον αἰσχρά̄ν

to endure a most disgraceful slavery

(X. M. 1.5.6)

.

1070

The word following ἤ may be the subject of a new verb (expressed or understood): ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ κρείττονος διδασκάλου πεπαιδεύμεθα ἢ οὗτοι we have been educated by a better teacher than they (have been) X. C. 2.3.13; but this word is more often attracted into the case of the preceding word: τινὲς καὶ ἐκ δεινοτέρων ἢ τοιῶνδε ( = ἢ τοιάδε ἐστίν)

. The genitive is also common without ἤ: .

1071

ὡς for ἤ is rare, and suspected by some. But cp. A. Pr. 629, P. A. 30b, 36 d, R. 526 c.

1072

μᾶλλον ἤ may be used though a comparative precedes: αἱρετώτερόν ἐστι μαχομένους ἀποθνῄσκειν μᾶλλον ἤ φεύγοντας σῴζεσθαι it is more desirable for men to die fighting (rather) than to save themselves by running away X. C. 3.3.51. Here μᾶλλον ἤ is to be taken with the verb.

1073

Instead of the genitive or ἤ, the prepositions ἀντί, πρό (w. gen.) or πρός, παρά (w. accus.) are sometimes used with the comparative: κατεργάσασθαι αἱρετώτερον εἶναι τὸν καλὸν θάνατον ἀντὶ τοῦ αἰσχροῦ βίου to make a noble death more desirable than (instead of) a shameful life X. R. L. 9.1, μὴ παῖδας περὶ πλείονος ποιοῦ πρὸ τοῦ δικαίου do not consider children of more account than (before) justice P. Cr. 54b, χειμὼν μείζων παρὰ τὴν καθεστηκυῖαν ὥρᾱν a cold too severe for (in comparison with) the actual time of year T. 4.6.

1074

In statements of number and measure ἤ may be omitted after the adverbial comparatives πλέον (πλεῖν) more, ἔλᾱττον (μεῖον) less, which do not alter their case and number: πέμπει οὐκ ἔλᾱττον δέκα φέροντας πῦρ he sends not less than ten men carrying fire X. H. 4.5.4, πόλις πλέον πεντακισχῑλίων ἀνδρῶν a city of more than 5000 men 5. 3. 16. Even when ἤ is kept, πλέον (πλεῖν), etc., remains unchanged: ἐν πλεῖν ( = πλείοσιν)

, .

a. In place of the adverbial πλέον, etc., we find also the adjectival forms with or without ἤ or with the genitive:

, ἔτη γεγονὼς πλείω ἑβδομήκοντα more than 70 years old P. A. 17d, .

1075

The genitive sometimes occurs together with ἤ, and either when the genitive has a separate construction, or is a pronoun to which the ἤ clause stands as an appositive, or of which it is explanatory. Thus,

(here πλέον is treated as a substantive), τίς γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ταύτης μανίᾱ μείζων ἢ . . . ἡμᾶς κακῶς ποιεῖν; for what madness could be greater than (this) . . . to use us ill? Is. 1.20. Cp. 1070.

1076

Compendious Comparison.—The possessor, rather than the object possessed, may be put in the genitive after a comparative: εἰ δ᾽ ἡμεῖς ἱππικὸν κτησαίμεθα μὴ χεῖρον τούτων ( = τοῦ τούτων ἱππικοῦ) but if we should raise a cavalry-force not inferior to theirs X. C. 4.3.7.

1077

Comparison with a Noun representing a clause.—When one person or thing is to be compared, not with another person or thing in regard to its quality, but with an entire idea expressed by a clause (e.g. ἢ ὥστε with the infinitive, ἢ ὡς with the potential optative, or ἤ and a finite verb), this clause may be abridged into a substantive or a participle. Thus, πρᾶγμα ἐλπίδος κρεῖσσον an event beyond our expectations (too great to be expected) T. 2.64, προσωτέρω τοῦ καιροῦ προϊόντες advancing further than the proper measure (i.e. further than they should have gone) X. A. 4.3.34, ὡς τῶν γε παρόντων οὐκ ἂν πρά̄ξαντες χεῖρον in the belief that they could not fare worse than at present (ἢ τὰ παρόντα ἐστίν) T. 7.67.

1078

Reflexive Comparison.—The comparative followed by the reflexive pronoun in the genitive is used to denote that an object displays a quality in a higher degree than usual. The degree of increase is measured by comparison with the subject itself. αὐτός is often added to the subject:

, . Cp. 1093.

1079

Proportional Comparison.—After a comparative, ἢ κατά with the accusative (1690. 2 c), or ἢ ὥστε, ἢ ὡς, rarely ἤ alone, with the infinitive (not with the indicative), denote too high or too low a degree:

, (2264).

1080

Double Comparison.—Two adjectives (or adverbs) referring to the same subject, when compared with each other, are both put in the comparative; ἤ is always used:

, .

a. μᾶλλον may be used with the first adjective in the positive (cp. 1065), and ἤ before the second:

.

1081

A comparative may follow a positive to mark the contrast with it: καὶ μῑκρὰ καὶ μείζω both small and great(er) D. 21.14.

1082

The comparative may stand alone, the second part being implied.

a. That which is exceeded is indicated by the sense only: οἱ σοφώτεροι the wiser (those wiser than the rest); ἐν εἰρήνῃ αἱ πόλεις ἀμείνους τὰ̄ς γνώμᾱς ἔχουσιν in time of peace States are actuated by higher convictions (than in time of war) T. 3.82. So τι νεώτερον something new (more recent than that already known) P. Pr. 310a (often = a calamity or a revolutionary movement);

; and often where we supply is usual (right, fitting, etc.).

b. The Hom. θηλύτεραι γυναῖκες implies a comparison with men. In Κῦρος . . . ἐγεγόνει μητρὸς ἀμείνονος, πατρὸς δὲ ὑποδεεστέρου Cyrus was born of a mother of superior, but of a father of inferior race (Hdt. 1.91) the comparison is between the qualities of mother and father respectively. Cp. 313 b.

c. The comparative denotes excess:

.

d. The comparative is used to soften an expression (rather, somewhat):

, . Here the quality is compared with its absence or with its opposite.

1083

The comparative is often used where English requires the positive:

.

1084

Strengthened forms.—The comparative may be strengthened by ἔτι, πολλῷ, μακρῷ (1513), πολύ (1609), πολὺ ἔτι, etc. μᾶλλον is sometimes used with the comparative:

. So the correlative ὅσῳ, ὅσον: .

1085

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.

1086

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,

(ὅπως ἄριστα A. Ag. 600). ὅτι or ὥς is always added when a preposition precedes the superlative: . ὡς and ὅτι may be used together: .

a.With ὡς and ᾖ, rarely with ὅπῃ (not with ὅτι), a form of δύναμαι or οἷός τέ εἰμι, may be employed:

διηγήσομαι ὑ̄μῖν ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι διὰ βραχυτάτων

I will relate to you in the briefest terms I can

(I. 21.2)

.

1087

ὁ̂ιος may strengthen the superlative:

. If ὄσος or ὁπόσος take the place of οἷος, a form, or a synonym, of δύναμαι is usually added: . ὁποῖος is rare (Thuc., Plato).

1088

εἷς ἀνήρ in apposition to the person designated may be added to strengthen the superlative: Ἀντιφῶν πλεῖστα εἷς ἀνὴρ δυνάμενος ὠφελεῖν Antiphon being able to render (most aid as one man) aid beyond any other man T. 8.68.

1089

ἐν τοῖς is used before the superlative in all genders and numbers (esp. in Hdt., Thuc., Plato):

, ἐν τοῖς πλεῖσται δη᾽ νῆες ἅμ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἐγένοντο they had the very largest number of ships 3. 17.

1090

μάλιστα, or πλεῖστον, μέγιστον, occurs with the superlative:

. In poetry βαθυ- has the effect of a superlative: .

1091

καί even, πολλῷ, μακρῷ (1513), πολύ (1609), παρὰ πολύ, πάντα (τὰ πάντα), the correlative ὅσῳ also strengthen the superlative.

1092

In poetry (rarely in prose) a superlative may be strengthened by the addition of the genitive of the same adjective in the positive: ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε oh, vilest of the vile S. O. T. 334.

1093

Reflexive comparison (cp. 1078) occurs with the superlative:

.