Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

ADJECTIVES USED SUBSTANTIVELY

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 ““τὰ ἀγαθά” good things” L. 12.33), ““τὸ ἀληθές” truth” P. G. 473b, τὸ κοινόν the commonwealth Ant. 3. β. 3, ““τὸ ἐσόμενον” the future” Aes. 3.165, ““τὸ λεγόμενον” as the saying is” T. 7.68, ““ἀμφὶ μέσον ἡμέρα_ς” about mid-day” X. A. 4.4.1, ““ἐπὶ πολύ” over a wide space” T. 1.18.

[*] 1024. In words denoting a collection (996) of persons or facts: ““τὸ ὑπήκοον” the subjects” T. 6.69, ““τὸ βαρβαρικόν” the barbarian force” X. A. 1.2.1, ““τὸ ξυμμαχικόν” the allied forces” T. 4.77 (and many words in -ικόν), ““τὰ Ἑλληνικά” Greek history” T. 1.97; and in words denoting festivals (““τὰ Ὀλύμπια” the Olympian games” X. H. 7.4.28).

[*] 1025. With participles, especially in Thucydides: ““τὸ ὀργιζόμενον τῆς ὀργῆς” their angry feelings” T. 2.59, τῆς πόλεως τὸ τι_μώμενον 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: ““τὰ δεξιὰ τοῦ κέρα_τος” the right of the wing” X. A. 1.8.4, ““τῆς Σαλαμῖνος τὰ πολλά” the greater part of Salamis” T. 2.94, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων to the greatest part of mankind 1. 1, ἐς τοῦτο δυστυχία_ς to this degree of misfortune 7. 86 (cp. 1325).

a. On the construction of ““τῆς γῆς ἡ πολλή” the greater part of the land” T. 2.56, see 1313.

[*] 1027. In common expressions a definite noun is often implied (such as ἡμέρα_ 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 (χώρα_ 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 νι_κώσης according to the prevailing opinion X. A. 6.1.18; δίκη suit: ““ἐρήμην κατηγοροῦντες” bringing an accusation in a case where there is no defence” P. A. 18c; ἡμέρα_ day: ““τὴν ὑστεραία_ν” the next day” X. C. 1.2.11, ““τῇ προτεραίᾳ” the day before” L. 19.22; 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 ἀριστέρα_ς on the left 4. 8. 2; ψῆφος vote: ““τὴν ἐναντία_ν Νι_κίᾳ ἔθετο” he voted in opposition to Nicias” P. Lach. 184d.

[*] 1028. The context often determines the substantive to be supplied: τοῦτον ἀνέκραγον ὡς ὀλίγα_ς (πληγὰ_ς) παίσειεν they shouted that he had dealt him (too, 1063) few blows X. A. 5.8.12, τρία τάλαντα καὶ χι_λία_ς (δραχμά_ς) 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: ““τὴν ἄλλως ψηφίζεσθε” you vote to no purpose” D. 19.181 (i.e. the way leading elsewhere than the goal), ““ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης” at the very beginning” T. 7.43, ἀπὸ τῆς ἴσης on an equality 1. 15, ἐξ ἐναντία_ς from an opposite direction, facing 7. 44.