Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

---

---

---

FREE USES OF THE ACCUSATIVE

ACCUSATIVE OF RESPECT

[*] 1600. To verbs denoting a state, and to adjectives, an accusative may be added to denote a thing in respect to which the verb or adjective is limited.

a. The accusative usually expresses a local relation or the instrument. The word restricted by the accusative usually denotes like or similar to, good or better, bad or worse, a physical or a mental quality, or an emotion.

[*] 1601. The accusative of respect is employed

a. Of the parts of the body: ““ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν δάκτυλον ἀλγεῖ” the man has a pain in his finger” P. R. 462d, ““τυφλὸς τά τ᾽ ὦτα τόν τε νοῦν τά τ᾽ ὄμματ᾽ εἶ” blind art thou in ears, and mind, and eyes” S. O. T. 371, πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς Hom.

N.—The accusative of the part in apposition to the whole (985) belongs here, as is seen by the passive. Cp. ““τὸν πλῆξ᾽ αὐχένα” him he smote on the neck” Λ 240 (βάλε θοῦρον Ἄρηα κατ᾽ αὐχένα Φ 406) with βέβληαι κενεῶνα thou art smitten in the abdomen E 284.

b. Of qualities and attributes (nature, form, size, name, birth, number, etc.): ““διαφέρει γυνὴ ἀνδρὸς τὴν φύσιν” woman differs from man in nature” P. R. 453b, ““οὐδὲ ἔοικεν θνητὰ_ς ἀ_θανάτῃσι δέμας καὶ εἶδος ἐρίζειν” nor is it seemly that mortal women should rival the immortals in form and appearance” ε 213, ποταμός, Κύδνος ὄνομα, εὖρος δύο πλέθρων a river, Cydnus by name, two plethra in width X. A. 1.2.23 (so with ὕψος, βάθος, μέγεθος), πλῆθος ὡς δισχί_λιοι about two thousand in number 4. 2. 2, ““λέξον ὅστις εἶ γένος” tell me of what race thou art” E. Bacch. 460.

c. Of the sphere in general: ““δεινοὶ μάχην” terrible in battle” A. Pers. 27, ““γένεσθε τὴν διάνοιαν” transfer yourselves in thought” Aes. 3.153, ““τὸ μὲν ἐπ᾽ ἐμοὶ οἴχομαι, τὸ δ᾽ ἐπὶ σοὶ σέσωσμαι” so far as I myself was concerned I was lost, but through you am saved” X. C. 5.4.11. Often of indefinite relations: ““πάντα κακός” base in all things” S. O. T. 1421, ““ταῦτα ἀγαθὸς ἕκαστος ἡμῶν, ἅπερ σοφός, ἃ δὲ ἀμαθής, ταῦτα δὲ κακός” each one of us is good in matters in which he is skilled, but bad in those in which he is ignorant” P. Lach. 194d.

[*] 1602. Very rarely after substantives: χεῖρας αἰχμητής a warrior valiant with (thy) arm π 242, ““νεα_νίαι τὰ_ς ὄψεις” youths by their appearance” L. 10.29.

[*] 1603. For the acccusative of respect the instrumental dative (1516) is also employed, and also the prepositions εἰς, κατά, πρός, e.g. διαφέρειν ἀρετῇ or εἰς ἀρετήν.

[*] 1604. Not to be confused with the accusative of respect is the accusative after intransitive adjectives (1565) or after the passives of 1632.

[*] 1605. The accusative of respect is probably in its origin, at least in part, an accusative of the internal object.

ADVERBIAL ACCUSATIVE

[*] 1606. Many accusatives marking limitations of the verbal action serve the same function as adverbs.

[*] 1607. Most of these adverbial accusatives are accusatives of the internal object: thus, in τέλος δὲ εἶπε but at last he said, τέλος is to be regarded as standing in apposition to an unexpressed object of the verb—words, which were the end. Many adverbial accusatives are thus accusatives in apposition (991) and some are accusatives of respect (1600). It is impossible to apportion all cases among the varieties of the accusatives; many may be placed under different heads. The use of adjectives as adverbs (μέγα πλούσιος very rich) is often derived from the cognate accusative with verbs (μέγα πλουτεῖν).

[*] 1608. Manner.—τρόπον τινά in some way, τίνα τρόπον in what way? τόνδε (τοῦτον) τὸν τρόπον in this way, πάντα τρόπον in every way (also παντὶ τρόπῳ), τὴν ταχίστην (ὁδόν) in the quickest way, τὴν εὐθεῖαν (ὁδόν) straightforward, προῖκα, δωρεά_ν gratis (1616), δίκην after the fashion of (““δίκην τοξότου” like an archer” P. L. 705e), πρόφασιν in pretence (““ἔπλεε πρόφασιν ἐπ᾽ Ἑλλησπόντου” he sailed professedly for the Hellespont” Hdt. 5.33), χάριν for the sake of (lit. favour）: ““οὐ τὴν Ἀθηναίων χάριν ἐστρατεύοντο” did not engage in the expedition out of good will to the Athenians” Hdt. 5.99, ““τοῦ χάριν” for what reason?” Ar. Plut. 53, ““τὴν σὴν ἥκω χάριν” for thy sake I have come” S. Ph. 1413. Cp. 993.

[*] 1609. Measure and Degree.—μέγα, μεγάλα greatly, πολύ, πολλά much, τὸ πολύ, τὰ πολλά for the most part, ὅσον as much as, οὐδέν, μηδέν not at all, τοσοῦτον so much, τὶ somewhat, ἀρχήν or τὴν ἀρχήν at all with οὐ or μή (““ἐν τῷ παραχρῆμα οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρχὴν ὀρθῶς βουλεύεσθαι” it is utterly impossible to deliberate correctly offhand” Ant. 5.73).

[*] 1610. Motive.—τί why? τοῦτο, ταῦτα for this reason (cognate accus.): τί ἦλθες quid (cur) venisti = τίνα ἷξιν ἦλθες; τοῦτο χαίρω ( = ταύτην τὴν χαρὰ_ν χαίρω) therefore I rejoice, ““αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἥκω” for this very reason have I come” P. Pr. 310e, ““τοῦτ᾽ ἄχθεσθε” for this reason you are vexed” X. A. 3.2.20.

[*] 1611. Time and Succession (1582): τὸ νῦν now, τὸ πάλαι of old, πρότερον before, τὸ πρότερον the former time, πρῶτον first, τὸ κατ᾽ ἀρχά_ς in the beginning, τὸ πρῶτον in the first place, τὸ τελευταῖον in the last place (for τὸ δεύτερον in a series use ἔπειτα or ἔπειτα δέ), τὸ λοιπόν for the future, ἀκμήν at the point, just, καιρόν in season.