Dative
1. Used as the indirect object. 2. Expresses how or with what something is done. 3. Expresses relationships of place where and time when. These relationships can be expressed by the English prepositions to or for, with or by, and in or at.- Indirect Object: Used as the indirect object of a verb. Smyth 1469-1470 “Κῦρος δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ἓξ μηνῶν μισθόν” Xen. Anab. 1.1.10; Cyrus gives pay for six months to him
- Possessor: Denotes possession with verbs such as γίγνομαι and εἰμί. Smyth 1476-1480 “ἄλλοις μὲν χρήματά ἐστι, ἡμῖν δὲ ξύμμαχοι ἀγαθοί” Thuc. 1.86; others have riches, we have good allies
- Advantage or Disadvantage: Describes the person or thing for (or against) whom an action is done. Smyth 1481-1486 “ἄλλῳ ὁ τοιοῦτος πλουτεῖ, καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ” Plat. Menex. 246e; such a man is rich for another, and not for himself
- Ethical: A dative personal pronoun denotes the interest of the speaker or the one being spoken to in the action of a statement. Smyth 1486-1487 “τοιοῦτο ὑμῖν ἐστι ἡ τυραννίς” Hdt. 5.92; such a thing, you know, is despotism
- Agent: Denotes agency with either verbal adjectives ending in -τέος or passive verbs in the perfect or pluperfect tenses. Smyth 1488-1494 “τοσαῦτά μοι εἰρήσθω” Lys. 24.4; let so much have been said by me
- Attendant Circumstance: Denotes the manner in which an action takes place. Smyth 1527 “πολλῇ βοῇ προσέκειντο” Thuc. 4.127; they attacked with loud shouts
- Respect: Denotes the respect or attendant circumstance in which an action is true. Smyth 1516 “ἀσθενὴς τῷ σώματι” Dem. 21.165; weak in body
- Means: Denotes the means with which something is done. Smyth 1507-1511 “ἐζημίωσαν χρήμασιν” Thuc. 2.65; they punished him by a fine
- Degree of Difference: Denotes the degree of difference with words containing an idea of comparison. Smyth 1513-1515 “οὐ πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ὕστερον ἦλθεν” Xen. Hell. 1.1.1; he arrived not many days later
- Accompaniment: Denotes accompaniment, frequently with the preposition σύν. Most common in military situations. Smyth 1524-1525 “ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ ἡγουμένῳ” Plat. Rep. 474c; to follow the leader
- Time When: Denotes the point of time when an action takes place. Smyth 1540-1543 “ταύτην μὲν τὴν ἡμέραν αὐτοῦ ἔμειναν, τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ κτλ” Xen. Hell. 1.1.14-14; . throughout that day they waited there, but on the day following, etc.
- Place Where: Denotes the place where an action takes place. Most common in poetry. Smyth 1530-1538 “γῇ ἔκειτο” Soph. OT 1266; she lay on the ground
- With compound verbs: The dative is used as the direct object of many verbs compounded with the prepositions ἐν, σύν, and ἐπί and less frequently with the prepositions πρός, παρά, περί, and ὑπό. Smyth 1544-1550 “ἐλπίδας ἐμποιεῖν ἀνθρώποις” Xen. Cyrop. 1.6.19; to create expectations in men
