Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek

Names of nations, inhabitants of cities, etc., as such do not require the article. “Ἕλληνες”, however, in the course of time came to be viewed as an adjective, in contrast with “βάρβαροι”, and regularly took the article, but in Herodotus it is treated like any other national appellative.

“Ὀλυνθίους ἀπήλαυνόν τινες ἐνθένδε”, DEM.2.6. “Φωκεῖς ἀπολώλασιDEM., 19.125. τετταράκοντ᾽ ἔτη τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἦρͅξανDEM., 3.24. οὗτοι δὲ ὑπὸ μὲν Ἑλλήνων καλέονται Σύριοι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων Ἀσσύριοι ἐκλήθησαν”, HDT.7.63（“Ἑλλήνων” without article in spite of contrast with “τῶν βαρβάρων”).

DEM.2.6(see above). 7: “τὴν δ᾽ Ὀλυνθίων φιλίαν . . . Θετταλοὺς δὲ κτἑ. 3.24: ἐκεῖνοι τοίνυν . . . τετταράκοντ᾽ ἔτη τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἦρξαν . . . ὑπήκουεν . . . αὐτοῖς βασιλεύς, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ προσῆκον βάρβαρον” (a barbarian） “Ἕλλησι” (to Greeks). 6.2: “Φίλιππον . . . πᾶσι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐπιβουλεύοντα”.

LYS.13.8: “ἔλεγον ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἕτοιμοι εἶεν τὴν εἰρήνην ποιεῖσθαι Λακεδαιμόνιοι” . 19.48: “Καλλίας τοίνυν ὁ Ἱππονίκου . . . πλεῖστα τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐδόκει κεκτῆσθαι” .

PLATO, Legg. 698B: “ὅτε ἡ Περσῶν ἐπίθεσις τοῖς Ἕλλησιν . . . ἐγίγνετο”. Menex. 240 C: “οὔτ᾽ Ἐρετριεῦσιν ἐβοήθησεν Ἑλλήνων οὐδεὶς οὔτε Ἀθηναίοις πλὴν Λακεδαιμονίων”. E: “οἱ Ἕλληνες”. 241 A: “τοῖς Ἕλλησιν”. B: “τῶν Ἑ.” and so regularly. 242 C: “πάντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων”. Rpb. 471 B: “πρὸς δὲ τοὺς βαρβάρους ὡς νῦν οἱ Ἕλληνες πρὸς ἀλλήλους”.

XEN. Cyr. 1.4.27: “καὶ γὰρ νῦν ἔτι τοῦτο ποιοῦσι Πέρσαι” . Hell. 1.6.14: “οὐκ ἔφη ἑαυτοῦ γε ἄρχοντος οὐδέν᾽ ἂν Ἑλλήνων ἀνδραποδισθῆναι” (“οὐδεὶς Ἑλλήνων”, no one that is a Greek, very different from “οὐδεὶς τῶν Ἑ.”, none of the Greeks). 6.1.8: “εὐπετῶς ἂν ἐγὼ ταγὸς Θετταλῶν ἁπάντων κατασταίην” . 10: “Βοιωτοί γε . . . Λακεδαιμονίοις . . . καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι” . 5.34: “ἀναμιμνῄσκοντες δὲ ὡς Ἀθηναῖοί τε ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ᾑρέθησαν ἡγεμόνες τοῦ ναυτικοῦ . . . αὐτοί τε κατὰ γῆν ὁμολογουμένως ὑφ᾽ ἁπάντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡγεμόνες προκριθείησαν” .

According to Schmidt, l.c. p. 21, “Ἕλληνες” is used with the article 90 times (15 of the 90 with a modifier), and seven times without the article where the article might have been expected. 1.25.4: “τοῖς Ἑλλήνων πλουσιωτάτοις”. [So 1.31.2: “ἦσαν γὰρ οὐδενὸς Ἑλλήνων ἔνσπονδοι. 41.1: κατὰ τοὺς Ἑλλήνων” (v. l. with art.) “νόμους. 69.4: ἡσυχάζετε γὰρ μόνοι Ἑλλήνων. 89.2: Μῆδοι . . . νικηθέντες . . . ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων. 137.4: κακὰ . . . πλεῖστα Ἑλλήνων” (v. l. w. art.) “εἴργασμαι τὸν ὑμέτερον οἶκον. 138.2: οὐδείς πω Ἑλλήνων” (v. l. w. art.)]. 1.54.2: “ἑκάτεροι . . . Κορίνθιοι . . . Κερκυραῖοι . . . καὶ ἐπειδὴ Ἀθηναῖοι ἦλθον. 6.69.3: Συρακόσιοι μὲν . . . τῶν δὲ ἐναντίων Ἀ θηναῖοι μὲν . . . Ἀργεῖοι δὲ κτἑ”.

HDT.1.1: “τὸ καὶ Ἕλληνες λέγουσι. 2: λέγουσι Πέρσαι οὐκ ὡς Ἕλληνες . . . Ἑλλήνων τινάς. 3: τοῖσι Ἕλλησι. 4: Ἕλληνας δὴ . . . Ἕλληνας δὲ Λακεδαιμονίης εἵνεκεν γυναικὸς στόλον μέγαν συναγεῖραι. 5: ἐς τοὺς Ἕλληνας” (twice). 6: “τοὺς μὲν κατεστρέψατο Ἑλλήνων . . . τοὺς δὲ φίλους προσεποιήσατο . . . πρὸ δὲ τῆς Κροίσου ἀρχῆς πάντες Ελληνες ἦσαν ἐλεύθεροι. 7: Κανδαύλης, τὸν οἱ Ἕλληνες Μυρσίλον ὀνομάζουσι”. (In the more than 30 occurrences of “Ἕλληνες” in book 1, the article is omitted three times as often as it is used. In the seventh, in which “Ἕλληνες” is used more than 100 times, there is a slight preponderance of the articular form due to its frequent use in referring to the Greek army or navy as opposed to the Persian invaders.) 1.82: “βοηθησάντων δὲ Ἀργείων τῇ σφετέρῃ ἀποταμνομένῃ . . . ὑπελείποντο . . . Ἀργείων μὲν Ἀλκήνωρ τε καὶ Χρόμιος, Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ Ὀθρυάδης”. 7.63 (see above).

AR. Ach. 177: “δεῖ γάρ με φεύγοντ᾽ ἐκφυγεῖν Ἀχαρνέας”. Nub. 413: “ἐν Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τοῖς Ἕλλησι” . Ran. 724: “ἔν τε τοῖς Ἕλλησι καὶ τοῖς βαρβάροισι πανταχοῦ”. So “Ἕ.” regularly with article except with “πάντες”, Ach. 529: “Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν”, elsew., and the rare exception Pax, 203-4: “ἐξῳκίσαντο δ᾽ οἱ θεοὶ τίνος οὕνεκα”; | “Ἕλλησιν ὀργισθέντες”. (See Uckermann, l.c., pp. 5 ff.)

For the Articular National Appellative in the singular used collectively, or used of the king, ruler, or general, see §§ 57 and 58.