Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek

“Πόντος” always has the article even when it designates the country along the Black Sea. When “Εὔξεινος” is expressed, the forms are “ὁ Εὔξεινος τόντος” and “ὁ πόντος ὁ Εὔξεινος. Μαιῶτις” and “Προποντίς” always take the article, the former being accompained by the word “λίμνη”. For the Aegaean, the Greeks said “τὸ Αἰγαῖον πέλαγος, ὁ Αἰγαῖος πόντος”, and “τὸ Αἰγαῖον. ὁ Ἀδρίας” and “ἡ Σύρτις” are the rule. Other names of seas are adjectival; hence regularly “ἡ Ἐρυθρὰ θάλαττα, ἡ Κασπίη θάλασσα” (HDT. ), etc. “Ἑλλῄσποντος” prefers the article, which, however, is frequently omitted in prepositional phrases. “Ὠκεανός” and “Βόσπορος” seem to require the article, but “Βόσπορος” = Panticapaeum follows the usage of towns.

DEM.8.3: “περὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ὤν”. (So without article 8.9 attrib. “ἐν. 9.27 ἐπί” acc. 19.150 “ἐπί” gen. 162 “ἐν. 23.5 εἰς. 179 ἐν”. [50], 12 “εἰς”. 14. 52.) But 8.18: “οἴονται δεῖν τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον . . . παραδοῦναι Φιλίππῳ”. (So with the article 8.28 “εἰς”. 9.18 acc. 18.30 “εἰς”. 71 acc. 88. 93. 230. 241 gen. 19.180. 23.142 acc. 179. [50], 24 “ἐκ”.) [17], 20: “τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Πόντου πλοῖα”. (So always with the article: 20.31. [34], 6. [35], 3. 7. 18. 24. 25 bis. 32. 35 ter. 36 bis. 37. 50. 52. 53 ter. 37.6. 25. [50], 6. 19.) 20.29: “Λεύκωνα τὸν ἄρχοντα Βοσπόρου” (= Panticapaeum. Hence regularly without the article: 20.36. [34], 5. 11. 22. 23. 25. 27 bis. 28. 31. 34. 36. 41. 38.11. But with the article: 20.33. [34], 8 bis. 10 bis. 33. 36. 40).

AESCHIN.1.55: “καταπλεῖ δεῦρο ἐξ Ἑλλησπόντου” (so 56 “εἰς”. 3.51 attrib. “εἰς”. But 3.132: “ὁ τὸν Ἑ. ζεύξας”). 3.172: “ἀφικνεῖται εἰς Βόσπορον” ( = Panticapaeum).

ISOC.4.89: “τὸν . . . Ἑλλήσποντον ζεύξας”, but 119: “ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ” (so without article 5.62 attrib. “περί” acc. 7.64. 8.86 “ἐν”. 12.99. 15.108 attrib. “ἐν”. 18.59). 5.21: “πλὴν τῶν παρὰ τὸν Ἀδρίαν οἰκούντων. 15.224: ἐκ Σικελίας καὶ τοῦ Πόντου”. (So always with the article: 17.3 “εἰς. 5 ἐκ. 19 εἰς. 20. 21. 23. 35 εἰς, ἐν. 40 ἐκ. 45 εἰς. 56 ἐν”.)

LYS. [2] 28: “κατὰ τὸ στενότατον τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου” . 29 acc. {Without the article: [2], 58 “ἐν” . [6], 6 acc, enumeration. 47 “ἐν” . 12.42 “ἐξ” . 16.4 attrib. “ἐν”. 19. 16 attrib.(?) “ἐν”. [20], 29 “ἐν” . f. 4 “εἰς”.} 32.25: “ἀποπέμψας εἰς τὸν Ἀδρίαν ὁλκάδα” (so fr. 1.4).

ANDOC.1.76: “ἀναπλεῦσαι εἰς Ἑλλήσποντον. 3.21: ἐν Ἑ”.

PLATO, Gorg. 511D: “ἐκ τοῦ Πόντου”. (So Legg. 804 E: “γυναικῶν . . . τῶν περὶ τὸν Π”.) Legg. 699 A: “ἀκούοντες Ἄθω τε διορυττόμενον καὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ζευγνύμενον” (enumeration). Menex. 243 A: “ἐν ταῖς ναυ-” “μαχίαις ταῖς καθ᾽ Ἑ”. Rpb. 404 C: “ἐν Ἑ”. (but the words are rejected by some critics).

XEN. Ages. 2.1: “διαβὰς δὲ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον”. (So with article: Hell. 1.1.8 “ἔξω. 22 εἰς. 36 ἐν. 3.8 εἰς. 17 ἐν. 6.22 ἐπί” gen. 2.1.17 “πρός”. 21 nom. 2.2.5 “ἐκ”. 3.2.9 acc. 4.2.8. 8.26 “εἰς. 28 ἔξω. 34 ἐν”.) An. 1.1.9: “τοῖς Θρᾳξὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ Ἑλλήσποντον οἰκοῦσι”. (So without article Hell. 1.1.2 “εἰς. 9. 2.11 ἐπί” gen. 5.11 “ἔξω. 6.20 ἐπί” gen. 7.2 “ἐξ. 3.4.10 ἐπί” gen. 4.3.3. 8.6 attrib. “κατά” w. acc. 32 attrib. “ἐν”. 5.1.1 attrib. “περί” acc.) An. 4.8.22: “πόλιν . . . οἰκουμένην ἐν τῷ Εὐξείνῳ Πόντῳ”. (So with article Cyr. 8.6.21 nom. [8], 1 dat., but Oec. 20.27 (see below) omission of article is justified by enumeration.) An. 5.1.15: “ἀποδρὰς ᾤχετο ἔξω τοῦ Πόντου. 5.6.15: ἐν τῷ Π. 16: τοὺς περιοικοῦντας τὸν Π”. (So always with article 5.7.7 “ἔξω. 6.2.4 ἐκ”. 6.4.1 gen., “εἰς”. 5.20 nom. Hell. 1.1.22 attrib. “ἐκ. 2.2.1 εἰς. 4.8.27 ἐκ”. 31 attrib. “ἐκ”. 5.1.28. [R. A.] 2.7 “ἐν”.) Cyr. 8.6.20: “μέχρι Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάττης” (exceptional). 21: “ἡ Ἐρυθρὰ θάλαττα”. [8], 1: “τῇ Ἐρυθρᾷ θ”. Oec. 20.27: “καὶ Αἰγαῖον καὶ Εὔξεινον καὶ Σικελικὸν πόντον περῶντες” (omission of article justified by enumeration), but [R. A.] 2.7: “ἐν Σικελίᾳ . . . ἢ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ ἢ ἐν Κύπρῳ ἢ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἢ ἐν Λυδίᾳ ἢ ἐν τῷ Πόντῳ ἢ ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ἢ ἄλλοθί που”, article is used with “Πόντῳ” despite the enumeration).

THUC.1.89.2: “οἱ ἀπὸ . . . Ἑλλησπόντου ξύμμαχοι . . . ἀπέπλευσαν ἐξ Ἑλλησπόντου”. (So without the article: 1.128.3 attrib. “ἐν, ἐς”. 2.9.4 nom. in enumeration. 4.75.1 “περί” acc. 8.61.1 “ἐπί” gen. 86.4 acc., enumeration. 96.4 nom., enumeration.) But 2.67.1: “πέραν τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου” (so with article 3 acc. 96.1 [“ἐς . . . τὸν Ἑ”.]. 8.6.1 “ἐς”. 2 8.2. 22.1 “ἐπί” acc. 23.5. 39.2 “ἐς. 62.1 ἐν”. 3 gen. 79.3 “ἐκ”. 5 attrib. “ἀπό. 80.3 ἐς” bis. 4. 99 “ἐπί” acc. 100.1 “ἐς. 5 ἐκ”. 101.3 chorogr. gen. 103.2 “ἐς”. 106.1 nom. 108.3 “ἐς. 4 ἐν. 109.1 ἐπί” gen.). 1.98.2: “Σκῦρον τὴν ἐν τῷ Αἰγαίῳ νῆσον”. 2.96.1: [“ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινόν τε πόντον”] . . . “πρὸς θάλασσαν . . . τὴν τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου” (so with article 97.1 “ἐς. 5 μεταξὺ τοῦ Ἰονίου κόλπου καὶ τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου”). 3.2.2: “ἐκ τοῦ Πόντου” (so 4.75.1 “ἐς. 2 ἐς”, gen.). 4.109.2: “ἐς τὸ Αἰγαῖον πέλαγος”.

HDT.1.57: “ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ”. (So without article 4.76 “διά” gen. 137 attrib. “ἐν. 5.33 ἐπί” gen. 91 attrib. “ἐν. 117. 6.26 περί”. 140 attrib. “ἐν” (v.l. “ἐπί”). 7.33 attrib. “ἐν. 78. 137. 8.87 περί” acc. 109 “ἐπί” gen. 110 attrib. “ἐν. 9.98 ἐπί” gen. 107. 114. But with the article 4.38 “παρά” acc. 85 “ἐς”, nom. 86 nom. 95 acc. 5.11. 13 gen. 14 “ἐπί” acc. 23. 103 “ἐς”, acc. 117 “ἐκ”. 122 acc., “ἐπί” acc. 6.33 gen. bis. 43 “ἐπί” acc., “ἐς”, acc. 95 “ἰθύ”. 7.6 acc. 8 “β. 10 β” acc., “ἐς”. 33 acc. 35 acc. bis, gen. 36 gen. 45 acc. 54 “ἐς”, acc. 56 acc. 58 acc. 106 gen., attrib. “ἐκ”. 147 acc. 163. 8.51 gen. 97 “ἐς. 107. 108 ἐπί” acc. 109 “ἐς” bis. 111. 115. 117 acc. 118 “ἐς. 120 πρός” gen. 9.66 “ἐπί” acc. 101 nom. 114 “ἐς”. 115.) 1.72: “ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινον πόντον”. (So with article 2.33 gen. 34 attrib. “ἐν. 4.90. 6.33 ἐς”. 7.36 attrib. “πρός” gen., and in the form “ὁ πόντος ὁ Εὔξεινος”: 1.110 “πρός” gen. 3.93 “μέχρι”. 4, 46 nom. But without the article only 1.76: “κατὰ Σινώπην πόλιν τὴν ἐν Εὐξείνῳ πόντῳ”, where, however, Kallenberg would supply the article.) 1.104: “ἀπὸ τῆς λίμνης τῆς Μαιήτιδος”. (So 4.20 “ἐπί” gen. 100 gen. 101 “ἐπί” acc. 110 gen. 116 “ἀπό”; and in the form “ἡ Μαιῆτις λίμνη”: 4.3 “ἐς”. 21 gen. 120 “παρά” acc.) 1.163: “τόν τε Ἀδρίην” (so 4.33 “ἐπί” acc. 5.9: “ἀγχοῦ Ἐνετῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ Ἀ”.). 1.180: “ἐς τὴν Ἐρυθρὴν θάλασσαν” (so 189. 202 “καὶ ἡ Ἐρυθρή” (sc. “θάλασσα”). 2.158 “ἐς” bis. 159 “ἐπί” dat. 3.30 “ἐς”. 93 attrib. “ἐν. 4.39 ἐς”. 40 nom. 41 “ἐς. 42 ἐκ. 7.80 ἐκ. 89 ἐπί” dat.). 1.202: “ἐς τὴν Κασπίην θάλασσαν” (so ibid. nom. 203: “ἡ δὲ Κασπίη” (sc. “θ”.). 4.40 nom.). 2.21: “ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὠκεανοῦ” (so ibid. acc. 23 “περί” gen. 4.8 attrib. “ἐπί” dat., acc. But of course without article: 2.23. 4.36). 2.32: “νέμεται δὲ τὴν Σύρτιν τε καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἠῶ χώρην τῆς Σύρτιος” (so 150 “ἐς”. 4.169 gen. 173 “ἐντός”). 2.97: “τῇσι ἐν τῷ Αἰγαίῳ πόντῳ” (“κόλπῳ”, Pz) “νήσοισι”. (113: “ἐν τῷ Αἰγαίῳ. 7.36: πρὸς . . . τοῦ Αἰ”. 55 attrib. “πρὸς τὸ Αἰ”.) 4.8: “οἱ τὸν Πόντον οἰκέοντες . . . ἔξωτοῦ Π”. (so with article 10 acc. 38 “παρά” acc. 46 attrib. “ἐντός”. 81 gen. 85 acc. 86 gen. twice, nom. twice, gen. 87 acc. 89 “ἐς”. 95 acc. (omitted in some Mss.). 6.5 “ἐκ”. 26. 7.36 gen., attrib. “πρός” gen., “ἐς, ἐκ”. 55 attrib. “πρός” gen. 95 “ἐκ”. 147. Hence 4.99 for “τὸ ἐς Πόντον” Kallenberg suggested “τὸ ἐς πόντον”). 4.83: “ζεύγνυσθαι” (v.l. “ζευγνύναι”) “τὸν Θρηΐκιον Βόσπορον. 85: ἐπὶ τὸν Βόσπορον . . . ὁ Β”. (so 86 nom. 87 acc., gen. 88 gen. 89 acc. 118 gen. But 7.10 “γ”: “ζεύξας Βόσπορον τὸν Θρηΐκιον” and 20: “κατὰ Β”. (“κατὰ τὸν” B2d)). 4.85: “τείνει δ᾽ ἐς τὴν Προποντίδα ὁ Βόσπορος: ἡ δὲ Προποντὶς κτἑ”. (so 5.122 “ἐς τὴν Π”. and “τὴν Π”.).

AR. Nub. 271: “Ὠκεανοῦ πατρὸς ἐν τήπὸις” (name of divinity; similarly 277: “πατρὸς ἀπ᾽ Ὠκεανοῦ” ). 273: “Μαιῶτιν λίμνην ἔχετε” (poetic). Vesp. 700: “πόλεων ἄρχων πλείστων ἀπὸ τοῦ Πόντου μέχρι Σαρδοῦς”. Ran. 664-5: “Πόσειδον” . . . | “ὃς Αἰγαίου πρῶνας . . . μέδεις” (poetic).