Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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[*] 1069. The comparative degree may be followed by the genitive (1431) or by ἤ than: σοφώτερος ἐμοῦ or σοφώτερος ἢ ἐγώ wiser than I. The genitive may precede or follow the comparative. With ἤ, the persons or things compared usually stand in the same case, and always so when they are connected by the same verb: ““φιλῶ γὰρ οὐ σὲ μᾶλλον ἢ δόμους ἐμούς” for I do not love thee more than my own house” E. Med. 327.

a. The genitive is usual if two subjects would have the same verb in common; as οἱ Κρῆτες βραχύτερα τῶν Περσῶν ἐτόξευον the Cretans shot a shorter distance than the Persians ( = ἢ οἱ Πέρσαι) X. A. 3.3.7.

b. When two objects have the same verb in common: if the object stands (1) in the accusative, the genitive is preferred, as ““ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ Κῦρος, οὕστινας ἂν ὁρᾷ ἀγαθούς, φιλεῖν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἑαυτοῦ” Cyrus seems to me to love all whom he finds excellent quite as much as he loves himself” X. C. 2.3.12, but the accusative is not uncommon, as E. Med. 327 quoted above; (2) in the dative, the genitive is frequent, as ““προσήκει μοι μᾶλλον ἑτέρων . . . ἄρχειν” it behooves me rather than others to rule” T. 6.16; (3) in the genitive, the genitive is very rare (X. M. 4.3.10). Here ἤ is preferred to the genitive for the sake of euphony: οἱ γὰρ πονηροὶ πολὺ πλειόνων εὐεργεσιῶν ἢ οἱ χρηστοὶ (not τῶν χρηστῶν) ““δέονται” for the wicked need more favours than the good” X. M. 2.6.27.

c. The genitive is often used where ἤ would be followed by some other case than nominative or accusative, or by a preposition: ταῦτα τοῖς ὁπλί_ταις οὐχ ἧσσον τῶν ναυτῶν ( = ἢ τοῖς ναύταις) ““παρακελεύομαι” I address these exhortations to the hoplites not less than to the sailors” T. 7.63, (δεῖ βλέπειν) εἰς τὴν ἐμπειρία_ν μᾶλλον τῆς ἀρετῆς ( = ἢ εἰς τὴν ἀρετήν) we must look at skill more than (at) courage Aristotle, Politics 1309 b 5.

d. ἐλά_ττων (χείρων, ἐνδεέστερος, ὕστερος, etc.) οὐδενός inferior to none, greater than all; here ἤ is not used). Thus, ““δουλεύειν δουλεία_ν οὐδεμιᾶς ἧττον αἰσχρά_ν” to endure a most disgraceful slavery” X. M. 1.5.6.