Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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[*] 2863. Comparative ἤ than is used to mark difference. It stands after comparatives where the genitive or a preposition (1069 ff.) is not used, and after words indicating difference or diversity or having a comparative force, e.g., ἄλλος or ἕτερος other, ἄλλως otherwise, διάφορος different, διαφέρειν to be different, ἐναντίος contrary, διπλάσιος twice as much, πρίν sooner.

““ἄλλα ἢ τὰ γενόμενα” things different from what occurred” X. C. 3.1.9, ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἢ ἐκ γῆς ἐναυμάχουν T. 4.14 (2778 a), τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ δεῖ με ἀποθνῄσκειν ἢ ᾗ ἂν ἔλθῃ τὸ πλοῖον I must die the day after (that on which) the ship arrives P. Cr. 44a (here ἤ or ᾗ might be omitted), τἀ_ναντία . . . ἢ τοὺς κύνας ποιοῦσι differently from the way they treat dogs X. A. 5.8.24, ““τὸν ἥμισυν σῖτον ἢ πρόσθεν” half as much corn as before” X. H. 5.3.21.

a. After τί or a negative, ἤ may be used without ἄλλος, as τί ποιῶν ἢ εὐωχούμενος; doing what else except feasting? P. Cr. 53e, ““εἶπε μηδένα παριέναι ἢ τοὺς φίλους” he said that they should let no one pass except his friends” X. C. 7.5.41.

b. Often after verbs of willing, choosing, etc.; as ““θάνατον μετ᾽ ἐλευθερία_ς αἱρούμενοι ἢ βίον μετὰ δουλεία_ς” preferring death with freedom rather than life with servitude” L. 2.62. Here we might have μᾶλλον ἤ, which is usually not separated, and especially when μᾶλλον belongs to the whole sentence.

c. If two clauses connected by ἤ have the same verb it may be omitted in the clause following ἤ; as ἔπρα_ττες ἀλλοῖον ἢ οἱ πολλοί (πρά_ττουσι) you behaved differently from the rest P. A. 20c.

d. On ἢ ὥστε (ὡς), or ἤ alone, than so as to, see 2264.