Nouns, Adjectives, and Pronouns
Nominative
Used as the subject, predicate object, or independently in titles.
Genitive
1. limits the meaning of a noun
2. expresses the idea of source or separation.
These relationships can be expressed by the English prepositions
of or
from.
- Possession: Denotes possession or ownership Smyth 1297-1302
“ὁ Κύρου στόλος” Xen. Anab. 1.2.5; the expedition of Cyrus
- Partitive: Denotes the general class to which a specific noun belongs. Smyth 1306-1319
“οἱ ἄποροι τῶν πολιτῶν” Dem. 18.104; the needy among the citizens
- Quality: Denotes the quality of a person or thing. Used mainly as a predicate. Smyth 1320-1321
“οἱ δέ τινες τῆς αὐτῆς γνώμης ὀλίγοι κατέφυγον” Thuc. 3.70; but some few of the same opinion fled
- Explanation: Denotes the specific class to which a general noun belongs. Smyth 1322
“ἄελλαι παντοίων ἀνέμων” Hom. Od. 5.292; blasts of wind of every sort
- Material: Denotes the composition or contents of a noun. Smyth 1323-1324
“ἑξακόσια τάλαντα φόρου” Thuc. 2.13; six hundred talents in taxes
- Measure: Denotes the extent in space or time of a noun. Smyth 1325-1327
“ὀκτὼ σταδίων τεῖχος” Thuc. 7.2; a wall eight stades long
- Subjective: Denotes the subject of a verbal adjective expressed by a noun, usually with an active sense. Smyth 1330
“τῶν βαρβάρων φόβος” Xen. Anab. 1.2.17; the fear of the barbarians (which they feel: οἱ βάρβαροι φοβοῦνται)
- Objective: Denotes the object of a verbal action expressed by a noun, usually with a passive sense. Smyth 1331-1335
“φόβος τῶν Εἱλώτων” Thuc. 3.54 the fear of the Helots (felt towards them: φοβοῦνται τοὺς Εἵλωτας）
- Price or Value: Denotes the price or value of an object Smyth 1336-1337
“χιλίων δραχμῶν δίκην φεύγω” Dem. 55.25; I am defendant in an action involving a thousand drachma
- With Certain Verbs: The genitive is used as the object verbs that denote sharing, touching, beginning, aiming at, obtaining, smelling, remembering, hearing, perceiving, filing, ruling, differing, commanding, etc. Smyth 1341-1371
“τῆς θαλάττης ἐκράτει” Plat. Menex. 239e; he was master of the sea
- Charge: Denotes the crime with verbs of charging, summoning, and convicting. Smyth 1375-1379
“ἐμὲ ὁ Μέλητος ἀσεβείας ἐγράψατο” Plat. Euthyph. 5c; Meletus prosecuted me for impiety
- Separation: The genitive expresses the ideas of separation with verbs denoting to cease, be apart from, want, lack, etc. Smyth 1392-1400
“λήγειν τῶν πόνων” Isoc. 1.14; to cease from toil
- Comparison: Denotes the person or thing being compared when used with comparative adjectives, comparative adverbs or verbs expressing the idea of comparison. Smyth 1401-1404
“ἄρχων ἀγαθὸς οὐδὲν διαφέρει πατρὸς ἀγαθοῦ” Xen. Cyrop. 8.1.1; a good ruler differs in no respect from a good father
- Cause: The genitive expresses cause with verbs denoting wonder, admiration, anger, etc. Smyth 1405-1407
“τὸν ξένον δίκαιον αἰνέσαι προθυμίας” Eur. IA 1371; it is right to praise the stranger for his zeal
- Source: The genitive expresses the idea of source. Smyth 1410-1411
“πίθων ἠφύσσετο οἶνος” Hom. Od. 23.305; wine was broached from the casks
- Time or Place within which: The genitive denotes the time or place within which an event happens. Smyth 1444-1449
“ᾤχετο τῆς νυκτός” Xen. Anab. 7.2.17; he departed during the night
- Agency: The genitive with ὑπό expresses the agent of a passive verb. Smyth 1491
“περιερρεῖτο δ᾽ αὕτη ὑπὸ τοῦ Μάσκα κύκλῳ” Xen. Anab. 1.5.4; And this was encircled by the Mascas
- Purpose: The genitive articular infinitive can express purpose. Smyth 1408-1409
“τοῦ μὴ τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν” Dem. 18.107; in order not to do what was just
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
Accusative
Used as the direct object of a verb, or to communicate relationships of motion, space, or time.
Vocative
Used for exclamations and emphatic address.
