LESSON LIX: Comparison of Adjectives.

Comparison of Adjectives

541. Most adjectives add τερος to the stem to form the comparative, and τατος to form the superlative.

POSITIVE.COMPARATIVE.SUPERLATIVE.
πιστός (πιστο), faithfulπιστό-τερος more faithfulπιστό-τατος most faithful
πολέμιος (πολεμιο)hostileπολεμιώ-τερος more hostileπολεμιώ-τατος most hostile
ἀσφαλής (ἀσφαλεσ)safeἀσφαλέσ-τερος saferἀσφαλέσ-τατος safest

542. When the penult of stems in ο is long by nature, or the vowel of the penult is followed by two consonants, the stem remains unchanged; otherwise ο is lengthened to ω. For the declension, see 750.

Comparatives Ending in ῑων and ιστος

543. Some adjectives, chiefly in υς and ρος, are compared by changing these endings to ῑων and ιστος.

POSITIVE.COMPARATIVE.SUPERLATIVE.
ἡδύς, sweetἡδ-ίων (sweeter)ἥδ-ιστος (sweetest)
κακός, badκακ-ίων (worse)κάκ-ιστος (worst)
αἰσχρός, shamefulαἰσχ-ίων (more shameful)αἴσχ-ιστος (most shameful)

Paradigms

544. Learn the declension of ἡδίων.

Masculine and Feminine Declension of ἡδίων, Sweeter
Nominative Singularἡδύ
Genitive Singularἡδέος
Dative Singular(ἡδέ-ϊ) ἡδεῖ
Accusative Singularἡδύ
Nominative and Vocative Pluralἡδέα
Genitive Pluralἡδέων
Dative Pluralἡδέσι
Accusative Pluralἡδέα
Neuter Declension of ἡδίων, Sweeter
Nominative Singularἡδίων
Genitive Singularἡδίον-ος
Dative Singularἡδίον-ι
Accusative Singularἡδίον-α, ἡδίω
Nominative and Vocative Pluralἡδίον-ες, ἡδίους
Genitive Pluralἡδῑόν-ων
Dative Pluralἡδίοσι
Accusative Pluralἡδίον-ας, ἡδίους

The Genitive of Comparison

545. Adjectives of the comparative degree take the genitive.

Thus, οὗτοι κακίονές εἰσι τῶν ἄλλων, these are greater cowards than the others.

546. Adjectives in the superlative may be followed by the partitive genitive.

Thus, πέμπει τῶν πελταστῶν τοὺς ἰσχῡροτάτους, he sends the strongest of the light infantry.

547. The superlative may express simply a very high degree of the quality.

Thus, πολεμιώτατος ἦν βασιλεὺς τοῖς Ἕλλησι, the king was very hostile to the Greeks.

548. VOCABULARY.

αἰσχρός, ά, όνshameful, disgraceful.
Βαβυλών, ῶνος, ἡBabylon.
βίος, ου, ὁlife.
γεύω, γεύσω, ἔγευσα, γέγευμαιgive a taste; mid., taste.
ἴσωςadv., perhaps.
Κιλικίᾱ, ᾱς, ἡ (cf. Κίλιξ)Cilicia.
πλαίσιον, ου, τόsquare, of troops.
πολεμικός, ή, όν (cf.πόλεμος)fit for war, skilled in war, warlike.
σκευοφόρος, ονbaggage-carrying; σκευοφόρα as noun, pack-animals, baggagetrain.
ταχὐς, εῖα, ύ (cf. τάχα)quick, swift.
τελευτάω, τελευτήσω, ἐτελεύτησα, τετελεύτηκα, ἐτελευτήθην (cf. τελευτή) bring to an end, end one’s life, die.
τελευτή, ῆς, ἡ (cf. τέλος)end.
τέλος, ους, τόfulfilment, end.
χρόνος, ου, ὁtime, season, period.

549. READ ALOUD AND TRANSLATE:

1. τὰ δὲ κρέα τούτων τῶν ὀρνίθων ἥδιστα ἦν.
2. μὴ κακίους ὦμεν τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων.
3. ἐν τῇ τελευτῇ τοῦ βίου χαλεπώτατος ἐγένετο ὁ ἀνήρ.
4. οὔπω δὴ πολλοῦ χρόνου1 ἡδίονος οἴνου2 γέγευμαι.
5. τούτους ἔφασαν οἱ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα στρατευσάμενοι πολεμικωτάτους εἶναι.
6. ἐντεῦθεν Κῦρος τὴν γυναῖκα εἰς τὴν Κιλικίᾱν ἀποπέμπει τὴν ταχίστην ὁδόν3.
7. οὗτοί εἰσι κάκιστοί τε καὶ αἴσχιστοι ἄνδρες.
8. τέλος4 δὲ μῑκρόταται γίγνονται αἱ τάφροι.
9. Κῦρος οὕτως ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀνὴρ ὢν ἄρχειν ἀξιώτατος.
10. πάντες οὗτοι οἱ βάρβαροι πολεμιώτεροι ἡμῖν ἔσονται τῶν παρὰ βασιλεῖ ὄντων.
11. ἴσως οὖν ἀσφαλέστερον ἔσται ἡμῖν πορεύεσθαι πλαίσιον ποιησαμένους5 τῶν ὁπλῑτῶν, ἵνα τὰ σκευοφόρα ἐν ἀσφαλεστέρῳ6 ᾖ.

NOTES.—1 Genitive of the time within which (854).—2 The genitive follows verbs signifying to taste (846).—3 Adverbial accusative (835), by the shortest road.4Adverbial accusative, finally.5 ποιησαμένους limits ἡμᾶς understood, the subject of πορεύεσθαι.—6in safer (position), in greater security.

551. Advance. Midnight Review.

ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελαύνει διὰ τῆς Βαβυλωνίᾱς σταθμοὺς τρεῖς παρασάγγᾱς δώδεκα. ἐν δὲ τῷ τρίτῳ σταθμῷ Κῦρος ἐξέτασιν ποιεῖται τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ περὶ μέσᾱς νύκτας· ἐδόκει γὰρ τῇ αὔριον ἥξειν βασιλέᾱ σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι μαχούμενον. καὶ ἐκέλευε Κλέαρχον μὲν τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρως ἡγεῖσθαι, Μένωνα δὲ τοῦ εὐωνύμου, αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ διέταξε. μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐξέτασιν ἅμα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἥκοντες αὐτόμολοι παρὰ μεγάλου βασιλέως ἀπήγγελλον Κύρῳ περὶ τῆς βασιλέως στρατιᾶς.

NOTES.—4. ἐδόκει: he thought.— τῇ αὔριον: sc. ἡμέρᾳ (811), the next day, dative of the time when (870).— ἥξειν: future infinitive in indirect discourse (469).— 5. μαχούμενον: future participle expressing purpose (495, 4).— 7. διέταξε: Cyrus drew up his barbarian force (τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ) on the left of the entire Greek force.—8. ἡμέρᾳ: the dative follows ἅμα (864).

REVIEW AND PRACTICE: