GREEK PREPOSITIONS. 345 



hence it is ufually tranflated with. With the accufative it de- 

 notes a guide or conductor, who goes before us, or whom we 

 follow ; hence it is ufually rendered after *. With the dative it 

 denotes a plurality of conductors, and that we are between or 

 amidit them ; hence it commonly ftands for among. Thus the 

 three fignifications of with, among, and after, take their rife ; 

 agreeably to which we may analyze a few of the cafes in which 

 ^sra occurs, and thefe will fumciently prove the juftice of the 

 explanation. 



1. Msra, with the genitive, commonly denoting with. Thus, 

 pircL Yl'Kot.ruvoq uhxeiv, u to do injuftice with Plato," — " to doin- 

 " juftice, — conductor Plato." 



■ ■ paired ippwovro pirtx. ffvoirig, HOMER. 



" Their manes were fhaken with the wind," — " their manes 

 " were fhaken, — conductor the wind." Me0' npuv <xoir\<rc*.&at.i rov 

 " kyum, " to engage in the contefk with us, or on our fide,"-— 

 " to engage in the conteft, — conductor in the conteft, — us." 

 'O iroir i ffa.% ro ihsog psr ubrov, (Luk. x. 37«), " he that fhowed 

 " mercy on him," — " that fhewed mercy, — guide or direction of 

 " the channel in which the mercy was to flow, — him." 



It is to be obferved, that, between a guide or conductor 

 whom we accompany, and a mere companion in the way, the 

 difference is very often hardly perceptible. It was very natural, 

 therefore, in their mode of applying (jutci, to flide from the one 

 to the other. Hence ptru with the genitive, in a variety of in- 

 stances, denotes little more than a mere conjunction, or accom- 

 paniment, the ftrict idea of guiding or directing being thrown 



Y y 2 into 



* After, though the common, is not the univerfal fenfe of /*et« with the accu- 

 fative ; fometimes, with this cafe, it fignifies the fame as with the dative, BcIkt^h 

 ?► uvtu ixira, &«*€*?, (Herodian), " he had a faK between his hands." 



