§345. Genitive of Quality

The Genitive is used to denote Quality, but only when the quality is modified by an adjective:—

• vir summae virtūtis, a man of the highest courage. [But not vir virtūtis.]
• māgnae est dēlīberātiōnis, it is an affair of great deliberation.
• māgnī formīca labōris (Hor. S. 1.1.33), the ant [a creature] of great toil.
• ille autem suī iūdicī (Nep. Att. 9), but he [a man] of independent (his own) judgment.

a. The genitive of quality is found in the adjective phrases êius modī, cûius modī (equivalent to tālis, such; quālis, of what sort):—

• êius modī sunt tempestātēs cōnsecūtae, utī; (B. G. 3.29), such storms followed, that, etc.

b. The genitive of quality, with numerals, is used to define measures of length, depth, etc. (Genitive of Measure):—

• fossa trium pedum, a trench of three feet [in depth].
• mūrus sēdecim pedum, a wall of sixteen feet [high].

For the Genitive of Quality used to express indefinite value, see § 417.