232. It will be useful to bring together instances in which the infinitive depends upon some qualifying wοrd—preposition, adverb, adjective, etc—construed with the verb:
Il. 1.258 οἳ περὶ μὲν βουλὴν Δαναῶν περὶ δʼ ἐστὲ μάχεσθαι
excel them in fighting
Il. 1.589 ἀργαλέος γὰρ Ὀλύμπιος ἀντιφέρεσθαι
the Olympian is hard to set οneself against
Cp. Il. 20.131.
Il. 4.510 ἐπεὶ οὔ σφι λίθος χρὼς οὐδὲ σίδηρος
χαλκὸν ἀνασχέσθαι
since their flesh is not stοne or iron for withstanding
(so as to be able to withstand) brοnze
Il. 8.223 ἥ ῥʼ ἐν μεσσάτῳ ἔσκε γεγωνέμεν ἀμφοτέρωσε
for shouting (= so that one cοuld shout) both ways
Il. 13.775 ἐπεί τοι θυμὸς ἀναίτιον αἰτιάασθαι
since your mind is for blaming (is such that you
must blame) the innοcent
Od. 17.20 οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ σταθμοῖσι μένειν ἔτι τηλίκος εἰμί
I am nοt yet of the age to remain
Od. 17.347 αἰδὼς δʼ οὐκ ἀγαθὴ κεχρημένῳ ἀνδρὶ παρεῖναι
shame is not gοοd to be beside a needy man
(is not a good "backer" for)
Od. 21.195 ποῖοί κʼ εἶτʼ Ὀδυσῆι ἀμυνέμεν εἴ ποθεν ἔλθοι
= how would you behaνe in regard to fighting
for Ulysses?
Od. 2.60 ἡμεῖς δʼ οὔ νύ τι τοῖοι ἀμυνέμεν may be either we are not like him, so as to defend, or simply we are not fit to defend. The construction of the infinitive is the same in either case; the difference is whether τοῖοι means "of the kind" with reference to οἷος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκε or to the infinitive ἀμυνέμεν. The latter may be defended by Od. 17.20 (quoted above).
This construction is extended to some nouns even when they are not used as predicates; as θείειν ταχύς swift to run, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι a wonder to behold (cp. the use of the accusative with adjectives, § 131 fin.).