Plutarch's Platonic questions (10.3)

What then? may some say, do the rest of the parts conduce nothing to speech? I answer, They conduce, as salt does to victuals, or water to barley cakes. And Euenus calls fire the best sauce. Though sometimes there is neither occasion for fire to boil, nor for salt to season our food, which we have always occasion for. Nor has speech always occasion for articles. I think I may say

this of the Latin tongue, which is now the universal language; for it has taken away all prepositions, saving a few, nor does it use any articles, but leaves its nouns (as it were) without skirts and borders. Nor is it any wonder, since Homer, who in fineness of epic surpasses all men, has put articles only to a few nouns, like handles to cans, or crests to helmets. Therefore these verses are remarkable wherein the articles are expressed:

Αἴαντι δὲ μάλιστα δαΐφρονι θυμὸν ὄρινε

Τῷ Τελαμωνιάδῃ·

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and,

Ποίεον ὄφρα τὸ κῆτος ὑπεκπροφυγὼν ἀλέαιτο

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and some few besides. But in a thousand others, the omission of the articles hinders neither perspicuity nor elegance of phrase.