1267. The genitive is hardly ever found with adjectives in -āx (284): as, huius re͡i mendācem, Pl. As. 855, untruthful in this point. But in poetry, from Vergil and Horace on, and in late prose, a few genitives occur with adjectives whose parallel verbs have a transitive use, such as capāx, edāx, tenāx, &c.: as, tempus edāx rērum, O. 15, 234, thou all-devourer—time.
1268. Some of the adjectives which usually take the genitive have occasionally other constructions.
Thus, with adfīnis the dative also occurs (1200), rarely with aemulus (1183); the ablative with adjectives of fulness, as dīves, plēnus, and refertus (1387); iūre with cōnsultus and perītus (1385). For vacuus, &c., see 1306. Prepositional constructions also occur with these adjectives, such as the accusative with ad or in, or the ablative with ab, dē, or in: see the dictionary.
1269. For the genitive, with words denoting relationship, connection, friendship, or hostility, see 1203; with similis, 1204. With dignus and indignus, worthy and unworthy, the ablative is regularly used (1392); rarely the genitive: as, nōn ego sum dignus salūtis? Pl. Tri. 1153, don’t I deserve a greeting too? indignus avōrum, V. 12, 649, unworthy of my sires.
1270. (3.) In poetry and late prose, the genitive is used very freely with many adjectives of various meanings, often merely to indicate what they apply to: as,
nēmō mīlitāris rē̆ī callidior habēbātur, Ta. H. 2, 32, at soldiering nobody was thought to have a greater knack. vetus operis ac labōris, Ta. 1, 20, an old hand at the toil and moil of army life. aevī mātūrus Acestēs, V. 5, 73, Acestes, ripe in years. sērī studiōrum, H. S. 1, 10, 21, what laggards at your books. integer vītae scelerisque pūrus, H. 1, 22, 1, the man unspotted in his life and clean of sin. fessī rērum, V. 1, 178, in travail spent. satin tū sānu’s mentis aut animī tuī? Pl. Tri. 454, art thou quite right in thy five wits? (1339).
1271. A few neuter adjectives of quantity are put in the genitive with verbs of valuing to denote the amount of estimation; such genitives are:
| magnī, plūris, plūrimī; parvī, minōris, minimī; tantī, quantī. |
The verbs with which these genitives are used are aestimō, dūcō, faciō, habeō, pendō, putō, and sum; rarely exīstimō: as, magnī opera eius aestimāta est, N. 24, 1, 2, his services were rated high. nōn magnī pendō, Pl. As. 460, I don’t care much. sua parvī pendere, S. C. 12, 2, a setting small store by what they had of their own. Verrēsne tibī̆ tantī fuit? V. 1, 77, was Verres so important in your eyes? est mihī̆ tantī. C. 2, 15, it is well worth my while. quantī is ā cīvibus suīs fieret īgnōrābās? V. 4, 19, did not you know how the man was prized by his own townsmen? Rarely maximī: as, maximī aestimāre, Clu. 159, to think all the world of.
1272. In expressions of worthlessness, other genitives are also used thus; such are nihilī, or, usually with a negative, āssis, floccī, naucī, pilī, teruncī: as, nōn āssis facis? Cat. 43, 13, car’st not a doit? So also huius: as, huius nōn faciam, T. Ad. 163, I shall not care a snap.
1273. With aestimō, the ablatives magnō and permagnō are sometimes used: as, quid? tū ista permagnō aestimās? V. 4, 13, tell me, do you rate that sort of thing very high yourself? Compare 1390.
1274. The genitives tantī and quantī, plūris and minōris are also used with verbs of buying and selling, hiring and letting, and costing. But other words are put in the ablative with these verbs: see 1391. For magnī, &c., with rēfert and interest, see 1279.
1275. A similar genitive occurs in one or two set forms, such as aequī bonīque dīcō, or faciō, aequī faciō, and bonī cōnsulō: as, istūc, Chremēs, aequī bonīque faciō, T. Hau. 787, I count that, Chremes, fair and good. aequī istūc faciō, Pl. MG. 784, that’s all the same to me.
The Verbs rēfert and interest.
1276. rēfert and interest, it concerns, are much alike in meaning and in construction. But the use of rēfert is characteristic of old Latin and poetry; in prose from Cicero on it is almost supplanted by interest, especially where persons are concerned.
1277. (1.) With rēfert and interest, a first or second person concerned is denoted by the possessive pronoun forms meā, tuā, nostrā, vestrā; and, from Cicero on, the third person reflexive by suā: as,
(a.) quid id rēfert meā? Pl. Cur. 395, what’s that to me? tuā istūc rēfert maxumē, Pl. Tri. 319, that is of most concern to thee. nōn suā rēferre, Quinct. 19, that it did not concern him. nōn nostrā magis quam vestrā rēfert vōs nōn rebellāre, L. 34, 17, 7, it is not more for our interest than for your own that you should not make war again. Without the verb: as, quid istūc nostrā, or quid id nostrā? T. Ph. 800, 940, what’s that to us? (b.) tuā et meā maximē interest tē valēre, Fam. 16, 4, 4, your health is a matter of the highest importance to you and to me. vestrā hōc maximē interest, Sull. 79, this is of vital moment to you.
1278. (2.) With interest, from Cicero on, a third person or thing concerned is denoted by the genitive. Also with rēfert, a few times from Sallust on: as,
(a.) quid eius intererat? RA. 96, what concern was it of his? interesse rē̆ī pūblicae sē cum Pompēiō colloquī, Caes. C. 1, 24, 5, that it was of importance to the common weal that he should have a parley with Pompey. (b.) faciundum aliquid, quod illōrum magis quam suā rētulisse vidērētur, S. I. 111, 1, that he must do something which should seem more for the other side’s good than his own. For the accusative with ad with these verbs, or for the dative with rēfert, see the dictionary.
1279. The matter of concern is expressed by a sentence or infinitive, or by a neuter pronoun; rarely by an appellative: as, nōn quō meā interesset locī nātūra, Att. 3, 19, 1, not that the character of the place concerned me. The degree of concern is expressed by an adverb, as magnopere, by a neuter accusative, as multum, or by a genitive of estimation, magnī, permagnī, plūris, parvī, tantī, quantī (1271).
1280. Verbs of accusing, convicting, condemning, and acquitting, take a genitive of the charge: as,
C. Verrem īnsimulat avāritiae, V. 1, 128, he charges Verres with avarice. accūsātus est prōditiōnis, N. 1, 7, 5, he was charged with treason. capitis arcēssere, D. 30, accuse on a capital charge. prōditiōnis damnātus est, N. 2, 8, 2, he was convicted of treason. Pollis pecūniae pūblicae est condemnātus, Flacc. 43, Pollis was condemned for embezzlement of government money. maiestātis absolūtī sunt permultī, Clu. 116, a good many were acquitted of high treason. With this genitive, an ablative, crīmine, iūdiciō, nōmine, or lēge, is sometimes expressed (1377): as, nē quem umquam innocentem iūdiciō capitis arcēssās, Off. 2, 51, that you are never to accuse any innocent man on a charge affecting his status as a citizen.
1281. The charge is sometimes denoted by a prepositional construction: as, sescentī sunt, quī inter sīcāriōs et dē venēficiīs accūsābant, RA. 90, there are hundreds and hundreds that brought charges of murder, by steel and by poison. So also dē āleā, of gambling, in Cicero regularly dē pecūniīs repetundīs, of extortion, and necessarily dē vī, of an act of violence, as vīs has no genitive. For the neuter accusative, see 1172.
1282. The penalty also is sometimes denoted by the genitive: as, cupiō octuplī damnārī Aprōnium, V. 3, 28, I want to have Apronius condemned to a payment of eightfold. damnātusque longī Sīsyphus Aeolidēs labōris, H. 2, 14, 19, and Sisyphus the Aeolid, amerced with penance long. Sometimes by the ablative: as, capite, V. 5, 109. So usually from Livy on, when the penalty is a definite sum of money or fractional part of a thing.
Impersonal Verbs of Mental Distress.
1283. A genitive of the thing, commonly with an accusative of the person, is used with five impersonals of mental distress:
miseret, paenitet, piget, pudet, taedet: as,
tu͡i mē miseret, me͡i piget, E. in Div. 1, 66, I pity thee, I loathe myself. frātris mē pudet pigetque, T. Ad. 391, my brother stirs my shame and my disgust. mī pater, mē tu͡i pudet, T. Ad. 681, dear father, in thy presence I’m abashed. galeātum sēro duellī paenitet, J. 1, 169, too late, with casque on head, a combatant repenteth him of war. So also miserētur, and in old Latin inceptively, miserēscit, commiserēscit.
1284. These verbs sometimes have a sentence or a neuter pronoun as subject: as, nōn tē haec pudent? T. Ad. 754, does not this make thee blush for shame? Rarely an appellative: as, mē quidem haec condiciō nōn paenitet, Pl. St. 51, for my part, with my wedded state I’m well content. Or a person: as, pudeō, Pl. Cas. 877, I feel ashamed. For participles and gerundives, see 817.
1285. The genitive is used with the personals misereor or misereō, and in poetry with miserēscō: as,
aliquandō miserēminī sociōrum, V. 1, 72, do take pity on your allies, it is high time. nēminis miserēre certumst, quia me͡i miseret nēminem, Pl. Cap. 764, I’m bound to care for nobody, as no one cares for me. Arcadiī miserēscite rēgis, V. 8, 573, take pity on the king of Arcady.
1286. Personal verbs of desiring, loathing, admiring, and dreading, sometimes take the genitive: as, pol, quamquam domī cupiō, opperiar, Pl. Tri. 841, although I yearn for home, I vow I’ll wait (1263). fastīdit meī, Pl. Aul. 245, he views me with disdain (1263). iūstitiaene prius mīrer, bellīne labōrum? V. 11, 126, thy justice first shall I admire? thy toils in war? nē tuī quidem testimōnī veritus, Att. 8, 4, 1, not having any awe about your recommendation either.
1287. The genitive is used with verbs of remembering and forgetting when they denote an inherent state of memory or of forgetfulness: as,
faciam ut meī meminerīs dum vītam vīvās, Pl. Per. 494, I’ll make you remember me as long as you live. num potuī magis oblīvīscī temporum meōrum, meminisse āctiōnum? Fam. 1, 9, 8, could I have been more forgetful of my present interests, more mindful of my past career? reminīscerētur incommodī populī Rōmānī, 1, 13, 4, he had better bear in mind the rebuff dealt out to Rome. oblītusque meōrum oblīvīscendus et illīs, H. E. 1, 11, 10, of friends forgetful and by friends forgot. See 1263.
1288. The accusative is used with these verbs when they denote the mere intellectual exercise of memory or a failure to remember: as,
equid meministī tu͡om parentum nōmina? Pl. Poen. 1062, do you remember your parents’ names? Cinnam meminī vīdī Sūllam, Ph. 5, 17, I can remember Cinna, I have seen Sulla. utinam mēmet possim oblīscier! Accius ap. Non. 500, 5, oh that myself I could forget! subitō tōtam causam oblītus est, Br. 217, suddenly he forgot the whole case.
1289. recordor has once the genitive (Pis. 12), but from its meaning bring to heart it is naturally found oftener with the accusative. With it and with meminī, the ablative with dē also occurs. The rare reminīscor has the genitive once each in Caesar and Nepos; twice later; oftener the accusative. Neuter pronouns are in the accusative with all these verbs.
1290. The impersonal venit in mentem also takes the genitive: as, venit mihī̆ Platōnis in mentem, Fin. 5, 2, Plato comes into my head; very exceptionally the ablative with dē. But the verb in this combination is often used personally, with the thing occurring to the mind as the subject, and regularly in Cicero, when it is rēs or genus, or a neuter pronoun.
1291. Verbs of reminding take the accusative of a person and sometimes with it the genitive of a thing: as,
admonēbat alium egestātis, alium cupiditātis suae, S. C. 21, 4, he reminded one man of his beggary, another of his greed. So also commoneō, commonē̆faciō, and, in Tacitus only, moneō. Oftener however the thing is in the ablative with dē, or, if it is a neuter pronoun or adjective, in the accusative (1172). Rarely a substantive equivalent to a neuter pronoun: as, eam rem nōs locus admonuit, S. I. 79, 1, the place has reminded me of that.
Verbs of Participation and Mastery.
1292. Verbs of participation and mastery sometimes take the genitive in old Latin and in poetry: as, servom su͡i participat cōnsilī, Pl. Cist. 163, she makes a slave a sharer in her plot (1263). quā Daunus agrestium rēgnāvit populōrum, H. 3, 30, 11, where Daunus was the lord of rural folk (1260). So, even in prose, potior, which usually has the ablative (1379): as, totīus Galliae sēsē potīrī posse spērant, 1, 3, 8, they hope they can get the mastery over the whole of Gaul. Especially with persons, or with the genitive plural rērum: rērum potior, get to be, or often, am, master of the situation, or I am monarch of all I survey. Similarly in Tacitus apīscor, adipīscor: as, arma, quīs Servius Galba rērum adeptus est, Ta. 3, 55, the war by which Galba became master of the throne. In Plautus crēdō sometimes has the genitive of a thing and dative of a person.
1293. The genitive is sometimes used with verbs of filling, abounding, and lacking, as it is with the corresponding adjectives (1263): as,
convīvium vīcīnōrum cōtīdiē compleō, CM. 46, I fill out a dinner-party every day with neighbours. haec rēs vītae mē, soror, saturant, Pl. St. 18, these things, my sister, sicken me of life. terra ferārum nunc etiam scatit, Lucr. 5, 39, still teems the earth with ravin beasts. So with egeō sometimes: as, egeō cōnsilī, Att. 7, 22, 2, I am in need of some advice. And usually with indigeō: as, hoc bellum indiget celeritātis, Ph. 6, 7, this war requires rapid action. But, from Livy on, the ablative is commoner with indigeō: see 1305.
1294. With verbs of separating and abstaining, the ablative is regularly used (1302). But the genitive is sometimes found in poetry: as, mē omnium labōrum levās, Pl. R. 247, thou riddest me of all my woes. abstinētō īrārum calidaeque rixae, H. 3, 27, 69, from bursts of rage keep thou and hot affray.
1295. In poetry, the genitive with an adjective in agreement occurs two or three times in exclamation: as, foederis heu tacitī, Prop. 5, 7, 21, alas, that secret covenant. Usually the nominative (1117), or the accusative (1149).
1296. The ablative is used principally with verbs and their participles, or with adjectives, and consists of three cases that were originally distinct.
1297. I. The Ablative proper denotes that from which something parts or proceeds (1302).
The ablative proper is often accompanied by the prepositions ab, dē, ex, prae, prō, sine, or tenus.
1298. With the ablative proper two other cases, originally distinct, a locative case and an instrumental case, were confounded, and merged under the common name of the ablative.
1299. II. The Locative case denotes the place in, at, or on which action occurs. A few forms of the locative proper are still preserved (1331). But the place where is ordinarily denoted by the locative ablative (1342).
The locative ablative is often accompanied by the prepositions in or sub.
1300. III. The Instrumental case denotes that by which or with which a main person or thing is attended (1356).
The instrumental ablative is often accompanied by the prepositions cum or cōram.
1301. The ablative or locative is sometimes attached immediately to a substantive.
Thus, (a.) sometimes to a substantive which denotes or implies action: as, interitus ferrō, destruction with the sword, like intereō ferrō; see 1307, 1331, 1342, 1376, 1377. (b.) In constructions in which the ablative is due to an older combination with a verb: as, vir singulārī virtūte, a man of unexampled bravery. See 1309 and 1375.
The Ablative of Separation and Want, and of Departure.
1302. Verbs of separation take an ablative of the thing from which separation takes place: as,
(a.) caruit forō posteā Pompēius, caruit senātū, caruit pūblicō, Mil. 18, after that Pompey had to keep away from the market place, from the senate, from highways and byways. adhūc Q. Ligārius omnī culpā vacat, Lig. 4, thus far Ligarius proves devoid of any guilt. egeō cōnsiliō, Att. 15, 1, A, 5, I need advice (1305). (b.) Ītaliā prohibētur: nōn tū eum patriā prīvāre, quā caret, sed vītā vīs, Lig. 11, he is kept out of Italy; you want to deprive him not of his country, from which he is debarred, but of life. līberēmus cūrā populum Rōmānum, L. 39, 51, 9, Hannibal’s words when he took poison, 183 B.C., let me relieve Rome of anxiety.
1303. This ablative is used (a.) with such verbs as mean abstain, abstineō, dēsistō, supersedeō; am devoid of, careō, vacō; need, egeō; and in addition to the accusative of the object, (b.) with verbs used transitively, such as mean keep off, arceō, exclūdō and interclūdō, prohibeō; drive away, remove, pellō, moveō, and their compounds; free, expediō, līberō, levō, solvō and exsolvō; deprive, orbō, prīvō, spoliō, nūdō, fraudō.
1304. A preposition, ab or ex, is often used with these verbs, and regularly when the ablative denotes a person. But careō and egeō, and exsolvō and levō, never have a preposition.
1305. With egeō, the genitive is sometimes used, and often with indigeō: see 1293. Also in poetry, with verbs of abstaining and separating: see 1294.
1306. The ablative of separation is sometimes used with such adjectives as aliēnus, expers, līber, nūdus, vacuus, &c.: as, negant id esse aliēnum maiestāte deōrum, Div. 2, 105, they maintain that this is not at variance with the greatness of the gods. vacuī cūrīs, Fin. 2, 46, devoid of cares. arce et urbe orba sum, E. Tr. 114, of tower and town bereft am I. But sometimes the genitive: see 1263 and 1264; sometimes also prepositional constructions: for these, and particularly for the different constructions of aliēnus, see the dictionary.
1307. (1.) Proper names of towns and of little islands are put in the ablative with verbs of motion, to denote the place from which motion proceeds: as,
Dāmarātus fūgit Tarquiniōs Corinthō, TD. 5, 109, Damaratus ran away from Corinth to Tarquinii. sīgnum Carthāgine captum, V. 4, 82, the statue carried off from Carthage. Megaribus, Pl. Per. 137, from Megara. Lēmnō, Pl. Tru. 90, from Lemnos. Rōmā accēperam litterās, Att. 5, 8, 2, I had got a letter from Rome. Rarely with a substantive of motion (1301): as, dē illīus Alexandrēā discessū, Att. 11, 18, 1, about his departure from Alexandrea. Also in dating letters: as, V kal. Sextīl., Rēgiō, Fam. 7, 19, Regium, 28 July; less often the locative: as, Īdibus Iūniīs, Thessalonīcae, QFr. 1, 3, 10, Thessalonica, 13 June. Like a town name: Ācherunte, poet. in TD. 1, 37, from Acheron. With an attribute: ipsā Samō, V. 1, 51, from Samos itself. Teānō Sidicīnō, Att. 8, 11, B, 2, from Sidicinian Teanum.
1308. Singular town or island names sometimes have ex in old Latin: thus, Carystō, Pl. Ps. 730, from Carystus, or, ex Carystō, Ps. 737, indifferently. ex Andrō, T. Andr. 70, from Andros. In classical Latin, town names rarely have ab: as, ab Athēnīs proficīscī, Serv. in Fam. 4, 12, 2, to start from Athens; chiefly of neighbourhood: as, ab Gergoviā, 7, 43, 5: 7, 59, 1, from camp at Gergovia; or direction: as, ā Salōnīs ad Ōricum, Caes. C. 3, 8, 4, from Salonae to Oricum; regularly with longē: as, longē ā Syrācūsīs, V. 4, 107, far from Syracuse.
1309. The ablative of a town or country name is rarely attached immediately to a substantive, to denote origin: as, Periphanēs Rhodō mercātor dīves, Pl. As. 499, Periphanes from Rhodes a chapman rich. videō ibī̆ hospitem Zacynthō, Pl. Mer. 940, I see the friend there from Zacynthus. Rarely in Cicero: as, Teānō Āpulō laudātōrēs, Clu. 197, eulogists from Apulian Teanum; in Caesar twice. In Livy with ab only: as, Turnus ab Arīciā, L. 1, 50, 3, Turnus from Aricia. But the Roman tribe one belongs to, is regularly in the ablative: as, Q. Verrem Rōmiliā, sc. tribū, V. a. pr. 1, 23, Verres of the tribe Romilia.
1310. With a verb, country names regularly have a preposition, and always in Cicero, Sallust, and Livy: as, ē Ciliciā dēcēdēns, Br. 1, going away from Cilicia. The ablative alone is rare: as, Aegyptō adveniō domum, Pl. Most. 440, from Egypt I come home. Chiefly in Tacitus: as, Aegyptō remeāns, 2, 69, coming back from Egypt. In Caesar, by attraction: cōgēbantur Corcȳrā atque Acarnāniā pābulum supportāre, C. 3, 58, 4, they were forced to fetch fodder from Corcyra and even Acarnania.
1311. (2.) The ablatives domō and rūre, and in poetry humō, are used like proper names of towns: as,
(a.) domō excesserant, 4, 14, 5, they had gone away from home. Also metaphorically: as, domō doctus, Pl. Mer. 355, by home-experience taught. (b.) rūre rediīt uxor mea, Pl. Mer. 705, my wife’s come back from out of town. (c.) humō, in Vergil first: as, vix oculōs attollit humō, O. 2, 448, scarce from the ground her eyes she lifts.
The Ablative of Source, Stuff, or Material.
1312. The verb nāscor and participles of origin take an ablative to denote parentage or rank in life.
Such participles are: nātus, prōgnātus, and ortus; in poetry and late prose, also crētus, ēditus, generātus, genitus, satus, and oriundus: as, (a.) Rōmulus deō prōgnātus, L. 1, 40, 3, Romulus, sprung from a god. dīs genite, V. 9, 642, thou sired of gods. Of a parent, ex is sometimes used: as ex mē hic nātus nōn est, T. Ad. 40, he’s not my son; and of remoter ancestors, ab. (b.) locō nātus honestō, 5, 45, 2, respectably descended. summō locō nātus, 5, 25, 1, of high birth, familiā antīquissimā nātum, 7, 32, 4, a member of an old family. Rarely with dē: as, quō dē genere gnātust Philocratēs? Pl. Cap. 277, what is the parentage of Philocrates?
1313. The ablative with an attribute, attached to a substantive, sometimes denotes stuff or material: as, aere cavō clipeum, V. 3, 286, a targe of hallow bronze. perennī fronde corōnam, Lucr. 1, 118, a crown of amaranthine leaf. solidōque adamante columnae, V. 6, 552, and pillars of the solid adamant. This construction borders closely on the ablative of quality (1375). Rarely without an attribute: as, pīctās abiete puppīs, V. 5, 663, painted sterns of fir.
1314. A substantive denoting stuff or material is generally put in the ablative with dē or ex; thus,
(a.) Directly with a substantive: pōcula ex aurō, V. 4, 62, cups of gold. (b.) Oftener with an auxiliary verb or participle: sīgnum erat hoc Cupīdinis ē marmore, V. 4, 5, this statue of Cupid was made of marble. scūtīs ex cortice factīs, 2, 33, 2, with long shields made out of bark. ex ūnā gemmā pergrandī trūlla excavāta, V. 4, 62, a ladle scooped out of a single enormous semi-precious stone.
1315. The ablative with forms of faciō and sum denotes that with which or to which something is done: as, quid hōc homine faciās? Sest. 29, what can you do with such a fellow? quid mē fīet? T. Andr. 709, what will become of me? But often the dative (1205): as, quid tibī̆ faciam? Att. 7, 3, 2, what shall I do to you? Or the ablative with dē: as, dē frātre quid fīet? T. Ad. 996, as to my brother, what will come to pass?
The Ablative of Cause, Influence, or Motive.
1316. The ablative is used to denote cause, influence, or motive: as,
madeō metū, Pl. Most. 395, I’m drenched with dread. tū imprūdentiā lāberis, Mur. 78, you, sir, slip from inadvertence. maerōre et lacrimīs cōnsenēscēbat, Clu. 13, she just pined away in sorrow and tears. īrā incendor, Pl. Ps. 201, I’m getting hot with wrath. premor lūctū, Att. 3, 22, 3, I am bowed down with grief. quod ego nōn superbiā faciēbam, DO. 1, 99, I did not act thus from superciliousness, not I. nōn movētur pecūniā, V. 4, 18, he is not moved by money. boat caelum fremitū virūm, Pl. Am. 232, the welkin rings with roar of men. dēlictō dolēre, corrēctiōne gaudēre, L. 90, be pained by the sin, take pleasure in the reproof. aetāte nōn quīs optuērier, Pl. Most. 840, owing to age thou canst not see. Iovis iussū veniō, Pl. Am. prol. 19, at Jove’s behest I come. Sēiānus nimiā fortūnā sōcors, Ta. 4, 39, Sejanus giddy with over-prosperity. ferōx praedā glōriāque exercitus, Ta. H. 1, 51, the army flushed with booty and glory. exercitūs nostrī interitus ferrō, Pis. 40, the annihilation of our army by the sword (1301).
1317. Instead of the ablative, other constructions often occur, especially with verbs used transitively; such are:
(a.) Prepositional phrases with dē or ex, in Varro and Livy with ab; also with ob, per, or propter: as, multī in oppidum propter timōrem sēsē recipiunt, Caes. C. 2, 35, 6, a good many retreated to the town from fear. Sometimes with prae: as, prae amōre exclūstī hunc forās, T. Eu. 98, it was for love you turned him out of doors: in classical Latin, usually of hindrance: as, sōlem prae iaculōrum multitūdine nōn vidēbitis, TD. 1, 101, you won’t see the sun for the cloud of javelins. (b.) Circumlocutions with causā, less frequently with grātiā (1257). (c.) Ablatives absolute, or participles, particularly auxiliary participles with an ablative to express cause, oftener motive, such as captus, ductus, excitātus or incitātus, impulsus, incēnsus, īnflammātus, mōtus, perterritus: as, nōnnūllī pudōre adductī remanēbant, 1, 39, 3, some stuck by from shame.
1318. The person by whom the action of a passive verb is done, is denoted by the ablative with ab or ā. Also occasionally with verbs equivalent to a passive, such as cadō, intereō, pereō, vēneō, &c., &c. Things or animals are sometimes represented as persons by the use of ab: as, animus bene īnfōrmātus ā nātūrā, Off. 1, 13, a soul meetly fashioned by dame nature. See 1476-1478.
1319. In poetry, an ablative denoting a person, with an adjective in agreement, is sometimes equivalent to an expression with an abstract substantive: as, et adsiduō ruptae lēctōre columnae, J. 1, 13, and pillars by persistent reader riven, i.e. adsiduitāte lēctōris, or adsiduā lēctiōne. cūrātus inaequālī tōnsōre capillōs, H. E. 1, 1, 94, my locks by unsymmetric barber trimmed.
1320. (1.) The ablative may be used with a comparative adjective, when the first of two things compared is in the nominative, or is a subject-accusative.