Level 3; the locative case (2); other nouns with the locative case

Image: A small number of nouns which do not fall under the category of towns, cities and small islands also have a locative case. Apart from rūs [3/n] the locative case is the same as the genitive singular.

humus, -ī [2/f]: ground; earth; soil  > Locative: humī  (on the ground)     

mīlitia, -ae [1/f]: military service > Locative: mīlitiae (on military service)

domus (irregular): house; *domus is an irregular noun in that its declension can comprise 2^nd declension endings, but also 4^th declension endings. However, the locative case is the same as the genitive case when 2^nd declension endings are used i.e. domī (at home)

bellum, -ī [2/n]: war > Locative: bellī (at war) 

rūs, rūris [3/n]: countryside > Locative: rūrī (in the countryside) 

bellī domīque │ in war and (in) peace (at home)

Aurīga humī iacet. │ The charioteer is lying on the ground.

Flāviae pater magnam vīllam rūrī habet. │ Flavia’s father has a large house in the countryside.

tum porrō puer, ut saevīs prōiectus ab undīs nāvita, nūdus humī iacet īnfāns (Lucretius) │ Then further the child, just like a sailor cast forth by savage waves, lies naked and speechless on the ground

Scelestissimē, audēs mihi praedicāre id, domī tē esse nunc, quī hīc ades? (Plautus) │ You consummate villain, do you dare tell me this, that you are now at home, who are here present?

Quīn rūrī es in praefectūrā tuā? (Plautus) │But why aren't you in the country, at your post of command?

Mam. Aemilium, prīncipem aetātis suae bellī domīque, aerārium fēcērunt (Livy) │ They reduced Mamercus Aemilius, the foremost man of his time in war and peace (at home), to the lowest class of citizens

Latin tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwLS-fh3pVg

Level 3; the locative case; place names (3)

[iv] Greek city-states

[10] Syrācūsae: Syracuse is an historic city on the island of Sicily noted both for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture and architecture, and as the birthplace of the mathematician and engineer Archimedes. Founded by Ancient Greek settlers, it became a powerful city-state, allied with Sparta and Corinth, and during Roman Rule it was capital of the province of Sicily. The term Magna Graecia was used to refer to the Greek-speaking coastal areas of Southern Italy. Later writers also included Sicily.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_Sicily

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Graecia

[11] Athēnae: One of the world’s oldest cities, Athens was a powerful city-state and a centre for the arts and learning. It is considered the birthplace of democracy and had considerable cultural and political impact on Ancient Rome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens

[12] Corinthus: Corinth was an ancient city-state and developed as a commercial centre. In 146 BC, the city was destroyed by the Roman army. In 44 BC, as a newly rebuilt Roman colony it became the administrative capital of the Roman province of Achaea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinth

[iv] Byzantium

[13] Bȳzantium (present-day Istanbul) [Anc. Gk. Βυζάντιον (Būzắntĭon)] was an Ancient Greek city which adopted the name of Kōnstantinoupolis [Anc. Gk. Κωνσταντινούπολις; Latin: Cōnstantīnopolis; Eng. Constantinople ‘the city of Constantine’] after its foundation under Roman emperor Constantine I, who transferred the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium in 330AD.

The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces in late antiquity and the Middle Ages surviving the fragmentation and collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It continued to exist for a further 1,000 years until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire remained the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium

[iv] Egypt

Egypt (Aegyptus) was a province of the Roman Empire from 30BC until 641AD. After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, the Ptolemaic Kingdom which had ruled Egypt since the Wars of Alexander the Great took the side of Mark Antony against the eventual victor Octavian, who as Augustus became the first Roman emperor in 27 BC, having defeated Mark Antony and the pharaoh, Cleopatra VII, at the naval Battle of Actium. After the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra, the Roman Republic annexed the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt.

[14] Alexandrēa (Alexandria): Mediterranean port city in Egypt founded by Alexander the Great; it was home to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and to the Library of Alexandria.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria

[15] Thēbae (Thebes): Ancient Egyptian city about 800km south of the Mediterranean, the ruins within the modern city of Luxor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thebes,_Egypt

Level 3; the locative case; place names (2)

[iii] wars and battles

[6] Cannae (now Canne della Battaglia) was a village in south east Italy and famous for being the site of the disastrous defeat of the Romans by Hannibal during the Second Punic War in 216BC. An estimated 60,000–70,000 Romans were killed or captured at Cannae.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cannae

[7] Carthāgō (Carthage) was the capital of the Carthaginian civilisation in what is modern-day Tunisia. A major trading hub and one of the wealthiest cities in the classical world, it was destroyed by the Roman Republic in the Third Punic War in 146BC. Subsequently re-developed as Roman Carthage it became the major city in the Roman province of Africa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage

[8] Philippī [Gk: Φίλιπποι, Philippoi] was a major Greek city; it was here during the Civil War that Octavian and Mark Anthony, heirs of Julius Caesar,  faced the forces of Brutus and Cassius, Caesar’s assassins. The battle was fought on a plain near the city in 42BC, resulting in the defeat of Brutus and Cassius

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippi

[9] Troia (Troy): ancient city in present-day Turkey in habited since the 4^th millennium BC and the location of the Trojan War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War

site of the battle of Cannae

the ruins at Carthage

the Forum at Philippi

Troy

Level 3; the Ethiopians

Translate into English:

Aethiopēs, pardōrum leōnumque pellibus amictī, arcūs habent praelongōs: sagittās vērō brevēs; hīs prō ferrō lapidēs acūtī praefīxī sunt. Hastās praetereā habent, hīs praefīxa sunt cornua cervōrum: habent etiam clāvās nōdōsās. Corporis dīmidium, in pugnam prōdeuntēs, crētā dealbātum habent, dīmidium miniō pictum. Aliī caput tēctum habent pelle equīnā, dē capite equī dētractā, cum auribus et iubā. Prō scūtīs gruum pellibus corpora tegunt.

Vocabulary

amiciō, -īre, amicuī / amixī, amictus [4]: clothe; dress; cover

cervus, -ī [2/m]: stag

clāva, -ae [1/f]: club

dētrahō, -ere, dētrāxī, dētractus [3]: pull / drag off (down, away)

minium, -ī [2/n]: cinnabar, a deep red mineral used in the making of the vermilion pigment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnabar

nōdōsus, -a, -um: knotty (of wood); entangled

pardus, -ī [2/m]: leopard

pingō, -ere, pīnxī, pictus [3]: paint; tint; colour

praefīgō, -ere, praefīxī, praefīxus [3]: (here) fix on the end

praelongus, -a, -um: very long

Similarly:

praeclārus, -a, -um: very clear / bright; famous; splendid

praepotēns, praepotentis: very powerful

praedīlēctus, -a, -um: favourite

dealbō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: whiten; whitwash; cover in plaster

vae vōbīs scrībae et Pharisaeī hypocritae quia similēs estis sepulchrīs dealbātīs (Vulgate) │ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like [similar to] whitened tombs …

Notes

[1] in pugnam prōdeuntēs; present active participle prōdiēns, prōdeuntis from prōdeō, prōdīre: go forth; advance

[2] ablative agreement:

Aliī caput tēctum habent ¦ [i] pelle equīnā ¦, dē capite equī ¦ [ii] dētractā

Others have the head covered ¦ with horse hide ¦ pulled ¦ from the head of the horse

____________________

The Aethiopians, dressed / clad / covered in the skins of leopards and lions, have very long bows, but short arrows; instead of iron, these are tipped with sharp stones [literally: sharp stones are fastened to these on the end] Moreover / in addition, they have spears; these are tipped with stag’s horns [see previous literal translation].  When advancing into battle they have half of the body whitened with chalk, half painted with vermilion [see vocabulary]. Others have the head covered with horsehide / the skin of a horse, pulled off from the head of the horse together with the ears and mane. Instead of shields they cover their bodies with the skins of cranes.

Level 3; the locative case; place names (1)

A number of places in the ancient world were referred to in the previous post. Here is a little more information about some of them; these are very short summaries but I have included links if you would like to know more about these places and / or the events associated with them.

[i] Roman Britain

[1] Londinium, capital of Britannia during most of the period of Roman rule, was a settlement on the current site of the City of London c. AD 47–50 and sat at a key crossing point over the River Thames turning the city into a road nexus and major port which served as a chief commercial centre until its abandonment during the 5th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londinium

[2] Eborācum was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. It was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. After the decline of the Western Roman Empire it developed into the present-day city York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eboracum

artist’s impression of Londinium

the Roman baths at Eborācum (York)

[ii] disaster

[3] The dark shadow in the image shows extent of the destruction inflicted by Mt Vesuvius upon its eruption in AD79. Although Pompeiī is by far the largest and most famous location, other coastal resorts were destroyed including Herculāneum, Stabiae and Oplontis.

aerial view of Pompeii 

excavations at Herculaneum

wall painting from Stabiae

Villa Poppeae at Oplontis

[4] Mīsēnum was a major port on the Bay of Naples, and in AD79 – at the time of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius - Pliny the Elder was in charge of the naval fleet there. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, also at Misenum, gave us the only surviving account of the catastrophe during which his uncle was killed.

Modern Capo Miseno on the site of Misenum

[5] 16km from Mt Vesuvius, and about 4.5km to the southwest of Pompeii, the resort of Stabiae was buried under ash to a height of up to 5m. Near the city on a 50m high headland above the Bay of Naples is the largest group of well-preserved, huge and high-class Roman villas found from the entire Roman world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herculaneum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabiae

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oplontis

Level 3; the locative case (1)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/120525-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of.html

As you saw in the previous post:  [Level 3;  summary of of the uses of the ablative case [3]: prepositions (2)] Latin normally indicates location by using in with the ablative case, for example:

in Ītaliā │ in Italy

in macellō │ in the market

However, with the names of towns and cities, small islands and a few other isolated nouns, the locative case is used. This case existed in Old Latin but was eventually absorbed by the ablative and therefore is not generally listed as a separate case except when there are nouns which have a distinct locative ending. Like the ablative, it denotes ‘in’ or ‘at’ a place, but no preposition is used.

Image #1: The locative endings for 1^st and 2^nd declension singular nouns are the same as the genitive singular.

Image #2: A few town / city names in Latin are plural e.g. Athēnae (Athens), Pompeiī (Pompeii); these names which are first and second declension have a locative case which is the same as the ablative plural:

Image #3: Further examples with the English equivalents:

Pliny the Younger, who provides us with the only written account of the eruption of Vesuvius particularly with reference to his uncle, Pliny the Elder, who died in the eruption, begins the main part of the narrative with:

Erat Mīsēnī classemque imperiō praesēns regēbat. ¦ He was at Misenum and was personally commanding the fleet. [Nominative: Mīsēnum (now: Miseno) > Locative: Mīsēnī]

Image #4: Third declension nouns have a locative case which is the same as the ablative or sometimes the dative.

.

The definition “small islands” is rather vague and Roman authors are not always consistent in interpreting an island as such hence there are variations where a writer may use a locative case or an ablative; it isn’t something you should lose sleep over (or machete your way through example from literature trying to find exceptions). A rule of thumb is that if the island is small enough to have upon it only one town i.e. one major population centre and / or the island shares the name of the town, then it conforms to the rule that the locative case is used with ‘cities, towns and small islands.’ The island of Rhodes, for example, had several population centres although the city, which had been the capital from c. 408 BC, and the island shared the same name

Caesar paucōs diēs in Asiā morātus, cum audīsset Pompēium Cyprī vīsum (Caesar) │ Having delayed for a few days in Asia, Caesar, when he had heard that Pompey had been seen in Cyprus …

Samia mihi māter fuit: ea habitābat Rhodī (Terence) │ Samia was my mother: she used to live on Rhodes.

ante paucōs quam obīret diēs, turris Pharī terrae mōtū Capreīs concidit (Suetonius)│ a few days before he died, the Pharos at Capri was thrown down by an earthquake. 

Islands which had several populations centres e.g. Sicily were not classified as small and, therefore, in + ablative was used to express location.

Gāius Syrācūsīs [locative of the town name] ¦ in Siciliā habitat. │ Gaius lives at Syracuse ¦ on Sicily.

Exercise: Complete the sentences by putting the noun in brackets into the locative case.

1. Puerī (Rōma) manent. │ The boys are staying in Rome.
2. Magnum bellum (Troia) erat. │ There was a great war at Troy.
3. Mortuus est (Londīnium). │ He died in London.
4. Domus poētae est (Athēnae). │The poet’s house is in Athens.
5. Ferōciter (Cannae) pugnātum est. │A fierce battle was fought at Cannae.
6. (Syrācūsae) nātus est. │He was born at Syracuse.
7. (Carthāgō) habitat. │ He lives at Carthage.
8. Quid facis in urbe (Cōnstantīnopolis)? │ What are you doing in the city of Constantinople? 

Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [7]; Strange Pets

Translate into English:

Sunt autem crocodīlī aliīs Aegyptiīs sacrī; aliīs nōn item, sed hī illōs ut hostēs persequuntur. Omnēs circā Thēbās et Moeridis lacum incolae sacrōs illōs dūcunt. Hōrum utrīque ūnum maximē crocodīlum alunt, manū tractārī ēdoctum. Auribus inaurēs īnserunt, et anteriōrēs pedēs aureīs armillīs ōrnant. Eundem pāscunt; mortuum sacrō in sepulcrō sepeliunt.

Vocabulary

alō, -ere, -uī, alitus: feed, nourish, nurture

dūcō, -ere, dūxī, ductus [3]: (here) consider, think, regard

ēdoceō, -ēre, -uī, ēdoctus [2]: teach, instruct

inauris, -is [3/f]: earring

īnserō, -ere, -uī, īnsertus [3]: insert

item (adverb): likewise; also; in the same manner

pāscō, -ere, pāvī, pāstus [3]: feed

persequor, persequī, persecūtus sum [3/dep]: pursue

tractō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: handle, manage

Notes:

[1] aliīs Aegyptiīs sacrī; aliīs nōn item │ sacred to some Egyptians, not in the same way to others

alius, -a, -ud: other

when used in pairs: [i] alius … alius: the one … the other; [ii] aliī … aliī: some … others …

[2] uterque, utraque, utrumque: each (of two); both

hōrum utrīque │ each of them i.e. each group of inhabitants of (1) Thebes and (2) the lake = both of them

[3] eundem pascunt │ the feed the same (one)

īdem, eadem, idem: the same

personal pronouns is, ea, id + dem

is + dem > īdem; ea + dem > eadem; id + dem > idem

Note the spellings in the image, in particular:

Accusative singular: eundem / eandem

Genitive plural: eōrundem / eārundem

However, the main feature to recognise is the addition of -dem.

Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [3]: prepositions (2)

[1] Prepositions with the ablative can indicate physical location e.g. where a building is situated, or where an action is taking place (known as the ablative of place where)

[i] in: in / on

In urbe habitābam. │I used to live in the city.

Agricola in īnsulā habitat. │ The farmer lives on an island.

[ii] sub: under

Mārcus sub arbore sedēbat. │ Marcus was sitting under a tree.

[2] Prepositions with the ablative can also indicate movement away from a location

[i] ā / ab: (away) from

Ab urbe profectus est. │ He set out from the city.

ā / ab can also be used to express from a certain time:

ab hōrā tertiā │ from the third hour

[ii] dē: (down) from

dē nāvibus dēsilīre │ to jump down from the ships

Mātrēs familiae dē mūrō vestem argentumque iactābant (Caesar) │ The married women began throwing their clothes and silver over [ = down from] the wall

[iii] ē / ex: out of

Ex omnibus partibus silvae ēvolāvērunt. │ They flew out from all parts of the forest.

Notes:

[1] These are the basic meanings of these prepositions. However, as you continue through the notes on the ablative case, you will see that they have other meanings and uses.

[2] The ablative case expressing “in” is not used with the names of towns, cities and small islands. The next two posts will look at this in order to “put it to bed” before continuing with the ablative. However it has already been discussed here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/04/290324-locative-case.html

Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [6]; the Crocodile

Translate into English:

Crocodīlī autem nātūra haec est. Per quīnque mēnsēs hībernōs cibum nūllum capit. Quadrupēs est terram pariter et aquam habitāns: ōva enim parit exclūditque in terrā, et maiōrem partem diēī in siccō versātur, noctū vērō in fluviō: est enim aqua noctū magis calida quam terra rōre cōnspersa. Omnium vērō animālium hoc ex minimō fit maximum. Ōva enim haud multō maiōra sunt ōvīs ānseris: at pervēnit ad septemdecim cubitōrum longitūdinem. Habet autem oculōs porcī, dentēs vērō magnōs. Sōlum ex omnibus animālibus linguam nōn habet: neque īnferiōrem māxillam movet. Habet autem unguēs rōbustōs, et cutem squāmātam. In aquā quidem caecus est, in aere bene videt. Os habet intus plēnum hirūdinibus. Iam aliae quidem avēs et bēstiae illum fugiunt: cum trochilō autem pācem colit. Hic ūtilem eī operam praestat: nam in os eius sēsē īnsinuāns hirūdinēs dēvorat.

Vocabulary

cōnspergō, -ere, cōnspersī, cōnspersus [3]: sprinkle, spatter

cutis, -is [3/f]: (living) skin

exclūdō, -ere, exclūsī, exclūsus [3]: (here) hatch

hībernus, -a, -um: of / pertaining to winter; wintry

hirūdō, hirūdinis [3/f]: leech

īnsinuō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: (here) wind one’s way into; penetrate, enter

māxilla, -ae [1/f]: jaw (-bone)

pariō, -ere, peperī, partus [3-iō]: bear, give birth to; spawn; produce

pariter (adverb): equally; alike

rōs, rōris [3/m]: dew

sēsē: itself; emphatic form of sē

siccum, -ī [2/m]: dry land

squāmātus, -a, -um: scaly

versor, -ārī, versātus sum [1/dep]: live, stay, be

trochilus, -ī [2/m]: now referring to a species of small bird of the hummingbird genus but the bird described here was legendary:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trochilus_(crocodile_bird)

As [the crocodile] lives chiefly in the river, it has the inside of its mouth constantly covered with leeches; hence it happens that, while all the other birds and beasts avoid it, with the trochilus it lives at peace, since it owes much to that bird: for the crocodile, when he leaves the water and comes out upon the land, is in the habit of lying with his mouth wide open, facing the western breeze: at such times the trochilus goes into his mouth and devours the leeches. This benefits the crocodile, who is pleased, and takes care not to hurt the trochilus. (Herodotus)

Notes

[1] dative of possession

Crocodīlī [dative] … nātūra haec est │ literally: to the crocodile is this nature = the crocodile has this nature

[2] present active participle

terram … et aquam habitāns │ inhabiting / which inhabits the land and the water …

… in os eius sēsē īnsinuāns … │ getting itself into its mouth

[3] ablative

[i] terra rōre cōnspersa │ land sprinked with dew

[ii] Os … plēnum hirūdinibus │ a mouth … filled with (full of) leeches; Latin uses the ablative case (categorised under the ablative of means) with adjectives and verbs that refer to filling something with something or being filled with (full of) something

Tōtum montem hominibus complēvit. │ He filled the whole mountain with men.

Vīlla abundat gallīnā, lacte, cāseō, melle (Cicero) │ The farm abounds in poultry, milk, cheese and honey.

[iii] Ōva enim [a] haud multō maiōra sunt [b] ōvīs ānseris

[a] ablative of degree of difference: haud multō maiōra │not much bigger

[b] ablative of the object of comparison: ōva … [a] haud multō maiōra sunt ¦ [b] ōvīs ānseris │ the eggs are [a] not much bigger ¦ [b] than the eggs of a goose

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/260724-level-2-de-crocodilo-1.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/290724-level-2-de-crocodilo-2.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/010824-level-2-de-crocodilo-3.html

Vincent and the Alligators

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/22.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/250624-level-2-vincent-and-alligators-2.html

____________________

[6] Now the nature of the crocodile is as follows. During the five months of winter it takes no food. It is a quadruped, inhabiting land and water alike: for it lays and hatches its eggs on land, and lives on dry ground for the greater part of / most of the day, but by night in the river: for by night the water is warmer than the earth (which has been) sprinkled with dew. But of all animals this one, from being very small, becomes the greatest. For its eggs are not much larger than the eggs of a goose; but it reaches to the length of seventeen cubits. Moreover,  it has the eyes of a pig, but large teeth. Alone of all animals it does not have a tongue, nor does it move its lower jaw. However, it has strong claws, and a scaly skin. In the water, indeed, it is blind; it sees well in the air. It has its mouth full of leeches inside. Now other birds and beasts in fact flee from it, but it keeps peace with the wagtail (see notes). The latter does it a useful service: for creeping into its mouth it devours the leeches.

Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [2]: prepositions (1)

The ablative case is used with a range of prepositions which can refer to either a [i] physical  /  literal or [ii] non-physical idea i.e. you may come across the terms “figurative” or “transferred” meaning, for example:

[i] “John went out of the house” i.e. that is what he literally / physically did

[ii] “Get that idea out of your head”  i.e. it has a transferred meaning equivalent to “forget that idea”

Latin prepositions can also serve those two functions. These are not all of them, but the ones most commonly found.

ā / ab: away from

cōram: face to face; in the presence of

mihi vērō ipsī ¦ cōram generō meō, propinquō tuō ¦ quae dīcere ausus es? (Cicero) │ But what was it that you dared to say to me myself, ¦ in the presence of my son-in-law, your own relation?

cum: (together) with

dē: (away / down) from

ē / ex: out of

in: in / on

prae: before; in front of

prō: before; in front of

sine: without

sub: under; up to; close to

The mnemonic SIDSPACE (the ablative astronaut 😊) is often used as a reminder of the most common prepositions that take the ablative case:

Sub – In – Dē – Sine – Prō – Ab / ā – Cum – Ex/ ē

Level 3; summary of of the uses of the ablative case [1]: introduction to the ablative case

Ablatives are to Latin grammar what black holes are to space: they suck in all matter and energy. 

The ablative case … is a kind of catchall. You can do almost anything with the ablative case.

The ablative case has been called the “junk case” by students over the years.

The ablative case is sometimes called the “everything case”, since it seems to do a bit of, well, everything. 

All of these light-hearted but nonetheless unhelpful online introductions certainly emphasise that the ablative case has many uses. However, it isn’t a question of the ablative doing all the jobs that other cases don’t want to do, it isn’t “catching all”, nor does it do a bit of, well, everything.

We need to be more specific.

The uses of the ablative case can almost exclusively be found under the umbrella term adverbial.

[1] [i] At six o’clock John was waiting [ii] at the railway station:

[i] “at six o’clock” is an adverbial phrase; it gives additional information pertaining to when the action was performed i.e. it refers to circumstances (< La. circumstāns: standing around).

[ii] “at the railway station” is also an adverbial phrase giving more details as to where the action was performed.

Even though English uses “at” to express both ideas, those two ideas i.e. time and place are expressed differently in Latin.

[3] A little boy, who was standing [i] with his mother, hit John [ii] with a stone.

[i] “with his mother”; this adverbial phrase again explains circumstances i.e. who the little boy was with when he performed the action

[ii] “with a stone”; this time – even though the same word “with” is used – the phrase gives details as to what object the boy used to perform the action

Similarly, both of those i.e. with whom and with what (object) are expressed differently in Latin.

We call all of these adverbial and most often adverbial phrases because they are constructed from two or more words that are not in themselves adverbs but, when combined, perform an adverbial function:

with: preposition + mother: noun > He was waiting with his mother = adverbial phrase

Latin, too, uses adverbial phrases with prepositions but it can also use its case system without a preposition to express an idea which, in English, needs more than one word e.g. nocte │ at night

Those examples - at the station, at six o’clock, with his mother, with a stone – are all expressed in Latin using the ablative case some of which use a preposition and some of which do not.

The grammar books consistently use a series of terms that specifically describe the type of ablative being used; when reading the language, it is not essential to know these terms because the meaning is generally clear without needing to analyse what that use is. Nevertheless, those terms will come up again and again in any discussion about grammar and so, step-by-step, we’ll review all the different uses. Every ablative use has come up in the posts and has been referred to – mostly briefly – at each stage. Therefore, the following posts are simply going to give a summary of each one together with a few examples as illustration.

The very important point to note when operating at this level of Latin is that there is not 100% consistency in a literature that spans centuries. What is given in these posts are the main features of the ablative and the main ways in which those features are expressed. There will be exceptions and different possibilities but it is far better to have an overview rather than become embroiled in fine detail.

Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [5];Wonderful Animals in Libya

Translate into English:

Sunt in Libyā immānī magnitūdine serpentēs, sunt ibīdem leōnēs, et elephantī, et ursī, et aspidēs, et asinī cornūtī. Sunt etiam hominēs capita cānum habentēs. Sunt aliī sine capitibus, oculōs in pectore habentēs, et ferī hominēs. Sunt etiam mūrēs bipedēs, et parvī serpentēs singulīs cornibus īnstrūctī. Dēnique magnus numerus mīrārum bēstiārum in hīs regiōnibus invenītur.

Vocabulary

aspis, aspidis [3/f]: viper

bipēs, bipedis: two-legged

cornūtus, -a, um: having horns, horned

ferus, -a, -um: wild, savage

ibīdem (adverb): at / in  the same / that very place

īnstruō, -ere, īnstrūxī, īnstrūctus [3]: (here) equip, furnish, provide

Notes

[1] present active participle

Sunt etiam hominēs … habentēs │ There are even / also men … having / who have …

[2] parvī serpentēs singulīs cornibus īnstrūctī │ small snakes are each ‘equipped / provided’ with a horn = with one horn apiece / each

singulus, -a, -um: while this adjective can translate as “single”, that is slightly misleading since, in Classical Latin, it was only used in the plural meaning “each one”, “one at a time” (i.e. since it is referring to more than one), one apiece

in singula diēī tempora (Caesar) │ in every hour of the day

Caesar cum [...] singulās legiōnēs appellāret (Caesar) │ When Caesar … addressed every legion (i.e. each legion one by one)

Persequī singulōs longum est … (Seneca the Younger) │ It is tedious to recount each man (in turn / individually) …

[3]

sed antīquitās quidem obscūra (Tacitus) │but all antiquity is, of course, obscure

Is it fabricated, exaggerated, misinterpreted or true?

With reference to the phoenix, Tacitus (Annales 6.28) writes:

haec incerta et fābulōsīs aucta: cēterum aspicī aliquandō in Aegyptō eam volucrem nōn ambigitur │All this is full of doubt and legendary exaggeration. Still, there is no question that the bird is occasionally seen in Egypt.

[i] That uncertainty as to whether tales of ‘fabulous’ beasts are actually true continues through the Middle Ages into the Renaissance period:

Gaspar Schott: Physica Curiosa (1662):

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/120125-level-1-topic-school-20-science.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/10/120125-level-1-topic-school-21-science.html

[ii] Sunt etiam hominēs capita cānum habentēs.

More information on this belief is at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynocephaly

https://www.theoi.com/Phylos/Kunokephaloi.html

____________________

[5] There are in Libya serpents of huge size; in the same place there are lions, and elephants, and bears, and vipers, and horned asses. There are also human beings having the heads of dogs. There are others without heads, having eyes in the breast, and wild men. There are also two-legged mice, and small serpents each equipped / provided with one horn (a-piece). In a word, a great number of strange animals is found in these regions.

Level 3; Beasts in Egypt and Libya [4]; The Winged Serpents and the Ibis; ablative of separation

Translate into English:

Ineunte vēre in Aegyptum advolant volucrēs serpentēs. Ibidēs autem avēs illīs occurrentēs, aditū prohibent, necantque serpentēs. Ob hanc causam magnī aestimantur ībidēs ab Aegyptiīs. Speciēs autem ībidis tālis est; colōre nigrō avis est, pedibus gruis, rōstrō aduncō. Serpentum fōrma similis est fōrmae hydrārum. Ālās habent nōn pennātās, sed vespertīliōnis ālīs similēs.

Vocabulary

aditus, -ūs [4/m]: approach

aduncus, -a, -um: hooked, bent, curved

aestimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: value, rate, consider, judge

āla, -ae [1/f]: wing

grūs, gruis [3m/f]: crane (species of bird)

hydra, -ae [1/f]: water-snake; in Greek mythology, the hydra refers to a many-headed serpent and it is the second labour of Hercules to kill the Learnaean Hydra

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra

occurrō, -ere, occurrī [3]: (+ dative): (go to) meet; resist, oppose

rostrum, -ī [2/m]: beak

vespertīliō, vespertīliōnis [3/m]: bat

volucer, volucris, volucre: winged

Notes

[1] ablative absolute: present active participle + noun

iniēns, ineuntis: present active participle < ineō, inīre, inī(v)ī: [i] enter; [ii] (here) begin / make a beginning

ineunte vēre │ with spring beginning = at the beginning / commencement of spring

[2] ablative of separation

The ablative is used when x is “separated” from y, that separation being physical or abstract, positive or negative. Some verbs use a preposition with this construction and others do not or there is inconsistency in use of a preposition. The focus, however, should be on recognising the idea of separation which is already conveyed in the verbs themselves.

[i] hostēs ¦ [ii] fīnibus prohibuērunt │ They kept [i] the enemy ¦ [ii] from (their) borders.

[i] praedōnēs ¦ [ii] ab īnsulā prohibuit │ He kept [i] the pirates ¦ [ii] from the island.

[i] urbem ¦ [ii] ā tyrannō  līberāvērunt │ They freed [i] the city ¦ [ii] from the tyrant.

[i] liberāmur ¦ mortis [ii] mētū │ [i] We are freed [ii] from the fear of death.

There is more to the ablative of separation than has been discussed here and it will be looked again when all forms of the ablative are reviewed. However, this is enough to explain the sentence from the text:

aditū prohibent │ they prevent (their) approach i.e. they prevent (the birds) from approaching

[3] dative usage

[i] with compound verbs:

occurrō, -ere, occurrī [3]: (+ dative): (go to) meet; resist, oppose

ibidēs autem avēs illīs [dative] occurrentēs … │ the ibises, however, going to meet / opposing them … 

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/02/130425-level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

or

https://adckl2.blogspot.com/2025/02/level-3-verbs-with-dative-case-1.html

[ii] … fōrma similis est fōrmae hydrārum │ the shape … is similar to the shape of water-snakes

[4] genitive of value

magnī [genitive] aestimantur ībidēs │ the ibises are highly / greatly valued

The genitive case can be used to convey value or worth, but in an indefinite rather than an actual price. The extent of the “value” is expressed by an adjective in the genitive case although, as the quotation from Catullus illustrates, it can also be a noun

magnī aestimō sapientiam │I value his wisdom highly

suōs parvī fēcit │ he considered his (own men) to be of little (value)

floccus, -ī [2/m]: wisp / tuft of wool > Nōn ego tē floccī faciō; nē mē territēs (Plautus) │ I don't care a straw for you; don't be bullying me.

Plūris aestimō beneficium quam iniūriam (Seneca) │ I  reckon a benefit at a higher rate than an injury.

Catullus:

Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus, │ let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love

rumoresque senum severiorum │ and the rumours of rather stern old men

omnes unius aestimemus assis! │ let us value them all at one penny

____________________

At the commencement of spring winged serpents fly to Egypt. But the ibis birds going to meet / opposing them, prevent (their) approach, and kill the serpents. For this reason they are highly valued by the Egyptians. The appearance of the ibis is as follows; it is a bird of a black colour, with the claws of a crane, and a curved beak. The shape of the snakes resembles the shape of water snakes. They do not have feathered wings but similar to the wings of a bat.