SECTION V. Uses of Prepositions. i. Prepositions with an ACCUSATIVE Case. I. Ad (to, at, &c.). Usque ad is often used: usque ad Numantiam. Hor. has 'adusque supremum tempus,' even to his last hour. Also the Adv. usque, omitting ad. Usque Puteolos,' as far as Pozzuoli, C. 'Tarsum usque,' C. Ab ovo usque ad mala,' from the eggs to the apples, Hor., i.e. from the beginning to the end of dinner. I) Local Use. a) Ad, to, takes a Case of Place or Person, after a Verb ex- : b) Ad, at, takes a Case after a Verb not expressing motion: 2) Temporal Use. a) Limit of Time (to): ad summam senectutem, to extreme old age; ad hosce dies, to modern times; ad ultimum, to the very last; a mani usque ad vesperum, from morning to evening; ad multam noctem, till late in the night. b) Point of Time: ad lucem, at daybreak; ad postremum, at last; ad summum, in fine. Time fixed beforehand: exspecto te ad Kal. Febr., I look for you by the 1st of February; dies praestituta est quam ad solveres, a day was appointed you for paying. c) Time within which ad tempus, for a time, or at the right time; ad breve tempus, for a short time; ad decem annos, ten years hence. 3) Ad marks the limit of Number and Degree: ad octingentos; or adverbially, ad octingenti caesi, about 800 were slain, L. So, ad unum omnes, to a man; ad assem, to the last farthing; ad summam, on the whole; ad summam impudentiam, to the most shameless height. 4) The derived uses are : a) Addition : ad haec vulnera; ad hoc, moreover. b) Standard: ad fistulam canere, to sing to the pipe; ad c) Comparison: nihil est ad Persium, he is nothing to Persius. 70 Use of Prepos sitions. d) Respect: Insignis ad laudem, honourably distinguished. Ad speciem; ad pondus. See M. Lucr. iii. 214. e) Occasion: Ad famam obsidionis, on report of the siege. Ad ictum, after the blow. See M. Lucr. i. 185. f) Reply Ad illa respondeo, to this I reply. g) Purpose: Ad eam rem, for that purpose: ad praedam, for plunder: especially with Gerund and Gerundive: ad vescendum, for food; ad agros colendos, for agriculture. So servus ad remum, rower, Liv., ad manum, amanuensis; Lygdamus ad cyathos, the cup-bearer Lygdamus, Prop.: ad limina custos, a doorkeeper, Verg. And with a Case of that against which precaution or remedy is used: ad morsus bestiarum, for bites, ad morbos, against diseases. II. Adversus, adversum (advorsus, advorsum) express 1) Place (over against, opposite): Adversus Pydnam, opposite to Pydna. Quis haec est quae me advorsum incedit? who is this woman coming face to face with me? Plaut. Ire advorsum alicui, to go to meet some one = obviam ire. Exadversus is found: exadversus Athenas, opposite Athens. 2) Relation (towards, against). Amor adversus parentes, love towards parents. Adversus solem ne loquitor, you must not speak against the sun. III. Apud expresses near neighbourhood, generally to Persons, rarely to Place: Apud oppidum, near the town. 1) With Persons it is used in various senses: Apud Lycome- IV. Ante (before) is applied to 1) Place: Hannibal ante portas est. Ante urbem conditam, before the foundation of the city. Ante tris annos, three years ago (also tribus ante annis or tertio anno ante). Multo ante, long before. Paulo ante, a short time before. Ante domandum, before taming, Verg. 3) Order and Preference: Hunc ante me diligo, I love him above myself. Ante alios carissimus (or carior). Ante omnia placent silvae, woods please above everything. V. Pone (pos-ne) (behind): Pone castra pabulatum ibant, they went behind the camp to forage. Ante et pone, before and behind. VI. Post (pos-te: see ante) describes : 1) Place (behind) Hostis post montem se occultabat, the enemy was hiding behind the mountain. Manus eius post tergum religatae sunt, his hands were tied behind his back. 2) Time (after, since): Post cenam, after supper. Post urbem conditam, after the foundation of the city. Post Christum natum, after the birth of Christ. Post hominum memoriam, since the memory of man. Post paucos dies (or paucis post diebus), a few days after. Paulo post, soon after. Longo post tempore, V. 3) Of Order and Dignity (after, behind): 'Neque erit Lydia post Chloen,' nor shall Lydia be after Chloe, Hor. VII. Cis, citra (citera parte), (on this side of, within), is applied to 1) Place Cis Alpis, cis Padum, citra Euphraten, citra mare. 2) Time (very rarely): Cis paucos dies hostis aderit, the enemy will be here within a few days. Citra Kalendas Octobris, before the 1st of October. Note. Hence citra is used of measure in the sense of without (i.e. without reaching), short of: Citra controversiam, without dispute. Citra ebrietatem, short of intoxication. VIII. Ultra, from the root il=olul (ultera parte, on yonder side, beyond) describes 1) Place Ultra Aethiopiam, beyond Ethiopia. Ultra Gara- IX. Trans (across, beyond) is applied to seas, rivers, hills, &c. : Naves trans mare currunt, ships glide across the sea. Trans Euphraten, beyond the Euphrates. Trans Alpis. Trans caput, V. X. 1. Circum (round, about) of Place: Terra circum axem vertitur, the earth turns about its axis. Circum haec loca commoror, I am staying about these spots. Turba circum regem, a crowd around the king. 2. Circa (not used before Livy), describes 1) Place (round): Urbes circa Capuam occupavit, he seized 3) Respect (about, concerning) in Post-Augustan Latinity: 3. Circiter (about) denotes extension round, and is used of Time and Number: Circiter meridiem advenimus, we came about noon. Decem circiter milia passuum abest, he is about ten miles away. XI. Contra (contera parte) denotes a tendency of two things to come together, and describes 1) Place (over against): Carthago Italiam contra, Carthage over against Italy. Aspicedum contra me, look me in the face. 2) Relation (against): Contra naturam, against nature. Contra legem, against law. Hoc contra ius fasque est, this is against law and religion. Quod contra fit a plerisque, most people do just the contrary. Non caru'st auro contra, he's worth his weight in gold. XII. Erga (towards) is used of Relation: Tuam erga me benevolentiam agnosco, I acknowledge your goodwill towards me. Scio quomodo erga me affectus sis, I know how you feel towards me. Erga is once used of place by Plautus (=facing). XIII. Extra (extera parte) describes 1) Place (outside of, without): Extra urbem, outside the city. Extra teli iactum, out of range of darts. 2) Relation (without, beyond, clear of): Extra culpam, periculum, iocum, ordinem, modum, causam, &c. 3) Exception (except): Nemo extra eum, nobody except him. XIV. Intra (intera parte) (within) describes 1) Place Intra urbem factum est, it happened within the city. 3) Extent: Hortensii scripta intra famam sunt, the writings XV. Inter signifies extension inside, and is used of— Intus 1) Place (between): Inter urbem et fluvium, between the city and river. 2) Time (between, during): Inter horam tertiam et quartam, between nine and ten o'clock. Inter prandendum (or inter cenam) curis vaco, at dinner (or at supper) I am free from cares. Inter tot annos, during so many years. Inter vias, on the road. 3) Relation (between, among): Inter hominem et beluam multum interest, there is much difference between a man and a brute. Constat inter omnis, all are agreed. Inter arma silent leges, amidst arms laws are silent. Inter cetera et illud dixit, among other things he said this too. And of mutual relation with se; as Inter se amant, they love one another. Inter haec = interea, meanwhile. XVI. Infra (infera parte) (beneath) describes 1) Place: Infra lunam nihil est non mortale, beneath the moon there is nothing not mortal. 2) Time: Homerus non infra Lycurgum fuit, Homer was not 3) Number: Non infra novena, not less than nine at a time. 5) Worth: Infra dignitatem meam, beneath my dignity. XVII. Supra (supera parte) (above, over) describes 1) Place: Caelum supra terram est, heaven is above earth. Saltu supra venabula fertur, he bounds over the hunting spears. Supra caput. Supra me erat Atticus, infra Verrius, Atticus sat above me, Verrius below. 2) Time: Supra hanc memoriam vixit, he lived before these times. Ut supra dixi, as I said above. 3) Number: Caesa sunt supra milia viginti, more than twenty thousand were slain. Supra belli Sabini metum, over and above the dread of a Sabine war. 4) Measure: Supra humanam formam altior, taller than human form. Supra modum, above measure. XVIII. Iuxta (iugista parte, Corss.) describes 1) Place (adjoining): Hortus meus iuxta viam est, my garden adjoins the road. 2) Order (next to, as well as, akin to): Iuxta deos in tua manu positum est, next to the gods it lies in your hands. Inermes iuxta armatos trucidati sunt, unarmed as well as armed men were slaughtered. Celeritas iuxta formidinem est, speed is akin to fear. Iuxta seditionem ventum est, things almost came to mutiny. Solo caeloque iuxta gravi, soil and climate being equally unhealthy. XIX. Ob describes 1) Place (before): Ob oculos mihi mors versata est, death was before my eyes. Follem sibi obstringit ob gulam, he ties a bladder on his throat. Ob os trudere, to thrust in one's face. 2) Cause (for, on account of, with a view to): Poenas ob stultitiam do, I suffer punishment for my folly. Pecuniam ob absolvendum accepit, he received money to acquit. Argentum ob asinos, money to pay for the donkeys. Ager oppositu'st pigneri ob decem minas, the estate is mortgaged for ten minas. Frustra an ob rem, ineffectually, or to some purpose. Ob industriam, studiously. Ob eam causam, on that account. XX. Penes (in the power of, resting with): Penes imperatorem est summum imperium, supreme power rests with the commander |