Chapters 26-29: Uses of the Cases

Some of these exercises call for words in the genitive case. (Others call for words in the dative, accusative, or ablative—or locative.) To avoid giving away the answer, the ones where the answer is a genitive singular noun will be set up like the others—e. g. , is the singular form of vir, virī (2m): man. (Ordinarily this project would simply put the word virī in boldface.) Try to also explain the reason why the case is used; this, too, is mentioned in the notes words you can uncover. A few of these problems involve adjectives or pronouns. If you haven’t studied those yet, just do the best you can with them.

Magnus ostrearum numerus Rōmā missus est. — Gellius, Attic Nights 20.8.3
Translation

A large quantity of oysters was sent from Rome.

Details

Magnus /magna/magnum (1/2): great, large, big. Ostreārum is the genitive plural form of ostrea, ostreae (1f): oyster. Numerus, numerī (2m): number. Rōmā is the ablative singular form of Rōma, Rōmae (1f): Rome (ablative of place from which). Missus est is the third person masculine singular perfect passive form of mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum (3): to send; throw.


Non multum speī est in senatu. — Cicero, Letters to Atticus 1.20.4
Translation

There is not much to be hoped for from the Senate.

More literally: There is not much hope in the Senate.

Details

Nōn: not. Multum, multī (2n): a large amount, much. Speī is the genitive singular form of spēs, speī (5f): hope (partitive genitive). Est: there is. In (prep.): (with abl.) in, on; (with acc.) into. Senātū is the ablative singular form of senātus, senātūs (4m): senate.


Parricīdam quidam vocant. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 7.1.16
Translation

Some people call me a parricide.

Details

Parricīdam is the accusative singular form of parricīda, parricīdae (1m/f): parricide (predicate accusative). is the accusative form of ego. Quīdam is the masculine nominative plural form of quīdam/quaedam/quiddam (pron.): a certain one, somebody, something. Vocant is the third person plural form of vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātum (1): to call.


Socii magnō clāmōre sequuntur. — Virgil, Aeneid 10.799
Translation

His comrades follow with a loud cry.

Details

Sociī is the nominative plural form of socius, sociī (2m): friend, comrade, ally, associate. Magnō is the m/n ablative singular form of magnus/magna/magnum (1/2): great, large; important. Clāmōre is the ablative singular form of clāmor, clāmōris (3m): shout, cry (ablative of manner). Sequuntur is the third person plural form of sequor, sequī, secūtus sum (3, deponent): to follow.


Legiones Faliscorum auxiliō venerunt. — Livy, History of Rome 4.17.12
Translation

The forces of the Faliscans came to their support.

Details

Legiōnēs is the nominative plural form of legiō, legiōnis (3f): legion. Faliscōrum is the m/n (here m) genitive plural form of faliscus/falisca/faliscum (1/2): Faliscan (a people of a region near modern Tuscany). Auxiliō is the dative singular form of auxilium, auxiliī (2n): help, aid, support (dative of purpose). Vēnērunt is the third person plural perfect form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come.


Malī medicī est desperare, ne curet. — Seneca, On Mercy 1.17.2
Translation

It is the mark of a bad physician to despair of finding a cure.

More literally: It is of a bad doctor to despair that he may not cure.

Details

Malī is the m/n genitive singular form of malus/mala/malum (1/2): bad. Medicī is the genitive singular form of medicus, medicī (2m): doctor, physician (genitive of characteristic). Est: it is. Dēspērō, dēspērāre, dēspērāvī, dēspērātum (1): to despair (of). Ne (conj. , with subjunctive): lest, that not. Cūret is the third person singular subjunctive form of cūrō, cūrāre, cūrāvī, cūrātum (1): to cure.


Mihi ad pedes misera iacuit. — Cicero, Against Verres 2.5.129
Translation

The poor creature prostrated herself before me.

More literally: She lay miserable at the feet for me (i.e., she lay at my feet).

Details

Mihi is the dative form of ego: I (dative of reference). Ad (prep.): to, toward; at; according to (takes the accusative). Pedēs is the accusative plural form of pēs, pedis (3m): foot. Miser/ misera /miserum (1/2): wretched, unfortunate, miserable. Iacuit is the third person singular perfect form of iaceō, iacēre, iacuī, iacitum (2): to lie, be in a recumbent position.


Ex umbrā in sōlem. — Erasmus, Adagia (1536)
Translation

From shadow into light.

Details

(Something has been made clear or brought into the open.) Ex /ē (prep.): out of, from. Umbrā is the ablative singular form of umbra, umbrae (1f): shadow ([because ex takes the ablative]). In (prep.): in; into. Sōlem is the accusative singular form of sōl, sōlis (3m): sun; sunlight ([because in takes the accusative when it means into ]).


Laudis amore tumes. — Horace, Epistles 1.1.36
Translation

You are swelling with love of praise.

Details

Laudis is the genitive singular form of laus, laudis (3f): praise; merit (the objective genitive). Amōre is the ablative singular form of amor, amōris (3m): love. Tumēs is the second person singular form of tumeō, tumēre, tumuī, — (2): to be swollen, swell.


Tris ūnō diē a te accepi epistulas. — Cicero, Letters to Friends 11.12.1
Translation

I have received three letters from you on the same day.

More literally: . . . in one day.

Details

Trīs (or trēs) is the m/f accusative plural form of trēs/trēs/tria (3): three. Ūnō is the m/n ablative singular form of ūnus/ūna/ūnum (1/2, irreg.): one; only. Diē is the ablative singular form of diēs, diēī (5m/f): day (ablative of time within which). Ab/ ā (prep.): (away) from; by (takes the ablative). is the ablative form of tū: you. Accipiō, accipere, accēpī, acceptum (3, –iō): to receive, accept, take. Epistulās is the accusative plural form of epistula, epistulae (1f): letter.


Quadraginta milia librorum Alexandrīae arserunt. — Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind 9.5
Translation

They burned forty thousand books at Alexandria.

More literally: Forty thousand books burned at Alexandria.

Details

Quadrāgintā (indeclinable): forty. Mīlia is the nominative plural form of mīlle: thousand. Librōrum is the genitive plural form of liber, librī (2m): book. Alexandrīae is the locative singular case of Alexandrīa, Alexandrīae (1f): Alexandria. Arsērunt is the third person plural perfect form of ārdeō, ārdēre, ārsī, ārsum (2): to burn, be on fire. (The first translation doesn’t literally match the Latin because ārdeō is intransitive: it means to be on fire, not to set something on fire.)


Cogita mortālem esse, senem. — Seneca, Epistles 35.3
Translation

Reflect that you yourself are mortal, and that I am old.

More literally: Reflect you to be mortal, me old.

Details

Cōgitā is the singular imperative form of cōgitō, cōgitāre, cōgitāvī, cōgitātum (1): to think, reflect. # reflect% is the accusative form of tū: you. Mortālem is the m/f accusative singular form of mortālis/mortālis/mortāle (3): mortal. Esse: to be. is the accusative form of ego. Senem is the m/f accusative singular form of senex, senis (3, adj.): old, aged (accusative + infinitive construction).


Hieme plus esse convenit. — Celsus, On Medicine 1.3.34
Translation

In winter it is fitting to eat more.

Details

Hieme is the ablative singular form of hiems, hiemis (3f): winter (ablative of time when). Plūs is the accusative singular form of plūs, plūris (3n): more. Edō, ēsse, ēdī, ēsum (3, irreg.): to eat. Convenit is the third person singular form of conveniō, convenīre, convēnī, conventum (4): to come together, meet; be fitting; be agreed.


Senī non erat otium. — Plautus, The Ghost 788
Translation

The old man didn’t have time.

More literally: There was not time for the old man.

Details

Senī is the dative singular form of senex, senis (3m): old man (dative of possession). Nōn: not. Erat is the third person singular imperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be. Ōtium, ōtiī (2n): leisure, freedom from business, (spare) time.


Unum est inexpugnabile munimentum amor cīvium. — Seneca, On Clemency 1.19.6
Translation

His one impregnable defense is the love of his countrymen.

Details

(i.e., a king is safest when his citizens love him.) Ūnus/ūna/ ūnum (1/2, irreg.): one. Est: is. Inexpugnābilis/inexpugnābilis/ inexpugnābile (3): impregnable. Mūnīmentum, mūnīmentī (2n): defense; fortification. Amor, amōris (3m): love. Cīvium is the genitive plural form of cīvis, cīvis (3m/f): citizen (the subjective genitive).


Ūsū autem armorum et militum rōbore inferiores eramus. — Cicero, Letters to Friends 6.1.5
Translation

We were weaker in military experience and in the caliber of our troops.

More literally: But we were inferior in experience of arms and in the strength of soldiers.

Details

Ūsū is the ablative singular form of ūsus, ūsūs (4m): use; practice; experience. Autem (particle): but, on the other hand; and, moreover. Arma, armōrum (2n, plural only): arms, weapons. Et (conj.): and. Mīlitum is the genitive plural form of mīles, mīlitis (3m): soldier. Rōbore is the ablative singular form of rōbur, rōboris (3n): oak; vigor, robustness, strength (ablative of specification). Īnferiōrēs is the m/f nominative plural form of īnferior/īnferior/īnferius (3): lower; later; inferior—the comparative form of īnferus/īnfera/īnferum (1/2): situated below. Erāmus is the first person plural imperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be.


Praecipue panthērīs terrōrī esse traditur. — Pliny the Elder, Natural History 28.93
Translation

It is said to be a terror to panthers in particular.

More literally: It is related to be for a terror (i.e., a source of terror) to panthers especially.

Details

(The hyena.) Praecipuē (adv.): especially. Panthērīs is the dative plural form of panthēra, panthērae (1f): panther. Terrōrī is the dative singular form of terror, terrōris (3m): great fear, terror (the double dative). Esse: to be. Trāditur is the third person singular passive form of trādō, trādere, trādidī, trāditum (3): to hand over; surrender; deliver; hand down; relate.


Ut paulo ante dicebam. . . — Seneca, Epistles 56.11
Translation

As I said a little earlier. . .

Details

Ut (rel. adv.): as. Paulō is the m/n ablative singular form of paulus/paula/paulum (1/2): little, small (ablative of degree of difference). Ante (adv.): before, previously, earlier. Dīcēbam is the first person singular imperfect form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say.


Venit Rōmam Ligus. — Cicero, Against Verres 2.1.126
Translation

Ligus arrived in Rome.

More literally: Ligus came to Rome.

Details

Vēnit is the third person singular perfect form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come (or it could be a historical present, venit). Rōmam is the accusative singular form of Rōma, Rōmae (1f): Rome (accusative of place to which). Ligus, Liguris (3m): here a cognomen, but it also means a Ligurian (a member of a tribe of Cisalpine Gaul).


Quid autem ī crudelius est? — Seneca, On Anger 1.5.2
Translation

But what is more cruel than anger?

Details

Quis/quis/ quid (interrog. pron.): who? what? Autem (particle): on the other hand, but, however; and, moreover. Īrā is the ablative singular form of īra, īrae (1f): anger (ablative of comparison). Crūdēlior/crūdēlior/ crūdēlius (3) is the comparative form of crūdēlis/crūdēlis/crūdēle (3): cruel. Est: is.

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