I Endings

I -a, -is

II -o, -is

III -e,-i -ibus

IV -u -ibus

V -e -ebus

II Uses in General

The functions of the Latin Ablative cover three relationships: Ablative (from); Locative (in); and Instrumental (by, with).

III Uses with examples

P. = Pliny's letters

V. = Vergil's Aeneid

1. Separation

a. with ab, ex, de

• P. nondum ab exilio venerat. [I.5]
• P. non tamen ut omnino ab inertia mea et quiete discederem [I.6]
• V.1.1 Trojae qui primus ab oris.

The ablative with e/ex or de is used with numbers (except milia) and with quidam instead of the partitive genitive.

• P. ex meis epistulis ... una. [I.4]
• P. unus ex multis [I.3]

b. With verbs of departing, removing, depriving, freeing, robbing, abstaining, lacking; with adjectives such as liber, nudus, vacuus, the ablative is used without a preposition.

• P. abstineat cibo [I.12]
• P. cogito quo amico, quo viro caream [I.12]
• V.1.26 necdum ... saevique dolores / exciderant animo

2. Source: that from which a thing is derived (usually with ab, ex, de); or the material of which it consists (with ex).

P. nuntius a Spurrina [I.5]

But participles of birth or origin take the ablative of source without a preposition.

• V.1.615 nate dea
• V.1.297 Mai genitum demittit ab alto

3. Cause: with or without a preposition [ab, ex, de], the motive that influences the mind of the person acting is expressed by the ablative of cause. The ablative of cause is used especially with verbs or adjectives denoting mental states.

• P. exultaverat morte. [I.5]
• P. rogatu Aruleni Rustici [I.5]
• P. qui contentus est eloquentia saeculi nostri [I.5]
• P. intentione rei familiaris obeundae [I.3] "by reason of your effort in attending to your estate."
• P conscientia exterritus [I.5]
• V. 1.4 vi superum

4. Agent: the voluntary agent after a passive verb is expressed by the ablative with a/ab.

• P. a quo revocari posset ad vitam [I.12]
• P. a Domitiano relegatus [I.5] "sentenced by Domitian"
• P. te decipi a me non oportet [I.5]
• P. curatur a multis, timetur a pluribus [I.5]
• V.4.356 Nunc etiam interpres divum Jove missus ab ipso...

The ablative of agent is a development of the ablative of source: the agent being the source or author of the action.

5. Comparison: after a comparative adjective or other word implying comparison, the ablative is used to mean than.

The uses of the ablative for means, instrument, manner and accompaniment (some of these uses with, others without, a preposition) are derived from the old instrumental case. "No sharp lines can be drawn between them, and indeed the Romans themselves can hardly have thought of any distinction." [A&G p. 256, # 408]

1. Means or Instrument

• P. Mirum est ut animus agitatione motuque corporis excitetur... [I.6]
• cuius fulturis animus sustinetur ... [I.9] "by the maintenance of which the spirit is sustained"
• quod nec famam meam aliquo responso, utili fortasse, inhonesto tamen, laeseram [I.5]
• Increverat valetudo, quam temperantia mitigare temtavit. [I.12]
• V.1.39 quippe vetor fatis
• V.1.43 disjecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis.
• V.1.45 turbine corripuit

2. The deponent verbs utor (use, avail oneself of), fruor (enjoy), fungor (perform), potior (take possession of), vescor (feed on) and some of their compounds take the ablative.

• P. ut perinde nostris rebus ac nos tuis perfruaris [I.4]
• igitur ut te non decurione solum verum etiam equite Romano perfruamur [I.19]
• ut dignitate a me data ... quam modestissime utare [I.19]
• V.1.64 Juno supplex his vocibus usa est.

This use of the ablative is means, with deponent verbs that imply the middle voice:

utor "I employ myself by means of" > I use

fruor "I enjoy myself by means of"

fungor "I busy myself with" > I perform

vescor "I feed myself with"

potior "I make myself powerful with"

3. Similarly nitor (rest on, rely on) and the adjective fretus (relying on) take an ablative of means.

nitor "I support myself by means of"

P. nitebamur ... sententia Meti Modestus [I.5]

4 Opus est (and sometimes usus est) "there is need of" takes an ablative of means. Opus est: literally "there is work" + the ablative of that by which the work is to be performed.

P. tuis opus non est [I.4]

5. Manner: expresses the manner of the action, usually with cum unless an adjective is used with the noun.

Words like modo, more, pacto, ratione, ritu, vi, via, iure are ablatives of manner which have virtually become adverbs and are used without a preposition.

• P. rogo mane videas Plinium domi, sed plane mane, et quoquo modo efficias ne mihi irascatur.
• [I.5]V.1.55 magno cum murmure montis

6. The ablative of manner may express "in accordance with" as in sponte (or mea/sua sponte) "of one's own accord" (i.e. voluntarily) or mea sententia "according to my way of thinking, in my opinion."

• P. Decessit Corellius Rufus et quidem sponte quod dolorem meum exulcerat. [I.12]
• V.4.361 Italiam non sponte sequor.

7. The ablative of Accompaniment and Contention: with cum

• P. quid tibi cum mortuis meis [I.5]
• cui non est cum Cicerone aemulatio [I.5]
• mecum tantum et cum libellis loquor [I.6]
• V.1.37 haec secum
• V.1.47 una cum gente tot annos / bella gero.

8. The ablative of Degree of Difference is used with comparatives and words implying comparison to indicate how great is the difference between the two things compared.

• P. paulo curatius [I.1]
• multo magis [I.9]

9. Ablative of Description or Quality: used with an adjective or genitive modifier

• P. Villa usibus capax, non sumptuosa tutela. [II.27] "The villa is large enough for convenience, and not of ex-travagant upkeep.
• V.1.71 Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae.

10. Ablative of Specification: expresses the specific respect in which something is true or is done. [maior natu, "older"] This is also called the Ablative of Respect.

P. Nam mala emptio semper ingrata, eo maxime, quod exprobare stultitiam domino videtur. [I.24] "For a bad buy is always displeasing, in this respect especially: because it seems to accuse the buyer of stupidity."

V.1.72 pulcherrima forma

11. Ablative Absolute: expresses the time or circumstances of an action by means of a noun or pronoun [the subject of the construction] with a participle in agreement [the predicate] or a second noun or adjective in place of the participle. It is called "absolute" because it is grammatically independant of the rest of the sentence.

1. Place Where: usually with a preposition, with verbs of rest.

• P. Ad retia sedebam: erat in proximo non venabulum aut lancea sed stilus et pugillares. [I.6]
• Quin tu (tempus est enim) humiles et sordidas curas aliis mandas et ipse te in alto isto pinguique secessu studiis adseris? [I.3]

In poetry and sometimes in prose, especially in later periods, the preposition may be omitted.

• V.1.3 multum ille et terris jactatus et alto
• V.1.5 multa quoque et bello passus
• V.1.11 Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
• V.1.50 Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans

2. Time when or within which is expressed by the ablative usually without a preposition (but sometimes with in).

• Haec quo die feceris necessaria ... [I,9]
• Veni ad eum Domitiani temporibus in suburbano iacentem. [I.12]

• Tertio et tricesimo anno ut ipsum audiebam pedum dolore correptus est. [I.12] "In his thirty-third year, so I used to hear him saying himself, he was attacked by gout."