About the Language I
Stage 28: More on the Ablative and
Accusative
A. In this Stage, you have seen
sentences like this:
Salvius, cum de morte regis audivisset, e castris discessit.
When Salvius had heard about the death of the king, he left the
camp.
The words in boldface are in the ablative
case. The ablative case is used with a
number of prepositions in Latin.
B. Study the following sentences:

miles, vulnere impeditus, tandem cessit.
The soldier, hindered by his wound, gave in at last.

iuvenis, gladio armatus, ad castra contendit.
The young man, armed with a sword, hurried to the camp.

servi, catenis vincti, in fundo laborabant.
The slave, bound in chains, were working on the farm.
The words in boldface are in the ablative case, but there
is no preposition ahead of them in Latin. Notice the
various ways of translating these words into English.
C. Further examples:
1. Salvius, audacia Belimici attonitus, nihil dixit.
2. mercator, fustibus verberatus, in fossa
exanimatus iacebat.
3. milites, vallo defensi, barbaris diu resistebant.
4. uxor mea anulum, gemmis ornatum, emit.
5. hospites, arte ancillae delectati, plauserunt.
D. Study the following
examples:
 nona hora ad aulam venit.
He came to the palace at the ninth hour.
 decimo die discessit.
He left on the tenth day.
The words in boldface indicate when something
happened. To indicate time when, Latin uses the
ablative case, with the preposition.
E. Now study the
following:
 multos annos hic habito.
I have lived here for many years.
 duas horas laborabant.
They worked for two hours.
In these sentences, the words in boldface
indicate how long something went on. To
indicate duration or extent of time, Latin uses
the accusative case, with no prepositions.
F. Further examples:
1. hospites tres horas cenabant.
2. quarto die revenit rex.
3. Agricola provinciam septem annos
administrabat.
4. secunda hora libertus Memorem excitare
temptavit.
5. media nocte hostes castra nostra
oppugnaverunt.
6. sex dies navigabamus; septimo die ad
portum advenimus.