THE CASES NOMINATIVE Subject of a sentence Caecilius

THE CASES

NOMINATIVE • Subject of a sentence – Caecilius aquam bibit • Complement (i. e. used after a verb acting like an `equals’ sign) – Petrus est senātor • Singular and plural endings are: – – – 1 st decl: - a and –ae 2 nd decl: - us and –ī (neuter nouns: -um and -a) 3 rd decl: - ? ? and –ēs (neuter nouns: ? and –(i)a) 4 th decl: - us and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua) 5 th decl: - ēs and –ēs

VOCATIVE • Used for addressing someone and almost always exactly the same as the nominative except in the 2 nd declension where e is used in the singular. The e is dropped after i. – Marce, ad fenestram ambulā – Iūlia, surge. – Caecilī, mēcum venī • The particle `ō’ is often placed in front (as in very formal English) – Ō Caesar, nōs servā!

ACCUSATIVE • Used for the direct object of the verb – Servus aquam bibit. – Mīles amīcum videt. – Metella mercātōrem vocat. • Also for length of time or distance • (In poetry) Used with a participle or adjective to refer to the affected part of the thing or person described – – – • Paulus sex mēnsēs Rōmae habitāvit Quattuor chiliometra ambulāvimus Arbor tremefacta comam nūtat (`The tree, made to tremble in its foliage, sways’) Singular and plural endings – – – 1 st decl: -am and -ās 2 nd decl: -um and –ōs (neuter nouns: -um and -a) 3 rd decl: –em and –ēs (neuter nouns: ? ? and –(i)a) 4 th decl: –um and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua) 5 th decl: –em and –ēs

ACCUSATIVE (contd. ) • For motion towards (normally with a preposition such as ad, but on its own with names of cities and small islands, and with rūs, domum) – – • As subject in an accusative and infinitive clause used in reported statements. The accusative here is simultaneously both the object of the main verb and subject of the infinitive. – – • Ad urbem contendimus Rūs īre volumus Caesar dīxit Gallōs superātōs [esse] Putāsne mē stultum fuisse? In exclamations and wishes, where a verb governing the accusative has to be understood. – – Ō mē miserum! [equivalent to Mē miserum spectāte!] Novum annum fēlīcem! [equivalent to Novum annum fēlīcem tibi exoptō1]

GENITIVE • Showing possession – Grumiō est servus Caeciliī • Showing a relationship of part to whole – Sex amīcorum meōrum sunt in tabernā • In an adjective-noun phrase describing another noun – Marīa est fēmina maximae sapientiae • Expressing value – Mihi tantī est (It is worth so much to me) • Singular and plural endings • • • 1 st decl: -ae and -ārum 2 nd decl: -ī and ōrum 3 rd decl: -is and –(i)um 4 th decl: -ūs and –uum 5 th decl: -eī and -ērum

GENITIVE (contd. ) • Although recordor (remember) almost always takes the accusative, the synonymous verb meminī and also oblīvīscor (forget) take when the genitive when the meaning is to think (or not think) of someone with special attention or interest. For simple retention or non-retention in the mind, the accusative is used. The genitive construction is therefore commoner with a personal object. – Carissima, tuī nunquam oblīvīscar! – Semper amīcōrum nostrōrum meminisse dēbēmus.

DATIVE • Used for indirect object or person for whom something is done – Deīs multa dōna dedērunt – Metella Quīntō togam emit • Also used for a person affected or involved – Necesse est mihi cum Caesare manēre – Difficile est mercātōrī in vīllā dormīre – Tibi est puella laudanda. • Singular and plural endings – – – 1 st decl: 2 nd decl: 3 rd decl: 4 th decl: 5 th decl: -ae and -īs -ō and -īs -ī and –ibus -uī and –ibus -eī and -ēbus

DATIVE (contd. ) • Used with certain adjectives such as cārus (dear), grātus (pleasing), benignus (kind) – Haec terra grāta est deīs – Baucis et Philēmōn advenīs erant benignī • Used with many verbs including especially verbs formed from a preposition plus simple verb (e. g. appropinquō (approach), crēdō (believe, trust), imperō (order), invideō (envy), parcō (spare), pāreō (obey), resistō (resist)). This is really a special case of the dative of involvement. – Graeciae appropinquābāmus – Nōlī Salviō crēdere! – Mīlitēs imperātōrī pārēre dēbent

DATIVE (contd. ) • The `Double Dative’ construction involves one dative for the role or function the subject plays and another for the person affected: – – – Hic liber ūsuī est mihi. Rōmānī odiō erant Hannibalī Quīntus impedimentō erat Salviō Nāvēs magnō erant praesidiō Athēnīs. Fabius salūtī erat patriae suae.

ABLATIVE • Used to indicate the accompanying circumstances of an action, including the starting point or location or the means of doing something. Often used with a preposition – – – Lupus in silvā habitat Marcus et Quīntus Graecum gladiīs pulsāvērunt Ab urbe discēdimus Quīntā hōrā cēnāmus Magnā cum diligentiā labōrāvit • Singular and plural endings – – – 1 st decl: 2 nd decl: 3 rd decl: 4 th decl: 5 th decl: -ā and -īs -ō and -īs -e (less often –ī) and –ibus -ū and -ibus -ē and - ēbus

USES OF ABLATIVE • Place where (with in, sub etc. ) – in Britanniā in Britain • Accompaniment (with cum) – cum amīcīs meīs ambulābam I was walking with my friends • Personal agent (with ā/ab) – lūna ab mīlitibus vidētur The moon is seen by the soldiers • Place from which (with ā/ab, dē, ē/ex except with names of cities and small islands, rūre, domō) – Marcus ab urbe ad vīllam currit villa – Sextus Londiniō profectus est Marcus runs from the city to the Sextus set off from London

USES OF ABLATIVE • Manner (indicating how something is done, usually, but not always, with cum) – magnā (cum) difficultāte with great difficulty • Separation (with or without ā/ab or ē/ex) – Rhēnus flūmen Gallōs (ā) Germānīs dīvidit The Rhine divides the Gauls from the Germans • Cause (= because of; with or without ā/ab, dē or ē/ex) – (ex) vulnere dolēbat He was in pain from his wound

USES OF ABLATIVE • Time when – mēnse Septembrī ad scholam redībit In September he will return to school • Time within which – ad Centrālem decem minūtīs perveniēmus We will reach Central within ten minutes • Means (= by, with) – Mīles hostem gladiō vulnerāvit The soldier wounded the enemy with his sword

USES OF ABLATIVE • Comparison – Rōma ōlim maior erat Londiniō Rome was once bigger than London • Degree of difference – Rōma ōlim multō maior erat Londīniō Rome was once much bigger than London • Description (in a noun-adjective phrase) – Erat vir magnā fortitūdine He was a man of great courage

USES OF ABLATIVE • Respect (= according to, with regard to) – Meā sententiā, Graecī vincēbunt In my opinion, the Greeks will win • With some verbs (e. g. fruor (enjoy), potior (take posession), ūtor (use), careō (lack, be without), vescor (feed on), fungor (perform) ) – Fruēbāmur fēstō Nātīvitātis We were enjoying Christmas • Ablative absolute – Hostibus superātīs, ad castra revēnimus When the enemy had been defeated, we returned to camp – Iōhanne canente, omnēs aurēs tēxērunt While John was singing, all covered their ears

USES OF ABLATIVE • With a number of adjectives (contentus, dignus, indignus, frētus (relying on), orbus (deprived of), praeditus (endowed with)): – – • Dēlectāmenta sunt pretiōsa sed digna pretiō The pleasures are costly but worth the cost Contenta erat verbīs eius She was content with his words To express the price at which something was bought or sold etc. – Librum illum tribus sēstertiīs vēndidī I sold that book for three sesterces Fundum parvō [pretiō] ēmī I bought the farm at a low price

LOCATIVE • This case is used only with names of cities and small islands and with the nouns domus (home), humus (ground) and rūs (coutryside) to indicate location: – Petrus Londiniī nātus est – Rūrī habitāre iūcundum est – Multī philosophī Athēnīs discipulōs docent • Singular and plural endings – 1 st decl: – 2 nd decl: – 3 rd decl: -ae and -īs -ī and -īs -e or –ī and –ibus