Part 29

1417. The ablative is accompanied by the following prepositions:

#abs#, #ab#, or #ā#, _from_, #cōram#, _face to face_, #dē#, _down from_, _from_, _of_, #ex# or #ē#, _out of_, #prae#, _at the fore_, _in front of_, #prō#, _before_, #quom# or #cum#, _with_, #sine#, _without_. In official or legal language, also #sēd# or #sē#, _without_. For the different classes of ablatives with these prepositions, see 1297-1300; for the various shades of meanings and applications, see the dictionary.

1418. Prepositions which accompany the ablative may be easily remembered in this order:

abs (ab, ā), cum, cōram, dē, prae, prō, sine, ex (or ē).

1419. The ablative #fīnī#, _as far as_, is used in old Latin as a preposition with the ablative: as, #osse fīnī#, Pl. _Men._ 859, _down to the bone_. #operītō terrā rādīcibus fīnī#, Cato, _RR._ 28, 2, _cover with loam the length of the roots_. Also, as a real substantive, with a genitive (1255): as, #ānsārum īnfimārum fīnī#, Cato, _RR._ 113, 2, _up to the bottom of the handles_. Rarely #fīne#, and before the genitive: as, #fīne genūs#, O. 10, 537, _as far as the knee_.

1420. #tenus#, _the length_, was originally a substantive accusative (1151). From Cicero on, it is used as a preposition with the ablative, and standing after its case: as, #Taurō tenus#, _D._ 36, _not further than Taurus_. #pectoribus tenus#, L. 21, 54, 9, _quite up to the breast_. #hāctenus#, _thus far_, _only thus far_. Also, as a real substantive, with a genitive, usually a plural, mostly in verse (1232): as, #labrōrum tenus#, Lucr. 1, 940, _the length of the lips_, _up to the lips_. #Cūmārum tenus#, Cael. in _Fam._ 8, 1, 2, _as far as Cumae_.

1421. The adverbs #palam#, _in presence of_, #procul#, _apart from_, either _near_ or _far_, #simul#, _with_, are rarely used in poetry and late prose as prepositions with the ablative. #coram# occurs but once as a preposition (inscriptional) before Cicero’s time. #absque# with the ablative occurs once each in Cicero and Quintilian; in Plautus and Terence only in a coordinate protasis (1701; 2110).

PREPOSITIONS USED WITH THE ACCUSATIVE OR THE ABLATIVE.

1422. Two cases, the accusative and the ablative, are accompanied by the prepositions in, older #endo#, #indu#, _into_, _in_, #sub#, _under_, and #super#, _over_, _on_.

1423. (1.) #in# and #sub# accompany the accusative of the end of motion, the locative ablative of rest: as,

(_a._) #in cūriam vēnimus#, _V._ 4, 138, _we went to the senate-house_. #in vincla coniectus est#, _V._ 5, 17, _he was put in irons_. #hīc pāgus eius exercitum sub iugum mīserat#, 1, 12, 5, _this canton had sent his army under the yoke_. (_b._) #erimus in castrīs#, _Ph._ 12, 28, _we shall be in camp_. #viridī membra sub arbutō strātus#, H. 1, 1, 21, _stretched out--his limbs--all under an arbute green_.

1424. Verbs of rest sometimes have #in# with the accusative, because of an implied idea of motion. And, conversely, verbs of motion sometimes have #in# with the ablative, because of an implied idea of rest: as,

(_a._) #mihi in mentem fuit#, Pl. _Am._ 180, _it popped into my head_, i.e. came in and is in (compare #venit hoc mī in mentem#, Pl. _Aul._ 226. #in eius potestātem venīre nōlēbant#, _V._ 1, 150. #in eōrum potestātem portum futūrum intellegēbant#, _V._ 5, 98, _they knew full well the haven would get under the control of these people_). (_b._) #Caesar exercitum in hībernīs conlocāvit#, 3, 29, 3, _Caesar put the army away in winter quarters_, i.e. put them into and left them in. #eam in lectō conlocārunt#, T. _Eu._ 593, _they laid the lady on her couch_. So commonly with #locō#, #conlocō#, #statuō#, #cōnstituō#, #pōnō#, and its compounds. For #expōnō# and #impōnō#, see the dictionary.

1425. (2.) #super# accompanies the ablative when it has colloquially the sense of #dē#, _about_, _in reference to_: as, #hāc super rē scrībam ad tē Rēgiō#, _Att._ 16, 6, 1, _I’ll write you about this from Regium_. In other senses, the accusative, but sometimes in poetry the ablative, chiefly in the sense of _on_: as, #ligna super focō largē repōnēns#, H. 1, 9, 5, _piling on hearth the faggots high_. #nocte super mediā#, V. 9, 61, _at dead of night_. #paulum silvae super hīs#, H. _S._ 2, 6, 3, _a bit of wood to crown the whole_.

[Errata: 1424a ... compare #venit hoc mī in mentem# text unchanged: expected form vēnit So commonly with #locō#, #conlocō# #locō#. #conlocō#]

COMBINATION OF SUBSTANTIVES BY A PREPOSITION.

1426. (1.) Two substantives are sometimes connected by a preposition, to indicate certain attributive relations (1043); such are particularly:

(_a._) Place: as, #illam pugnam nāvālem ad Tenedum#, _Mur._ 33, _the sea-fight off Tenedus_. #excessum ē vītā#, _Fin._ 3, 60, _the departure from life_. (_b._) Source, origin, material: as, #ex Aethiopiā ancillulam#, T. _Eu._ 165, _a lady’s maid from Aethiopia_. #pōcula ex aurō#, _V._ 4, 62, _bowls of gold_ (1314). (_c._) Direction of action, connection, separation: as, #amor in patriam#, _Fl._ 103, _love of country_. #vestra ergā mē voluntās#, _C._ 4, 1, _your good will towards me_. #proelium cum Tūscīs ad Iāniculum#, L. 2, 52, 7, _the battle with the Tuscans at Janiculum_. #vir sine metū#, _TD._ 5, 48, _a man devoid of fear_ (1043).

1427. (2.) Very commonly, however, other constructions are used, even to indicate the relations above: as,

#bellum Venetōrum#, 3, 16, 1, _war with the Venetans_ (1231). #bellō Cassiānō#, 1, 13, 2, _in the war with Cassius_ (1233). #in aureīs pōculīs#, _V._ 4, 54, _in golden bowls_ (1233). #scūtīs ex cortice factīs#, 2, 33, 2, _with long shields made out of bark_ (1314). #post vīctōriam eius bellī, quod cum Persīs fuit#, _Off._ 3, 49, _after the victory in the war with the Persians_.

1428. Prepositional expressions are sometimes used predicatively: as, #sunt omnēs sine maculā#, _Pl._ 6, 14, _they are all without spot or blemish_. And sometimes they are equivalent to adjectives: as, #contrā nātūram#, _TD._ 4, 11, _unnatural_, #suprā hominem#, _DN._ 2, 34, _superhuman_. Or to substantives: as, #sine pondere#, O. 1, 20, _things without weight_. Or to adverbs: as, #sine labōre#, Pl. _R._ 461, _easily_.

[Erratum: 1426a ... L. 2, 52, 7 L 2,]

REPETITION OR OMISSION OF A PREPOSITION WITH SEVERAL SUBSTANTIVES.

1429. (1.) A preposition is often repeated with emphasis before two or more substantives: as,

#in labōre atque in dolōre#, Pl. _Ps._ 685, _in toil and in trouble_.

## Particularly so with #et . . . et#, #aut . . . aut#, #nōn sōlum . . .

sed etiam#, #nōn minus ... quam#, &c., &c.: as, #et ex urbe et ex agrīs#, _C._ 2, 21, _from Rome and from the country too_.

1430. (2.) A preposition is often used with the first only of two or more substantives: as, #in labōre ac dolōre#, _TD._ 5, 41, _in toil and trouble_. #incidit in eandem invidiam quam pater suus#, N. 5, 3, 1, _he fell under the selfsame ban as his father_. Particularly when the second is in apposition: as, #cum duōbus ducibus, Pyrrhō et Hannibale#, _L._ 28, _with two commanders, Pyrrhus and Hannibal_.

[Erratum: 1429 ... #nōn minus ... quam#, &c., &c. final . missing]

TWO PREPOSITIONS WITH ONE SUBSTANTIVE.

1431. (1.) When two prepositions belong to one and the same substantive, the substantive is expressed with the first. With the second, the substantive is repeated, or its place is taken by a pronoun: as,

#contrā lēgem prōque lēge#, L. 34, 8, 1, _against the law and for the law_. #partim contrā Avītum, partim prō hōc#, _Clu._ 88, _partly against Avitus, partly for him_. If, however, the two prepositions accompany the same case, the substantive need not be repeated: as, #intrā extrāque mūnītiōnēs#, Caes. _C._ 3, 72, 2, _inside and outside the works_.

1432. (2.) The second preposition is often used adverbially, without any substantive: as, #et in corpore et extrā#, _Fin._ 2, 68, _both in the body and outside_.

POSITION OF PREPOSITIONS.

1433. In general a preposition precedes its case: see 178.

1434. Disyllabic prepositions sometimes follow their substantives. Thus, in Cicero, #contrā#, #ultrā#, and #sine#, sometimes stand after a relative; so likewise #inter# in Cicero, Caesar, and Sallust; occasionally also #penes# and #propter#. For #versus#, see 1414; for #fīnī#, 1419; for #tenus#, 1420.

1435. Of monosyllables, #ad# and #dē# often follow a relative. Also #cum# often in Cicero and Sallust, and regularly in Caesar. With a personal or a reflexive pronoun, #cum# regularly follows, as #mēcum#, #nōbīscum#, #sēcum#.

1436. In poetry and late prose, prepositions are freely put after their cases.

1437. In oaths and adjurations, #per# is often separated from its proper accusative by the accusative of the object: as, #per tē de͡ōs ōrō#, T. _Andr._ 538, _I beg thee by the gods_, _in the gods’ name_.

USE OF ADVERBS.

1438. Adverbs qualify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

(_a._) With verbs, all sorts of adverbs are used: as, of Place: #quis istīc habet?# Pl. _B._ 114, _who lives in there?_ Time: #tum dentēs mihi cadēbant prīmulum#, Pl. _Men._ 1116, _my teeth were just beginning then to go_. Number: #bis cōnsul fuerat P. Āfricānus#, _Mur._ 58, _Africanus had twice been consul_. Degree, Amount: #Ubiī magnopere ōrābant#, 4, 16, 5, _the Ubians earnestly entreated_. #Dumnorīx plūrimum poterat#, 1, 9, 3, _Dumnorix was all-powerful_. Manner: #bene quiēvit, libenter cibum sūmpsit#, Plin. _Ep._ 3, 16, 4, _he has slept beautifully, he has relished his food_. (_b._) With adjectives and adverbs, oftenest adverbs of degree or amount only, or their equivalents, such as #bene#, #ēgregiē#, &c.: as, #valdē dīligēns#, _Ac._ 2, 98, _very particular_. #ēgregiē fortis#, _DO._ 2, 268, _exceptionally brave_. Adverbs of manner, however, are also used, especially in poetry: as, #turpiter hīrtum#, H. _E._ 1, 3, 22, _disreputably rough_, i.e. disreputable and rough.

1439. An adverb is sometimes used with the meaning of an adjective: as,

#reliquīs deincēps diēbus#, 3, 29, 1, _the remaining successive days_. #dē suīs prīvātim rēbus#, 5, 3, 5, _in relation to their personal interests_. #undique silvae#, Plin. _Ep._ 1, 6, 2, _the surrounding woods_. Particularly when the substantive expresses character, like an adjective: as, #vērē Metellus#, _Sest._ 130, _a trueblooded Metellus_. #rūsticānus vir, sed plānē vir#, _TD._ 2, 53, _a country man, but every inch a man_.

1440. Perfect participles used as substantives are commonly qualified by an adverb, and not by an adjective. Particularly so #dictum#, #factum#, #inventum#, #respōnsum#, with #bene# and #male#, and their synonymes: as, #rēctē ac turpiter factum#, 7, 80, 5, _heroism and cowardice_. #bene facta male locāta male facta arbitror#, E. in _Off._ 2, 62, _good deeds ill put, bad deeds I count_. In superlative qualifications, however, the adjective is preferred.

1441. Other substantives also may be qualified by an adverb, when a verb construction or a participle is implied: as, #C. Flāminius cōnsul iterum#, _Div._ 1, 77, _Flaminius in his second consulship_. #ō totiēns servos#, H. _S._ 2, 7, 70, _time and again a slave_. #ictū comminus#, _Caecin._ 43, _by a hand-to-hand blow_. #pūblicē testem#, _V._ 2, 156, _a government witness_. #populum lātē rēgem#, V. 1, 21, _a nation regnant wide_. #lātē tyrannus#, H. 3, 17, 9, _lord paramount far and near_.

1442. An adverb sometimes takes the place of a substantive: as, #cum amīcī partim dēseruerint mē, partim etiam prōdiderint#, _QFr._ 1, 3, 5, _since my friends have some of them abandoned me, and others again have actually betrayed me_, i.e. #aliī . . . aliī#. #postquam satis tūta circā vidēbantur#, L. 1, 58, 2, _finding every thing round about looked pretty safe_, i.e. #quae circā erant#. #palam laudārēs, sēcrēta male audiēbant#, Ta. _H._ 1, 10, _his outward walk you would have admired; his private life was in bad odour_, i.e. #quae palam fīēbant#.

NEGATIVE ADVERBS.

1443. (1.) The negative oftenest used in declaration or interrogation is #nōn#, _not_: as,

#nōn metuō mihi#, Pl. _B._ 225, _I fear not for myself_. #nōn semper imbrēs nūbibus hīspidōs mānant in agrōs#, H. 2, 9, 1, _not always from the clouds do showers on stubbly fields come dripping dropping down_. #nōn dīcēs hodiē?# H. _S._ 2, 7, 21, _will you not say without delay?_

1444. #nōn# is a modification of #noenum# or #noenu#, compounded of #ne#, _no_, and the accusative #oinom# or #oenum#, the older form of #ūnum#, _one thing_. #noenum# occurs in Plautus twice, in Ennius, Lucilius, Afranius, and Varro, once each, and #noenu# occurs twice in Lucretius (99).

1445. Negation is often expressed by other compounds of #ne#. In such cases the Latin idiom frequently differs from the English, and a transfer of the negative is required in translation.

Such compounds are: (_a._) Verbs, such as #negō#, #nequeō#, #nesciō#, #nōlō#: as, #negat vērum esse#, _Mur._ 74, _he maintains it is not true_. (_b._) Nouns, such as #nēmō#, #neuter#, #nūllus#, #nihil#: as, #nēminī meus adventus labōrī fuit#, _V._ 1, 16, _my visit did not trouble anybody_. (_c._) Adverbs, such as #numquam#, #nusquam#. (_d._) Similarly, the conjunction #neque# is used for _and not_, _but not_, unless a single word is to be emphasized or contrasted: as, #nec frūstrā#, 8, 5, 3, _and not in vain_.

1446. A form #nec# is used rarely in old Latin in the sense of #nōn#: as, #tū dīs nec rēctē dīcis#, Pl. _B._ 119, _thou dost abuse the gods_, i.e. #nōn rēctē# or #male dīcis#. After Plautus’s time, #nec# for #nōn# occurs in a few set combinations, such as #nec opīnāns#, _not expecting_, and, from Livy on, #necdum#, _not yet_, i.e. #nōndum#.

1447. The form #nē# usually introduces an imperative or a subjunctive, as will be explained further on. But #nē# is also used in the combination #nē . . . quidem#, _not even_, _not . . . either_, with the emphatic word between #nē# and #quidem#: as, #nē tum quidem#, 1, 50, 2, _not even then_. #nē Vorēnus quidem sēsē vāllō continet#, 5, 44, 6, _Vorenus did not keep inside the palisade either_.

1448. The adjective #nūllus# is sometimes used, chiefly in colloquial language, for #nōn# or #nē# (1051): as, #Philotīmus nūllus vēnit#, _Att._ 11, 24, 4, _no Philotimus has shown himself_. #nūllus crēduās#, Pl. _Tri._ 606, _you needn’t believe it at all_.

1449. (2.) The negative #haut# or #haud#, _not_, is used principally with adjectives and adverbs, less frequently with verbs: as,

(_a._) #haud mediocris vir#, _RP._ 2, 55, _no ordinary man_. #rem haud sānē difficilem#, _CM._ 4, _a thing not particularly hard_. #haud procul#, _CM._ 15, _not far_. In all periods of the language often combined with #quisquam#, #ūllus#, #umquam#, #usquam#. (_b._) In old Latin #haud# is freely used with all sorts of verbs, especially with #possum#. In Cicero, it occurs here and there with a few verbs, such as #adsentior#, #errō#, #īgnōrō#, #nītor#, #amō#, but is principally confined to #sciō#, in the combination #haud sciō an#, _I don’t know but_ (1782). Caesar uses #haud# once only, and then in this combination.

1450. A shorter form, #hau#, occurs often in old Latin, and a few times in the classical period: as, #heic est sepulcrum hau pulcrum pulcrai fēminae#, CIL. I, 1007, 2, on the burial site of a woman, _here is the site not sightly of a sightly dame_. In Plautus it is juxtaposed with #sciō#, making #hausciō#, i.e. #nesciō#.

1451. (3.) Negation may also be intimated by such words as #vix#, _hardly_, #parum#, _not . . . enough_, _not quite_, #minus#, _less_, _not_, #minimē#, _least of all_, #male#, &c.

1452. Two negatives in the same sentence are usually equivalent to an affirmative.

Thus, with #nōn# first, an indefinite affirmative: as, #nōn nēmō#, _somebody_, _a certain gentleman_, _one or another_. #nōn nūllus#, _some_. #nōn nihil#, _something_, _somewhat_. #nōn numquam#, _sometimes_. With #nōn# second, a universal affirmative: as, #nēmō nōn#, _everybody_, _every human being_. #nūllus nōn#, _every_. #nihil nōn#, _every thing_. #numquam nōn#, _always_. #nōn possum nōn cōnfitērī#, _Fam._ 9, 14, 1, _I must confess_. #nēmō īgnōrat#, _V._ 2, 111, _everybody knows_.

1453. Sometimes, however, in old Latin, a second negation is used merely to emphasize the negative idea: as, #lapideō sunt corde multī, quōs nōn miseret nēminis#, E. in Fest. p. 162, _there’s many a man with heart of stone, that feels for nobody_. For doubled negatives in compound sentences, see 1660.

[Erratum: 1445 ... (_d._) (_d_)]

USE OF DEGREES OF COMPARISON.

THE POSITIVE.

1454. The positive sometimes expresses an idea of disproportion: as,

#prō multitūdine hominum angustōs sē fīnīs habēre arbitrābantur#, 1, 2, 5, _in view of their large numbers they thought they had a cramped place to live in_. Generally, however, disproportion is expressed as in 1460 or 1461.

THE COMPARATIVE.

1455. When two things only are compared, the comparative is used: as,

#uter igitur melior?# _Div._ 2, 133, _which of the two then is the better?_ #uter est īnsānior hōrum?# H. _S._ 2, 3, 102, _which of these two is crazier?_ #uter erātis, tūn an ille, maior?# Pl. _Men._ 1119, _you were--which of the two the bigger, thou or he?_

1456. The superlative is sometimes loosely used when only two things are meant: as, #Numitōrī, quī stirpis maximus erat, rēgnum lēgat#, L. 1, 3, 10, _to Numitor, who was the eldest of the family, he bequeaths the crown_, of two brothers, Numitor and Amulius. #id me͡ā minumē rēfert, quī sum nātū maxumus#, T. _Ad._ 881, _that is of small concern to me, who am the eldest son_, says Demea, who has only one brother.

1457. From Cicero on, an adjective or adverb is sometimes compared with another adjective or adverb. In such comparisons #quam# is always used.

In this case: (_a._) Both members may have the positive form, the first with #magis#: as, #Celer disertus magis est quam sapiēns#, _Att._ 10, 1, 4, _Celer is more eloquent than wise_. #magis audācter quam parātē#, _Br._ 241, _with more assurance than preparation_. Or (_b._) Both members may have the comparative suffix: as, #lubentius quam vērius#, _Mil._ 78, _with greater satisfaction than truth_. #pestilentia minācior quam perniciōsior#, L. 4, 52, 3, _a plague more alarming than destructive_.

1458. But sometimes the second member is put in the positive, even when the first has the comparative suffix: as, #ācrius quam cōnsīderātē#, Ta. _H._ 1, 83, _with more spirit than deliberation_. And sometimes both members: as, #clārīs maiōribus quam vetustīs#, Ta. 4, 61, _of a house famous rather than ancient_.

1459. The comparative may be modified by ablatives of difference, such as #multō#, _far_, #aliquantō#, _considerably_, #paullō# or #paulō#, _a little_, #nimiō#, _too much_, _ever so much_ (1393). Also by #etiam#, _even_, _still_, and in Catullus, Sallust, Vergil, and later Latin by #longē#, _far_, #adhūc#, _still_.

1460. The comparative of an adjective or adverb often denotes that which is more than usual or more than is right: as,

#solēre aiunt rēgēs Persārum plūrēs uxōrēs habēre#, _V._ 3, 76, _they say the Persian kings generally have several wives_. #senectūs est nātūrā loquācior#, _CM._ 55, _age is naturally rather garrulous_. #stomachābātur senex, sī quid asperius dīxeram#, _DN._ 1, 93, _the old gentleman always got provoked if I said anything a bit rough_.

1461. The comparative of disproportion is often defined by some added expression: as,

#prīvātīs maiōra focīs#, J. 4, 66, _something too great for private hearths_ (1321). #flāgrantior aequō nōn dēbet dolor esse virī#, J. 13, 11, _the indignation of a man must not be over hot_ (1330). In Livy and Tacitus by #quam prō# with the ablative: see the dictionary. Sometimes a new sentence is added: as, #sum avidior, quam satis est, glōriae#, _Fam._ 9, 14, 2, _I am over greedy of glory_. For #quam ut# or #quam quī#, see 1896.

1462. The comparative with a sentence of negative import is often preferred to the superlative with a positive sentence: as,

#elephantō bēluārum nūlla prūdentior#, _DN._ 1, 97, _of the larger beasts not one is more sagacious than the elephant_, or _the elephant is the most sagacious of beasts_. #sequāmur Polybium, quō nēmō fuit dīligentior#, _RP._ 2, 27, _let us follow Polybius, the most scrupulous of men_. For #nēmō# or #quis#, the more emphatic #nihil# or #quid# is often used: as, #Phaedrō nihil ēlegantius, nihil hūmānius#, _DN._ 1, 93, _Phaedrus was the most refined and sympathetic of men_.

1463. In colloquial language, a comparative suffix is sometimes emphasized by the addition of #magis#: as, #mollior magis#, Pl. _Aul._ 422, _more tenderer_. And sometimes by a mixture of construction, the comparative is modified by #aequē#, like the positive: as, #homo mē miserior nūllus est aequē#, Pl. _Mer._ 335, _there’s not a man so woebegone as I_, for #miserior# alone, or #aequē miser#.

1464. The comparative with the ablative is particularly common, when a thing is illustrated by some striking typical object, usually an object of nature. In such illustrations, the positive with _as_ is commonly used in English: as, #lūce clārius#, _V._ 2, 186, _plain as day_. #ō fōns Bandusiae, splendidior vitrō#, H. 3, 13, 1, _ye waters of Bandusia, as glittering as glass_. #melle dulcior ōrātiō#, E. in _CM._ 31, _words sweet as honey_. #ventīs ōcior#, V. 5, 319, _quick as the winds_. #vacca candidior nivibus#, O. _Am._ 3, 5, 10, _a cow as white as driven snow_. #caelum pice nigrius#, O. _H._ 17, 7, _a sky as black as pitch_. #dūrior ferrō et saxō#, O. 14, 712, _as hard as steel and stone_.

THE SUPERLATIVE.

1465. When more than two things are compared, the superlative is used to represent a quality as belonging in the highest degree to an individual or to a number of a class: as,

#proximī sunt Germānīs#, 1, 1, 3, _they live the nearest to the Germans_. #hōrum omnium fortissimī#, 1, 1, 3, _the bravest of these all_.

1466. The superlative may be strengthened by the addition of such words as #ūnus#, _preeminently_, usually with a genitive, #maximē#, #quam#, with or without a form of #possum#, _as possible_, &c., &c. (1892). In old Latin by #multō#; from Cicero on, by #longē#, _far_, and #vel#, _perhaps_, _even_: as,

#cōnfirmāverim rem ūnam esse omnium difficillimam#, _Br._ 25, _I am not afraid to avouch it is the one hardest thing in the world_. #longē nōbilissimus#, 1, 2, 1, _the man of highest birth by far_. #quam maximīs potest itineribus in Galliam contendit#, 1, 7, 1, _he pushes into Gaul by the quickest marches he can_. #quam mātūrrimē#, 1, 33, 4, _as early as possible_.

1467. The superlative is also used to denote a very high degree of the quality.

This superlative, called the _Absolute Superlative_, or the _Superlative of Eminence_, may be translated by the positive with some such word as _most_, _very_: as, #homo turpissimus#, _V._ 4, 16, _an utterly unprincipled man_. Often best by the positive alone: as, #vir fortissimus, Pīsō Aquītānus#, 4, 12, 4, _the heroic Piso of Aquitain_ (1044).

1468. In exaggerated style, the superlative of eminence may be capped by a comparative: as, #stultior stultissumō#, Pl. _Am._ 907, _a greater than the greatest fool_. #ego miserior sum quam tū, quae es miserrima#, _Fam._ 14, 3, 1, _I am myself more unhappy than you, who are a most unhappy woman_.

(B.) USE OF THE VERB.

VOICE.

THE ACTIVE VOICE.

1469. In the active voice, the subject is represented as performing the

## action of the verb.

1470. By action is meant the operation of any verb, whether active or passive, and whether used intransitively or transitively.

1471. The active of one verb sometimes serves as the passive of another: thus, #pereō#, _go to destruction_, _die_, serves as the passive of #perdō#, _destroy_, and #vēneō#, _go to sale_, _am sold_, as the passive of #vēndō#, _put for sale_, _sell_. Similarly #fīō#, _become_, _get to be_, _am made_, is used in the present system as the passive of #faciō#, _make_ (788).

THE PASSIVE VOICE.

1472. In the passive voice, the subject is represented as acted upon.

1473. The object accusative of the active voice becomes the subject of the passive voice (1125); and the predicate accusative of the active voice becomes a predicate nominative with the passive voice (1167).