§221. Prepositions

The uses of the Prepositions are as follows:—

• ā, ab, away from,¹ from, off from, with the ablative.

  a. Of place: as,ab urbe profectus est, he set out from the city.

  b. Of time: (1) from: as,ab hōrā tertiā ad vesperam, from the third hour till evening; (2) just after: as,ab eō magistrātū, after [holding] that office.

  c. Idiomatic uses: ā reliquīs differunt, they differ from the others; ā parvulīs, from early childhood; prope ab urbe, near (not far from) the city; līberāre ab, to set free from; occīsus ab hoste (periit ab hoste), slain by an enemy; ab hāc parte, on this side; ab rē êius, to his advantage; ā rē pūblicā, for the interest of the state.

• Ad, to, towards, at, near, with the accusative (cf. in, into).

  a. Of place: as,ad urbem vēnit, he came to the city; ad merīdiem, towards the south; ad exercitum, to the army; ad hostem, toward the enemy; ad urbem, near the city.

  b. Of time: as,ad nōnam hōram, till the ninth hour.

  c. With persons: as,ad eum vēnit, he came to him.

  d. Idiomatic uses: ad supplicia dēscendunt, they resort to punishment; ad haec respondit, to this he answered; ad tempus, at the [fit] time; adīre ad rem pūblicam, to go into public life; ad petendam pācem, to seek peace; ad latera, on the flank; ad arma, to arms; ad hunc modum, in this way; quem ad modum, how, as; ad centum, nearly a hundred; ad hōc, besides; omnēs ad ūnum, all to a man; ad diem, on the day.

• Ante, in front of, before, with the accusative (cf. post, after).

  a. Of place: as,ante portam, in front of the gate; ante exercitum, in advance of the army.

  b. Of time: as,ante bellum, before the war.

  c. Idiomatic uses: ante urbem captam, before the city was taken; ante diem quīntum (a.d.v.) Kal., the fifth day before the Calends; ante quadriennium, four years before or ago; ante tempus, too soon (before the time).

• Apud, at, by, among, with the accusative.

  a. Of place (rare and archaic): as,apud forum, at the forum (in the marketplace).

  b. With reference to persons or communities: as,apud Helvētiōs, among the Helvetians; apud populum, before the people; apud aliquem, at one's house; apud sē, at home or in his senses; apud Cicerōnem, in [the works of] Cicero.

• Circā, about, around, with the accusative (cf. circum, circiter).

  a. Of place: templa circā forum, the temples about the forum; circā sē habet, he has with him (of persons).

  b. Of time or number (in poetry and later writers): circā eandem hōram, about the same hour; circā īdūs Octōbrīs, about the fifteenth of October; circā decem mīlia, about ten thousand.

  c. Figuratively (in later writers), about, in regard to (cf. dē): circā quem pūgna est, with regard to whom, etc.; circā deōs neglegentior, rather neglectful of (i.e. in worshipping) the gods.

• Circiter, about, with the accusative.

  a. Of time or number: circiter īdūs Novembrīs, about the thirteenth of November; circiter merīdiem, about noon.

• Circum, about, around, with the accusative.

  a. Of place: circum haec loca, hereabout; circum Capuam, round Capua; circum illum, with him; lēgātiō circum īnsulās missa, an embassy sent to the islands round about; circum amīcōs, to his friends round about.

• Contrā, opposite, against, with the accusative.

  contrā ītaliam, over against Italy; contrā haec, in answer to this.

  a. Often as adverb: as,haec contrā, this in reply; contrā autem, but on the other hand; quod contrā, whereas, on the other hand.

• Cum, with, together with, with the ablative.

  a. Of place: as,—vāde mēcum, go with me; cum omnibus impedīmentīs, with all [their] baggage.

  b. Of time: as,—prīmā cum lūce, at early dawn (with first light).

  c. Idiomatic uses: māgnō cum dolōre, with great sorrow; commūnicāre aliquid cum aliquō, share something with some one; cum malō suō, to his own hurt; cōnflīgere cum hoste, to fight with the enemy; esse cum tēlō, to go armed; cum silentiō, in silence.

• Dē, down from, from, with the ablative (cf. ab, away from; ex, out of).

  a. Of place: as,dē caelō dēmissus, sent down from heaven; dē nāvibus dēsilīre, to jump down from the ships.

  b. Figuratively, concerning, about, of: ² as,cōgnōscit dē Clōdī caede, he learns of the murder of Clodius; cōnsilia dē bellō, plans of war.

  c. In a partitive sense (compare ex), out of, of: as,ūnus dē plēbe, one of the people.

  d. Idiomatic uses: multīs dē causīs, for many reasons; quā dē causā, for which reason; dē imprōvīsō, of a sudden; dē industriā, on purpose; dē integrō, anew; dē tertiā vigiliā, just at midnight (starting at the third watch); dē mēnse Decembrī nāvigāre, to sail as early as December.

• Ex, ē, from (the midst, opposed to in), out of, with the ablative (cf. ab and dē).

  a. Of place: as,ex omnibus partibus silvae ēvolāvērunt, they flew out from all parts of the forest; ex Hispāniā, [a man] from Spain.

  b. Of time: as,ex eō diē quīntus, the fifth day from that (four days after); ex hōc diē, from this day forth.

  c. Idiomatically or less exactly: ex cōnsulātū, right after his consulship: ex êius sententiā, according to his opinion; ex aequō, justly; ex imprōvīsō, unexpectedly; ex tuā rē, to your advantage; māgnā ex parte, in a great degree; ex equō pūgnāre, to fight on horseback; ex ūsū, expedient; ē regiōne, opposite; quaerere ex aliquō, to ask of some one; ex senātūs cōnsultō, according to the decree of the senate; ex fugā, in [their] flight (proceeding immediately from it); ūnus ē fīliīs, one of the sons.

• In, with the accusative or the ablative.

  • With the accusative, into (opposed to ex).

    a. Of place: as,—in ītaliam contendit, he hastens into Italy.

    b. Of time, till, until: as,—in lūcem, till daylight.

    c. Idiomatically or less exactly: in merīdiem, towards the south; amor in (ergā, adversus) patrem, love for his father; in āram cōnfūgit, he fled to the altar (on the steps, or merely to); in diēs, from day to day; in longitūdinem, lengthwise; in lātitūdinem patēbat, extended in width; in haec verba iūrāre, to swear to these words; hunc in modum, in this way; ōrātiō in Catilīnam, a speech against

    Catiline; in perpetuum, forever; in pêius, for the worse; in diem vīvere, to live from hand to mouth (for the day).

  • With the ablative, in, on, among.

    In very various connections: as,—in castrīs, in the camp (cf. ad castra, to, at, or near the camp); in marī, on the sea; in urbe esse, to be in town; in tempore, in season; in scrībendō, while writing; est mihi in animō, I have it in mind, I intend; in ancorīs, at anchor; in hōc homine, in the case of this man; in dubiō esse, to be in doubt.

• īnfrā, below, with the accusative.

  a. Of place: as,ad mare īnfrā oppidum, by the sea below the town; īnfrā caelum, under the sky.

  b. Figuratively or less exactly: as,—īnfrā Homērum, later than Homer; īnfrā trēs pedēs, less than three feet; īnfrā elephantōs, smaller than elephants; īnfrā īnfimōs omnīs, the lowest of the low.

• Inter, between, among, with the accusative.

  • inter mē et Scīpiōnem, between myself and Scipio; inter ōs et offam, between the cup and the lip (the mouth and the morsel); inter hostium tēla, amid the weapons of the enemy; inter omnīs prīmus, first of all; inter bibendum, while drinking; inter sē loquuntur, they talk together.

• Ob, towards, on account of, with the accusative.

  a. Literally: (1) of motion (archaic): as,ob Rōmam, towards Rome (Ennius); ob viam, to the road (preserved as adverb, in the way of). (2) Of place in which, before, in a few phrases: as,ob oculōs, before the eyes.

  b. Figuratively, in return for (mostly archaic, probably a word of account, balancing one thing against another): as,ob mulierem, in pay for the woman; ob rem, for gain. Hence applied to reason, cause, and the like, on account of (a similar mercantile idea), for: as,ob eam causam, for that reason; quam ob rem (quamobrem), wherefore, why.

• Per, through, over, with the accusative.

  a. Of motion: as,—per urbem īre, to go through the city; per mūrōs, over the walls.

  b. Of time: as,—per hiemem, throughout the winter.

  c. Figuratively, of persons as means or instruments: as,—per hominēs idoneōs, through the instrumentality of suitable persons; licet per mē, you (etc.) may for all me. Hence, stat per mē, it is through my instrumentality; so, per sē, in and of itself.

  d. Weakened, in many adverbial expressions: as,—per iocum, in jest; per speciem, in show, ostentatiously.

• Prae, in front of, with the ablative.

  a. Literally, of place (in a few connections): as,prae sē portāre, to carry in one's arms; prae sē ferre, to carry before one, (hence figuratively) exhibit, proclaim ostentatiously, make known.

  b. Figuratively, of hindrance, as by an obstacle in front (compare English for): as,prae gaudiō conticuit, he was silent for joy.

  c. Of comparison: as,prae māgnitūdine corporum suōrum, in comparison with their own great size.

• Praeter, along by, by, with the accusative.

  a. Literally: as,praeter castra, by the camp (along by, in front of); praeter oculōs, before the eyes.

  b. Figuratively, beyond, besides, more than, in addition to, except: as,praeter spem, beyond hope; praeter aliōs, more than others; praeter paucōs, with the exception of a few.

• Prō, in front of, with the ablative.

  • sedēns prō aede Castoris, sitting in front of the temple of Castor; prō populō, in presence of the people. So prō rōstrīs, on [the front of] the rostra;prō contiōne, before the assembly (in a speech).

  a. In various idiomatic uses: prō lēge, in defence of the law; prō vitulā, instead of a heifer; prō centum mīlibus, as good as a hundred thousand; prō ratā parte, in due proportion; prō hāc vice, for this once; prō cōnsule, in place of consul; prō vīribus, considering his strength; prō virīlī parte, to the best of one's ability; prō tuā prūdentiā, in accordance with your wisdom.

• Propter, near, by, with the accusative.

  • propter tē sedet, he sits next you. Hence, on account of (cf. all along of): as,propter metum, through fear.

• Secundum,³ just behind, following, with the accusative.

  a. Literally: as,īte secundum mē (Plaut.), go behind me; secundum lītus, near the shore; secundum flūmen, along the stream (cf. secundō flūmine, down stream).

  b. Figuratively, according to: as,secundum nātūram, according to nature.

• Sub, under, up to, with the accusative or the ablative.

  • Of motion, with the accusative: as,sub montem succēdere, to come close to the hill.

    a. Idiomatically: sub noctem, towards night; sub lūcem, near daylight; sub haec dicta, at (following) these words.

  • Of rest, with the ablative: as,sub Iove, in the open air (under the heaven, personified as Jove); sub monte, at the foot of the hill.

    a. Idiomatically: sub eōdem tempore, about the same time (just after it).

• Subter, under, below, with the accusative (sometimes, in poetry, the ablative).

  • subter togam (Liv.), under his mantle; but,subter lītore (Catull.), below the shore.

• Super,⁴ with the accusative or the ablative.

  • With the accusative, above, over, on, beyond, upon.

    a. Of place: super vāllum praecipitārī (Iug. 58), to be hurled over the rampart; super laterēs coria indūcuntur (B.C. 2.10), hides are drawn over the bricks; super terrae tumulum statuī (Legg. 2.65), to be placed on the mound of earth; super Numidiam (Iug. 19), beyond Numidia.

    b. Idiomatically or less exactly: vulnus super vulnus, wound upon wound; super vīnum (Q. C. 8.4), over his wine.

  • With the ablative, concerning, about (the only use with this case in prose).

    • hāc super rē, concerning this thing; super tālī rē, about such an affair; litterās super tantā rē exspectāre, to wait for a letter in a matter of such importance.

      a. Poetically, in other senses: līgna super focō largē repōnēns (Hor. Od. 1.9.5), piling logs generously on the fire; nocte super mediā (Aen. 9.61), after midnight.

• Suprā, on top of, above, with the accusative.

  • suprā terram, on the surface of the earth. So also figuratively: as,—suprā hanc memoriam, before our remembrance; suprā mōrem, more than usual; suprā quod, besides.

• Tenus (postpositive), as far as, up to, regularly with the ablative, sometimes with the genitive (cf. § 359. b).

  • With the ablative: Taurō tenus, as far as Taurus; capulō tenus, up to the hilt.
  • With the genitive: Cumārum tenus (Fam. 8.1.2), as far as Cumae.

• Trans, across, over, through, by, with the accusative.

  a. Of motion: as,trāns mare currunt, they run across the sea; trāns flūmen ferre, to carry over a river; trāns aethera, through the sky; trāns caput iace, throw over your head.

  b. Of rest: as,trāns Rhēnum incolunt, they live across the Rhine.

• Ultrābeyond (on the further side), with the accusative.

• cis Padum ultrāque, on this side of the Po and beyond; ultrā eum numerum, more than that number; ultrā fidem, incredible; ultrã modum, immoderate.

For Prepositions in Compounds, see § 267.