§403. Uses of the Ablative Proper

The Ablative (usually with a preposition) is used to denote the Source from which anything is derived, or the Material of which it consists:—

• Source:—

  • Rhēnus oritur ex Lepontiīs (B. G. 4.10), the Rhine rises in (from) the country of the Lepontii.
  • ab hīs sermō oritur (Lael. 5), the conversation is begun by (arises from) them.
  • cûius ratiōnis vim atque ūtilitātemex illō caelestī Epicūrīvolūmineaccēpimus (N. D. 1.43), of this reasoning we have learned the power and advantage from that divine book of Epicurus.
  • suāvitātem odōrum quī afflārentur ē flōribus (Cat. M. 59), the sweetness of the odors which breathed from the flowers.

• Material:—

  • erat tōtus ex fraude etmendāciō factus (Clu. 72), he was entirely made up of fraud and falsehood.
  • valvās māgnificentiōrēs,ex aurō atqueeboreperfectiōrēs (Verr. 4.124), more splendid doors, more finely wrought of gold and ivory.
  • factum dē cautibus antrum (Ov. M. 1.575), a cave formed of rocks.
  • templum dē marmore pōnam (Georg. 3.13), I'll build a temple of marble.

a. Participles denoting birth or origin are followed by the Abla tive of Source, generally without a preposition:—¹

• Iove nātus et Mâiā (N. D. 3.56), son of Jupiter and Maia.
• ēdite rēgibus (Hor. Od. 1.1.1), descendant of kings.
• quō sanguine crētus (Aen. 2.74), born of what blood.
• genitae Pandīone (Ov. M. 6.666), daughters of Pandion.

• ex mē hīc nātus nōn est sed ex frātre meō; (Ter. Ad. 40), this is not my son, but my brother's (not born from me, etc.).
• cum ex utrāque [uxōre] fīlius nātus esset (De Or. 1.183), each wife having had a son (when a son had been born of each wife).
• Bēlus et omnēs ā Bēlō (Aen. 1.730), Belus and all his descendants.

b. Some verbs may take the Ablative of Material without a preposition. Such are cōnstāre, cōnsistere, and continērī.² But with cōnstāre, ex is more common:—

• domūs amoenitās nōn aedificiō sed silvā cōnstābat (Nep. Att. 13), the charm of the house consisted not in the buildings but in the woods.
• ex animō cōnstāmus et corpore (Fin. 4.19), we consist of soul and body.
• vīta corpore et spīritū continētur (Marc. 28), life consists of body and spirit.

c. The Ablative of Material without a preposition is used with facere, fierī, and similar words, in the sense of do with, become of:—

• quid hōc homine faciātis (Verr. 2.1.42), what are you going to do with this man?
• quid Tulliolā meā fīet (Fam. 14.4.3), what will become of my dear Tullia ?
• quid tē futūrum est (Verr. 2.155), what will become of you?

d. The Ablative of Material with ex, and in poetry without a preposition, sometimes depends directly on a noun:—

• nōn pauca pōcula ex aurō (Verr. 4.62), not a few cups of gold.
• scopulīs pendentibus antrum (Aen. 1.166), a cave of hanging rocks.

For Ablative of Source instead of Partitive Genitive, see § 346. c.

Ablative of Cause