§418. Uses of the Ablative As Instrumental

The Ablative of Specification denotes that in respect to which anything is or is done:—

• virtūte praecēdunt (B. G. 1.1), they excel in courage.
• claudus alterō pede (Nep. Ages. 8), lame of one foot.
• linguā haesitantēs, vōce absonī; (De Or. 1.115), hesitating in speech, harsh in voice.
• sunt enim hominēs nōn rē sed nōmine (Off. 1.105), for they are men not in fact, but in name.
• mâior nātū, older; minor nātū, younger (cf. § 131. c).
• paulum aetāte prōgressī; (Cat. M. 33), somewhat advanced in age.
• corpore senex esse poterit, animō numquam erit (id. 38), he may be an old man in body, he never will be [old] at heart.

a. To this head are to be referred many expressions where the ablative expresses that in accordance with which anything is or is done:—

• meō iūre, with perfect right; but, meō modō, in my fashion.
• meā sententiā, in my opinion; but also more formally, ex meā sententiā. [Here the sense is the same, but the first ablative is specification, the second source.]
• propinquitāte coniūnctōs atque nātūrā (Lael. 50), closely allied by kindred and nature. [Here the ablative is not different in sense from those above, but no doubt is a development of means.]
• quī vincit vīribus (id. 55), who surpasses in strength. [Here it is impossible to tell whether vīribus is the means of the superiority or that in respect to which one is superior.]

For the Supine in -ū as an Ablative of Specification, see § 510.

b. The adjectives dīgnus and indīgnus take the ablative:—

• vir patre, avō, mâiōribus suīs dīgnissimus (Phil. 3.25), a man most worthy of his father, grandfather, and ancestors.
• tē omnī honōre indīgnissimum iūdicāvit (Vat. 39), he judged you entirely unworthy of every honor.

• cūram dīgnissimam tuae virtūtis (Balbus inAtt. 8.15), care most worthy of your noble character.
• dīgnus salūtis (Plaut. Trin. 1153), worthy of safety.
• māgnōrum haud umquam indīgnus avōrum (Aen. 12.649), never unworthy of my great ancestors.

Ablative Absolute