§432. Adverbs and Prepositions

Certain Adverbs and Adjectives are sometimes used as Prepositions:—

a. The adverbs prīdiē, postrīdiē, propius, proximē, less frequently the adjectives propior and proximus, may be followed by the Accusative:—

• prīdiē Nōnās Mâiās (Att. 2.11), the day before the Nones of May (see § 631).
• postrīdiē lūdōs (Att. 16.4), the day after the games.
• propius perīculum (Liv. 21.1), nearer to danger.
• propior montem (Iug. 49), nearer the hill.
• proximus mare ōceanum (B. G. 3.7), nearest the ocean.

• propius Tiberī quam Thermopylīs (Nep. Hann. 8), nearer to the Tiber than to Thermopylæ.
• Sugambrī quī sunt proximī Rhēnō (B. G. 6.35), the Sugambri, who are nearest to the Rhine.
• proximus ā postrēmō (Or. 217), next to the last.

b. ūsque sometimes takes the Accusative, but ūsque ad is much more common:—

• terminōs ūsque Libyae (Iust. 1.1.5), to the bounds of Libya.
• ūsque ad castra hostium (B. G. 1.51), to the enemy's camp.

c. The adverbs palam, procul, simul, may be used as prepositions and take the Ablative:—

• rem crēditōrī palam populō solvit (Liv. 6.14), he paid the debt to his creditor in the presence of the people.
• haud procul castrīs in modum mūnicipī exstrūcta (Tac. H. 4.22), not far from the camp, built up like a town.
• simul nōbīs habitat barbarus (Ov. Tr. 5.10.29), close among us dwells the barbarian.

d. The adverb clam is found in early Latin with the Accusative, also once with the Genitive and once in classical Latin with the Ablative:—

• clam mātrem suam (Pl. Mil. 112), unknown to his mother.
• clam patris (id. Merc. 43), without his father's knowledge.
• clam vōbīs (B. C. 2.32.8), without your knowledge.