§433. Adverbs and Prepositions

Prepositions often retain their original meaning as Adverbs:—

• Ante and post in relations of time:—

  • quōs paulōante dīximus (Brut. 32), whom I mentioned a little while ago.
  • posttribus diēbus, three days after (cf. § 424. f).

• Adversus, circiter, prope:—

  • nēmōadversus ībat (Liv. 37.13.8), no one went out in opposition.
  • circiter pars quārta (Sall. Cat. 56), about the fourth part.
  • prope exanimātus, nearly lifeless.

• ā or ab, off, in expressions of distance, with the Ablative of Degree of Difference (§ 414):—

  • ā mīlibus passuum circiter duōbus Rōmānōrum adventum exspectābant (B. G. 5.32), at a distance of about two miles (about two miles off) they awaited the approach of the Romans.

• In general, prepositions ending in -ā:—

  • Aeolus haec contrā (Aen. 1.76), thus Æolus in reply.
  • forte fuitiūxtā tumulus (id. 3.22), there happened to be a mound close by.