Ablatives

The ablative case is the case of averbial relations showing where, whence, and wherewith. When governed by a preposition, the ablative is limited to a literal since, while it conveys a figurative sense when used without a preposition.
It is helpful to remember that the numerous categories of the ablative are scholarly inventions designed to facillitate understanding of the ablative's sundry uses; these categories did not exist as such for the classical Roman, and so the line of separation between some them can be blurry at times, especially when one use is derived from another. These categories are only useful in so far as they aid in the understanding of the true meaning of the ablative.

Ablative Case Endings
	1st Fem.	2nd Masc.	2nd Neut.	3rd M. & F.	3rd Neut.	4th Masc.	4th Neut.	5th Fem.
Sing.	a (long)	o (long)	o (long)	e (short)	e (short)	u (long)	u (long)	e (long)
Plur.	is (long)	is (long)	is (long)	ibus (short)	ibus (short)	ibus (short)	ibus (short)	ebus (long e)

Uses of the Ablative
governed by prepositions	no prepositions
Abl. of place where Abl. of place from where/separation Abl. of attendance Abl. of material Abl. of manner Abl. of (personal) agent Abl. of period/character of time	Abl. of time when Abl. of time within when Abl. of origin Abl. of respect/specification Abl. of manner Abl. of comparison Abl. of quality/description Abl. of means/instrument Abl. of measure/standard Abl. of degree of difference Abl. of price Abl. with verbs of plenty/want Abl. with special verbs Abl. with opus and usus Abl. of cause Abl. of attendant circumstances Abl. of route Abl. of association Abl. of penalty Ablative Absolute

Prepositions That Take The Ablative
a/ab, (away) from, by	de, (down) from, concerning	pro, in front of, for
absque, without	e/ex, from, out of	sine, without
coram, in the presence of	in, in, on	sub, under(neath)
cum, with	prae, before	tenus, up to

NOTA BENE: in and sub can take the accusative and indicate motion towards; tenus can take the genitive and regularly follows its object; cum is addended as a suffix to first and second person reflexive pronouns (mecum, etc.) and to the relative and interrogative pronouns (quocum, etc.); subter (beneath) and super (over) sometimes take the ablative.

Ablative of Place Where
- Answers the question "where?"
- Governed by the prepositions ab, de, ex, in, sub. Most often found with the preposition in.
- In portu navigo. I am sailing in the harbor.
- Towns in the third declension singular and the plural of all declensions do not take a preposition. The ablative of place where serves as a locative case in these instances.
- In enumerations or with totus, cunctus, omnis, and medius, the abl. of place where does not use a preposition.
Ablative of Place From Where/Separation
- Ansers the question "whence?" or "from where?"
- Governed by the prepositions ex, de, and ab
- Alcibiadem Athenienses e civitate expulerunt. The Athenians threw Alcibiades out of the city.
- The abl. of separation does not use a preposition with verbs of abstaining, removing, relieving, or excluding, nor when the abl. is dependant upon an adjective: Animus excelsus omni est liber cura. A lofty mind is free from all worry.
Ablative of Attendance/Accompaniment
- Answers the questions "with whom?" "in the presence of whom?" or "attended by what?"
- Governed by the preposition cum
- Cornelius, cum Marco filio, forum intravit. Cornelius, with his son, Marcus, entered the forum.
Ablative of Material
- Describes the material out of which a thing has been fashioned.
- Governed by the preposition ex
- Galatea erat statua ex ebure facta. Galatea was a statue fashioned from ivory.
Ablative of Manner
- Governed by the preposition cum when not modified by an adjective. See Ablative of Manner with an adjective.
- Beate vivere, honeste, id est cum virtute, vivere. To live happily is to live honestly, that is, virtuously.
Ablative of (Personal) Agent
- Expresses the doer of an action in the passive voice. Compare the accusative of personal through whom.
- Governed by the preposition ab
- Xerxes certior factus est a nuntio. Xerxes was informed by the messenger.
Ablative of Period/Character of Time
- Refers to specific points in a period of time or to the general character of the time.
- Governed by the preposition in
- bis in die. Twice in a day. In pueritia. In boyhood.
Ablative of Time When
- The figurative use of the ablative of place where, the ablative of time when tells when a thing occurs.
- Prima luce, surgam e lecto. At dawn, I shall get up out of bed.
Ablative of Time Within When
- Limits a thing to a specific span of time
- Milites advenient quinque diebus. The soldiers will arrive within five days.
Ablative of Origin
- Tells the biological/hereditary origin of a being
- Governed by participles signifying birth
- Aeneas, natus Venere. Aeneas, born of Venus.
- Sometimes governed by ex or de
- Governed by the preposition ab in the case of remote ancestry.
- Romani sunt orti ab Trojanis Latinisque. The Romans arose from the Trojans and Latinis.
Ablative of Respect/Specification
- Answers the questions "from what point of view?" "according to what?" "by what?" "in respect to what?"
- Animo ignavus, procax ore. Coward of soul, saucy of tongue.
Ablative of Comparison
- A subdivision of the ablative of respect used with compartive adjectives to express "than" in the place of quam
- Nihil est virtute amabilius. Nothing is more lovable than virtue.
Ablative of Manner
- Used without a preposition when accompanied by an adjective; see ablative of manner with a preposition
Ablative of Quality/Description
- Offers a description of some thing; always takes an adjective or some other modifier
- Clavi ferrei digiti pollicis crassitudine. Iron nails of the thickness of your thumb.
Ablative of Means/Instrument
- Compare Ablative of Accompaniment:
  Miles cum viro moenia delet. (accompaniment) The solder, accompanied by a man, destroys the walls.
  Miles viro moenia delet. (means) The soldier, using a man [as a battering ram], destroys the walls.
Ablative of Measure/Standard
- Names the standard against which to measure a thing
- Magnos homines virtute metimur, non fortuna. We measure great men by virtue, not by fortune.
Ablative of Degree of Difference
- Expresses the degree of a difference
- Can be used with comparatives, verbs implying difference such as abesse, distare, etc., and with the prepositions ante, and post
- The ablative always precedes post and ante.
- tribus diebus post three days later (afterwards by three days)
- Sol multis partibus maior quam terra universa. The sun is many parts greater than the whole earth.
Ablative of Price
- Expresses definitive price
- Emit morte immortalitatem. He bought deathlessness with death.
Ablatives with Verbs of Plenty and Want
- Verbs of Plenty and Want take the ablative.
- Asellus onustus auro A donkey laden with gold
Ablatives with Special Verbs
- Some various verbs take ablative objects: potior, utor, fungor, fruor, vescor, abutor.
- Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? For how long, pray tell, will you abuse our patience, Catiline?
Ablative with Opus and Usus
- Opus and Usus take the dative of person wanting and the ablative of thing wanted.
- Novo consilio mihi nunc opus est. I need a new plan now. (It is now necessary for me with respect to a new plan.)
Ablative of Cause
- Used chiefly with verbs of emotion
- Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore. Good men hate to sin due to love of virtue.
Ablative of Attendant Circumstances
- Expresses the circumstances under which an action occurs
- bonis auspiciis under good auspices
- "We could say it's an ablative of attendant circumstances. That's what you always say when you don't know." -- Dr. Karl Maurer
Ablative of Route
- Expresses the route of motion taken, derives ultimately from the intrumental ablative
- recta via ire
  to go by the straight way
  diversis itineribus cum in castra se recepissent
  when they had returned to the camp by different routes
Ablative of Association
- Used with verbs of joining, mixing, clinging, exchanging, and with compounds of suesco
- aer calore admixtus Air mixed with heat
Ablative of Penalty
- In my opinion, this is a specialization of the ablative of separation.

Ablative Absolute

The ablative usually combined with a participle also in the ablative, but sometimes with another substantive or adjective in the ablative instead
The ablative absolute stands grammatically unconnected/loosely connected to the rest of the sentence (hence "absolute"), and modifies the context of the sentence.

Commonly rendered in English as a "nominative absolute," a concessive clause, or following the pattern of "with the noun having been/being verbed"

*Caesare regnante*	Caesar ruling While Caesar was ruling With Caesar ruling
Caesare necato	Caesar killed After Caesar was killed With Caesar having been killed
Caesare consule	Caesar (being) consul When Caesar was consul With Caesar (as) consul