Locative Case and Special Place Constructions

  • What is the locative case?
  • For qualifying words, it simply replaces the Ablative Place Where, so it is translated as “in/at(place name)”
  • Also, the other place constructions for words qualifying to use the locative case will drop their prepositions
  • Ablative Place From Which (written w/out dē, ē/ex, ā/ab)
  • iamdudum domō discesserat. “He had left (from) home a long time ago.”
  • ferunt olīva Athēnīs. “They bring olives from Athens.”
  • vult navigāre Brundisiō. “She wishes to sail from Brundisium.”
  • Accusative Place To Which (written w/out ad, in, sub)
  • crās ībō Thēbās. “I will go to Thebes tomorrow”
  • ambulēmus domum. “Let’s walk home quickly.”
  • iterne facis Ostiam? “Are you traveling to Ostia?”
  • What words use the locative case?
  • it applies to the names of: cities, towns, small islands + special vocabulary (domus, humus, rus)
  • locatives for special vocabulary: domī, humī, rurī
  • Britannia, Silicia, Crēta, Corsica, andSardinia are NOT considered small islands
  • this does NOT apply to the names of countries (Italia,Troia, Graecia,Aegyptus) or Roman provinces (Gallia, Asia)
  • the actual wordscity (urbs), town (oppidum), and small island (insula parva) do NOT qualify for locative case use

  • Forming the LOCATIVE CASE
  • there are no names of cities, towns, and small islands from 4th and 5th declensions
  • generally, the locative case will appear genitive (singular) or ablative (singular or plural)
  • RULES:
  • if a place name is 1st or 2nd declension singular, the locative looks genitive (singular)
  • if a place name is 3rd declension or plural in any declension, the locative looks ablative(singular or plural, depending on the place name)
  • See examples below (locative forms in bold):

1st Decl. SING. / 2nd Decl. SING. / 3rd Decl. SING. / Any PLURAL
Rōma / Byzantium / Salamis / Athēnae
Rōmae / Byzantī / Salāmine / Athēnīs
1st Decl. SING. / 2nd Decl. SING. / 3rd Decl. SING. / Any PLURAL
Alexandria / Cnossus / Arausio / Philippī
Alexandriae / Cnossī / Arausiōne / Philippīs
  • Carthage is just a bit more complicated (perhaps that’s why Rome hated her so – Carthāgo delenda est!). Either of these forms can be the locative:
  • Carthāginī (looks dative singular)
  • Carthāgine (looks abl. singular)

  • Practice with these ancient place names:

Ancient Name (nominative case) / Locative Case Form / Modern name
(if applicable) / Country
Aelia Capitolina / Jerusalem / Israel
Antium / Anzio / Italy
AquaeSulis / Bath / Britain
Beneventum / Benevento / Italy
Cannae / Cannae / Italy
Berytus / Beirut / Lebanon
Bononia / Bologna / Italy
Constantinopolis,
-is
(Byzantium) / Istanbul / Turkey
Damascus / Damascus / Syria
Dubris, -is / Dover / Britain
Durovernum Cantiacorum / Canterbury / Britain
Epidaurus / Epidauros / Greece
Gādes, -ium / Cadiz / Spain
Genava / Geneva / Switzerland
Gortyna / Gortyn / Crete
Heliopolis, -is / Baalbek / Lebanon
Hispalis, -is / Seville / Spain
Ilium / Troy / Turkey
Londinium / London / Britain
Lugdunum / Lyon / France
Lutetia / Paris / France
Mantua / Mantova / Italy
Masillia / Marseille / France
Mediolanum / Milan / Italy
Memphis / Memphis / Egypt
Nemausus / Nimes / France
Olisipo / Olysippo, -ōnis / Lisbon / Portugal
Olympia / Olympia / Greece
Petra / Jordan
Philadelphia / Ammon / Jordan
Piraeus / Piraeus / Greece
Ravenna / Ravenna / Italy
Saguntum / Sagunto / Spain
Sparta / Sparti / Greece
Syracusae / Syracuse / Sicily (Italy)
Thebae / Luxor / Egypt
Tripolis, -is / Tripoli / Lebanon
Tyrus / Tyre / Lebanon
Valentia / Valence (France)
Valencia (Spain) / France
Spain
Vindobona / Vienna / Austria
Zama Regia / Zama / Tunisia