Caesar, quī cum suīs legiōnibus ā Galliā nāvigāverat, hōrā quārtā ad Britanniam vēnit. Ibi cōpiās hostium in collibus vīdit; collēs erant altī; lītus nōn erat idōneum; Caesar ad hōram nōnam in ancorīs exspectāvit. Interim, ubi lēgātōs et tribūnōs mīlitum convocāverat, suum cōnsilium ostendit. Inde, quod ventus et aestus erant idōneī et nāvēs reliquae pervēnerant, Caesar ad locum plānum et apertum nāvigāvit. Sed Britannī, quī cōnsilium Caesaris cognōvērunt, equitēs et esseda praemīsērunt atque cum omnibus cōpiīs ad locum vēnērunt.
aestus, -ūs [4/m]: (here) tide but can also mean ‘heat’
essedum, -ī [2/m]: chariot (see notes at the end)
Throughout the posts, the uses of the ablative case
have been explained as they have occurred, and some more detailed posts are
being planned so that we can look at all of them together.
Here is an “explanation” of the ablative case from another
Latin website:
The ablative case is sometimes called the “everything
case”, since it seems to do a bit of, well, everything.
That isn’t true.
If every case in Latin were given a “job description”, those
job descriptions would be fairly short and specific – with the exception of the
ablative. The job spec for the ablative is considerably longer but it is by no
means random and it doesn’t “do a bit of, well, everything”: it performs very
clear roles.
Each use of the ablative case has its own name; it isn’t
essential to know those names but it does help in coming to grips with the
usages. In the first sentence from the text above there are three common ablative
uses:
Caesar, qui [i] cum suīs legiōnibus [ii]
ā Galliā ¦ nāvigāverat, [iii] hōrā quartā ¦ ad
Britanniam vēnit.
[i] Caesar, qui [i] cum suīs legiōnibus
… nāvigāverat │ Caesar, who had sailed with his legions …
This is the ablative of accompaniment and used when
referring to the person (together) with whom the action is being
performed.
Caesar, qui cum suīs legiōnibus …nāvigāverat,
│ Caesar, who had sailed (together) with his legions …
cum omnibus copiīs ad locum vēnērunt │
They came to the place with all the troops
[2] Caesar, quī … [ii] ā Galliā ¦ nāvigāverat,
│ Caesar, who had sailed … (away) from Gaul
ā / ab + ablative: the ablative of place from which (note: the original text, in order to be consistent, should have a macron above the ā)
The prepositions ā / ab, dē and ē / ex can all convey movement
from a place:
Senex dē mūrō cecidit. │ The old man fell off
/ down from the wall.
Agricolae ex agrīs ambulant. │ The farmer are
walking out of the fields.
[3] horā quartā: the ablative of time when
When referring to a specific point or period in time the
ablative without a preposition is used:
horā quartā │ at the fourth hour
hieme │ in winter
annō secundō │ in the second year
Here is a fourth use from the text:
[4] the ablative of place at which
Ibi cōpiās hostium in collibus vīdit. │ There
he saw the enemy’s troops in the hills.
Caesar … in ancorīs exspectāvit. │ Caesar
waited … at anchor (La. uses a plural)
The ablative together with a preposition expresses where an
action is taking place or where a person / thing is. There is no suggestion of
movement:
Senex in hortō
dēambulābat. │ The old was taking a walk in the garden. The old man is moving
but the ablative expresses where he is performing that action. He isn’t
walking into the garden.
There is still much more to do with regard to the uses of
the ablative. As always, try to acquire them step-by-step.
Here are four terms together with one sentence to illustrate
each use:
[1] ablative of place at which
Caesar copiās hostium in collibus vīdit. │
Caesar saw the enemy troops in / on the hills.
[2] ablative of place from which
Caesar ā Galliā nāvigāvit. │ Caesar sailed away
from Gaul.
[3] ablative of accompaniment
Caesar cum legiōnibus suīs nāvigāvit. │
Caesar sailed with his legions.
[4] ablative of time when
Caesar hōrā quartā ad Britanniam vēnit. │
Caesar reached Britain at the fourth hour.
___________________
Caesar, who had sailed with his legions from Gaul, arrived in Britain at the fourth hour. There he saw troops of the enemy on the hills; the hills were high; the shore was not suitable; Caesar waited at anchor until the ninth hour. In the meantime, when he had summoned the emissaries and tribunes, he explained his plan. From there, when the wind and tide were suitable and the other ships had arrived, Caesar sailed to a flat and open place. But the Britons, who learned of Caesar's plan, sent forth their horsemen and chariots, and came to the place with all their troops.
___________________
essedum, -ī [2/n]: chariot
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0063:entry=essedum-cn
The text is referring specifically to the war chariot used
by the Britons:
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/britannia/boudica/chariot.html
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