lots of ablatives

[antianira]

So in the review section of d'ooge there are some sentences reviewing ablatives, this one seems pretty easy, but i just can't piece it together


Duabus legionibus Genavae relictis proximo die cum reliquis domum profectus est.


Two legions (of/to ?) Geneva (left or left behind) on the next day while the rest...(something, something) home, (something something) were set out

profectus est is the ppp of proficiscor, so 'it was originated' (set out?) ? and who was set out?, the 2 legions are plural, so it can't be them

why is domum in accusative? if anyone is going to/at/from home it would be domo (I think) (as in 'the rest set out for home', but that doesn't fit)

[bellum paxque]

Hi antianira,

Duabus legionibus Genavae relictis proximo die cum reliquis domum profectus est.

This sentence is an excellent one for illustrating the ablative, as you observed.

profectus est is the ppp of proficiscor, so 'it was originated' (set out?) ? and who was set out?, the 2 legions are plural, so it can't be them

You're right - profectus est comes from proficiscor - but this is a deponent verb, so it means "he set out" (notice the masculine ending of profectus and the singular third person est). Be careful to give deponent verbs active meanings despite their passive forms.

why is domum in accusative? if anyone is going to/at/from home it would be domo (I think) (as in 'the rest set out for home', but that doesn't fit)

Remember that domus, like cities, uses the locative case and does not need prepositions for motion toward and motion away. In this case, domum, accusative, indicates motion toward, depending on profectus est - he set out for home.

Duabus legionibus Genavae relictis proximo die cum reliquis domum profectus est.

For the rest...
-duabus legionibus...relictis - have you learned of any constructions that feature a noun, in the ablative, modified by a participle, also in the ablative?*(look below if stumped)
-Genavae - this is the locative for 1st decl. city names- "At Genavae"
-cum reliquis - cum here is the preposition "with" not a conjunction (as your translation "while" suggests) - we can infer this because reliquis, which follows, is in the ablative

Hope this helps!

David

*This is an ablative absolute: "two legions having been left in Geneva"

[antianira]

Thanks.

I sort of remember going over these things, but now i guess i have to go back and learn them a bit better.

[bellum paxque]

It's tricky, I know - but keep at it, and I promise that everything will begin to fall into place. Then the center will hold, and things will no longer fall apart.

Bonam fortunam in latinae linguae studendo inque eam optime discendam habeas!

David