The use of "in", accusative or ablative?

[Jordan St. Francis]

I was trying to write a sentence to say that "he was in exile". Would this be erat in exsilium or erat in exsilio. For some reason I am inclined to put exsilium into the accusative. Is this correct?

Thanks.

[adrianus]

Salve Jordane,

Ego, secundùm dictionarium de Ainsworth, dicam hoc: // Well, I would say this (after Ainsworth), "In exilium pulsus/depulsus/actus/ejectus erat" seu "exilio affectus erat" seu "exul/extorris erat".

[benissimus]

There is also a verb exsulo, but yes if you do the esse construction it must be ablative.

[phil]

My tuppence worth. 'in' followed by the accusative means into, followed by the ablative means actually in. for example 'in aquam' means into the water, 'in aqua' menas actually in the water. So the answer to your question is, I think, when he went into exile iit in exsilium, but once there erat in exsilio.