In North & Hilliard, Latin Prose Composition, Exercise 216, I find this vocabulary entry:
fine, > mulcto aliquem> , > abl.
I need first, a dictionary headword for mulcto;
and second, a grammatical explanation of the comment abl.. I am baffled by this entry, maybe because of ignorance of an idiom.
I’m still pecking away on a text file containing the exercise vocabularies in the N&H Latin composition textbook.
- multo (less correctly mulcto). āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [1. multa], to punish one with any thing; used mostly of judicial punishment (class.; cf.: punio, animadverto): accusatorem multâ et poenâ multavit, Cic. Balb. 18, 42: vitia hominum atque fraudes damnis, ignominiis, vinculis, verberibus, exsiliis, morte multantur, id. de. Or. 1, 43, 194: imperatorem deminutione provinciae, id. Prov. Cons. 15, 38.—With abl. of that with respect to which the punishment is inflicted: populos stipendio, to sentence them to pay, Cic. Balb. 18, 41: exsules bonis, id. Tusc. 5, 37, 106: aliquem pecuniâ, to fine in a sum of money, Nep. Pel. 1, 3: agris, Cic. Agr. 2, 13, 34: Antiochum Asiâ, id. Sest. 27, 58: sacerdotio, Suet. Caes. 1: publice armis multati privatis copiis juvere militem, Tac. H. 1, 66: poculo multabitur, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 43: aliquem votis (like damnare votis), lit., to punish with his vows, i.e. by granting the object of his vows, Naev. ap. Non. 462, 33: cum ab ipsâ fortunâ videat hujus consilia esse multata, Cic. Rab. Post. 1, 2: boves iniquitate operis (al. mulcare), to torment, Col. 2, 4, 6.—With dat. of the person for whose benefit: Veneri esse multatum, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 8, § 21 (in Plaut. Stich. 3, 1, 19, Ritschl reads mulcaverit, but this seems to be corrupt; v. Ritschl ad. h. l.).
Lewis, C. T., & Short, C. (1891). Harpers’ Latin Dictionary (p. 1172). New York; Oxford: Harper & Brothers; Clarendon Press.
If it’s not immediately clear from the lexical entry, "abl.’ means that the means by which the punishment takes place goes into the ablative, e.g., eum morte multaverunt, they punished him with death.
Thanks Barry, that was most helpful.
FWIW, the vocabulary entry was probably meant to be helpful to pupils scratching their heads over this sentence:
It is said that after the battle the Ephori decreed him a crown for his valour, but fined him a thousand drachmae for having exposed himself to so great a danger without arms.
So, I take it the Latin translation of “a thousand drachmae” should be put in the ablative, the payment being the form of the punishment inflicted.