[*] 359. Peculiar Genitive constructions are the following:— [*] a. A poetical genitive occurs rarely in exclamations, in imitation of the Greek (Genitive of Exclamation):—
- dī immortālēs,mercimōnīlepidī; (Pl. Most. 912), good heavens! what a charming bargain!
- foederis heu tacitī; (Prop. 4.7.21), alas for the unspoken agreement!
- honōris causā, with due respect (for the sake of honor).
- verbīgrātiā, for example.
- êius lēgisergō, on account of this law.
- “equus īnstar montis” (Aen. 2.15) , a horse huge as a mountain (the image of a mountain).
- laterum tenus (id. 10.210), as far as the sides.
[*] Note 1.--Of these the genitive with causā is a development from the possessive genitive and resembles that in nōmen īnsāniae (§ 343.d). The others are of various origin.
[*] Note 2.--In prose of the Republican Period prīdiē and postrīdiē are thus used only in the expressions prīdiē ( postrīdiē ) êius diēī, the day before (after) that (cf. “the eve, the morrow of that day”). Tacitus uses the construction with other words: as,—postrīdiē īnsidiārum, the day after the plot. For the accusative, see § 432. a.Tenus takes also the ablative (p. 136).