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359. Peculiar Genitive constructions are the following:—

a. A poetical genitive occurs rarely in exclamations, in imitation of the Greek (Genitive of Exclamation):—

    immortālēs,mercimōnīlepidī; (Pl. Most. 912), good heavens! what a charming bargain!
    foederis heu tacitī; (Prop. 4.7.21), alas for the unspoken agreement!
b. The genitive is often used with the ablatives causā , grātiā, for the sake of; ergō, because of; and the indeclinable īnstar, like; also with prīdiē, the day before; postrīdiē, the day after; tenus, as far as:

  1. honōris causā, with due respect (for the sake of honor).
  2. verbīgrātiā, for example.
  3. êius lēgisergō, on account of this law.
  4. equus īnstar montis(Aen. 2.15) , a horse huge as a mountain (the image of a mountain).
  5. 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).

hide References (3 total)
  • Commentary references to this page (3):
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 1.23
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 2.12
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 2.17
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