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406. The Comparative degree is often followed by the Ablative1 signifying than:—
  1. Catō est Cicerōne ēloquentior, Cato is more eloquent than Cicero.
  2. “quid nōbīs duōbus labōriōsius est ” (Mil. 5) , what more burdened with toil than we two?
  3. “vīlius argentum est aurō, virtūtibus aurum ” (Hor. Ep. 1.1.52) , silver is less precious than gold, gold than virtue.

a. The idiomatic ablatives opīniōne , spē , solitō , dictō , aequō , crēdibilī , and iūstō are used after comparatives instead of a clause:—

  1. “celerius opīniōne ” (Fam. 14.23) , faster than one would think.
  2. “sērius spē omnium ” (Liv. 26.26) , later than all hoped (than the hope of all).
  3. amnis solitō citātior (id. 23.19.11), a stream swifter than its wont.
    4. gravius aequō (Sall. Cat. 51), more seriously than was right.

1 This is a branch of the Ablative of Separation. The object with which anything is compared is the starting-point from which we reckon. Thus, “Cicero is eloquent”; but, starting from him we come to Cato, who is “more so than he.”

Ginn and Company, 1903.

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hide References (4 total)
  • Commentary references to this page (4):
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 1.15
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 2.3
    • J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War, AG BG 2.7
    • J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, Select Orations of Cicero, Allen and Greenough's Edition., AG Cic. 4.3
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