The equivalence of the Dative to the combination of a Preposition (ad, in) with the Accusative (see VII. 2), which led to the ‘Auxiliary’ formation of the Dative in the Romance languages, is prominent even in Plautus' time. Thus we find dare ad, e.g.
- Capt. 1019 “hunc … ad carnificem dabo” (cf. Amph. 809 “haec me modo ad mortem dedit”; but Merc. 472 “ibi me toxico morti dabo”),
- Pseud. 1100 “ut det nomen ad Molas coloniam”;
- similarly Cist. 786 “nunc quod ad vos, spectatores, relicuum relinquitur”;