this construction the English translation of /a:\, /ab\ is
_by_ rather than _from_. This ablative is regularly used with
passive verbs to indicate the _person by whom_ the act was
performed.

Monstrum a Perseo necatur, _the monster is being slain by_
(lit. _from_) _Perseus_

_b._ Note that the active form of the above sentence would be
/Perseus monstrum necat\, _Perseus is slaying the monster_. In the
passive the _object_ of the active verb becomes the _subject_, and
the _subject_ of the active verb becomes the _ablative of the
personal agent_, with /a:\ or /ab\.

_c._ Distinguish carefully between the ablative of means and the
ablative of the personal agent. Both are often translated into
English by the preposition _by_. (Cf. Sec. 100. _b._) _Means is a
/thing\; the agent or actor is a /person\_. The ablative of means
has no preposition. The ablative of the personal agent has /a:\ or
/ab\. Compare

Fera sagitta necatur, _the wild beast is killed by an arrow_
Fera a Diana necatur, _the wild beast is killed by Diana_

/Sagitta\, in the first sentence, is the ablative of means;
/a Diana\, in the second, is the ablative of the personal agent.

_182._ EXERCISES

First learn the special vocabulary, p. 289.

I. 1. Viri inopia cibi defessi ab eo loco discedent. 2. Gerinani castris
Romanis adpropinquabant, tamen legatus copias a proelio continebat.
3. Multa Gallorum oppida ab Romanis capientur. 4. Tum Romani totum
populum eorum oppidorum gladiis pilisque interficient. 5. Oppidani
Romanis resistent, sed defessi longo proelio fugient. 6. Multi ex
Gallia fugiebant et in Germanorum vicis habitabant. 7. Miseri nautae
vulnerantur ab inimicis[2] saevis et cibo egent. 8. Discedite et
date viris frumentum et copiam vini. 9. Copiae nostrae a proelio
continebantur ab Sexto legato. 10. Id oppidum ab provincia Romana longe
aberat.

II. 1. The weary sailors were approaching a place dear to the goddess
Diana. 2. They were without food and without wine. 3. Then Galba and
seven other men are sent to the ancient island by Sextus. 4. Already
they are not far away from the land, and they see armed men on a high
place. 5. They are kept from the land by the men with spears and arrows.
6. The men kept hurling their weapons down from the high place with
great eagerness.

[Footnote 2: /inimicis\, here used as a noun. See vocabulary.]

LESSON