Preposition After the Noun
The usual order is preposition, then noun. Poets sometimes turn it around.
How It Works
| Usual order | With anastrophe |
|---|---|
| contra Italiam | Italiam contra (opposite Italy) |
| circum maria omnia | maria omnia circum (all around the seas) |
| cum vobis | vobiscum (with you) |
| cum quibus | quibuscum (with whom) |
The case of the noun does not change. Italiam is still accusative after contra, and maria omnia is still accusative after circum.
With a noun and its adjective, the preposition may follow both: maria omnia circum puts circum after the whole phrase.
Anastrophe is a poet's habit. In your own Latin, keep the preposition first, except with cum: mecum, tecum and nobiscum are the normal forms.
Examples (4)
- Errabant, acti fatis, maria omnia circum.
They wandered, driven by the fates, around all the seas.
Aeneid 1.32. Circum follows maria omnia.
- Carthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe ostia
Carthage, far opposite Italy and the mouth of the Tiber
Aeneid 1.13-14. Contra follows Italiam.
- Dominus vobiscum.
The Lord be with you.
Cum follows vobis and joins it into one word.
- Quibuscum ambulas, Iulia?
With whom are you walking, Iulia?
Cum follows the relative pronoun quibus.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Anastrophe moves a preposition behind its noun, so poetic word order, the accusative prepositions and mecum come first.
- Words Far From Their Partners
Know poetic word order, because it is a move of one word.
Level 6 - Prepositions That Take the Accusative
Know the prepositions with the accusative, because contra and circum can follow their noun: Italiam contra.
Level 2 - With Me, With You: mecum, tecum
Know mecum and tecum, because cum already follows its pronoun there, and quibuscum does the same.
Level 3
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice Preposition After the Noun in Bubblegum
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