Latin 101

In the active voice the subject (nominative) performs the action of the verb. In the passive voice, the action of the verb is performed upon the subject (still nominative). To indicate who or what was doing the verb, Romans used the ablative of agent construction.

You already know half of the ablative of agent, the ablative of means which describeds the means by which something is done; e.g.

• urbs dëlëbätur imbribus - The city was destroyed by rains.
• cf: Imbrës urbem dëlëbant.

When the agent of a passive verb is a human or divine being, (as opposed to inanimate agents like "rains"), the ablative of agent is expressed by "ab" plus the ablative.

• Caesar ä dïs admonëtur.
• Cicero ab Antoniö dëlëbätur.

note - You may use the form "ä" before words that begin with consonants. You may use the form "ab" before words that begin with either vowels or consonants. You must use "ab" before words that begin with vowels.

You should be able to transform any active transitive verb into a passive construction:

• e.g.: Deï Caesarem admonent - The gods warn Caesar.
• Caesar ä dïs admonëtur. - Caesar is warned by the gods.

In the passive version of this sentence:

• The active object (Caesarem) becomes the passive subject (Caesar).
• The active subject (Dëï) becomes the passive agent.
• The verb is transformed into the passive and must be agree in number with it's subject.