Breakdown of Servus ad dominum propius venit, quia eum audire vult.
ad
to
eum
him
quia
because
venire
to come
Questions & Answers about Servus ad dominum propius venit, quia eum audire vult.
Why is it ad dominum instead of just dominum after venit?
Because ad is the normal preposition for motion toward or to a person or place.
- venit = comes
- ad dominum venit = he comes to/toward the master
Latin sometimes can show motion without ad, but with a person, ad + accusative is very common and natural.
Why is dominum in the accusative case?
Because ad takes the accusative.
So:
- dominus = nominative, the master as subject
- dominum = accusative, used after ad
In this sentence, dominum is not the subject. It is the object of the preposition ad.
What does propius mean here?
Propius is a comparative adverb meaning nearer, more closely, or closer.
So ad dominum propius venit means something like:
- the slave comes nearer to the master
- the slave comes closer to the master
It modifies venit, telling us how he comes.