Questions & Answers about Orator in contione de pace dicturus est.
Why is orator in the nominative case?
Because orator is the subject of the sentence: it is the person who is going to do the action.
Its dictionary form is orator, oratoris (masculine), and the nominative singular is orator.
So:
- orator = the speaker / orator
- it is nominative because it is the one about to speak
What case is in contione, and why is in used here?
Contione is ablative singular, and in with the ablative often means in, on, at a place.
So in contione means in the assembly / at the public meeting.
This is a normal Latin prepositional phrase:
- in + ablative = location
- in + accusative would usually mean motion into something
Here there is no motion; the speaker is located in the assembly, so Latin uses in contione.
Why is it contione and not contio?
Because after in meaning location, Latin uses the ablative.
The noun is:
- nominative: contio
- ablative: contione
So:
- contio = assembly as the subject form