Breakdown of Agger prope molem est.
esse
to be
prope
near
agger
the embankment
moles
the massive structure; dam
Questions & Answers about Agger prope molem est.
Why is molem in the accusative case?
Because prope is being used as a preposition, and as a preposition it normally takes the accusative.
So:
- prope = near
- molem = accusative singular of moles
That is why Latin says prope molem, not prope moles.
A very literal breakdown is:
- agger = embankment / rampart
- prope molem = near the mass / barrier / structure
- est = is
What case is agger, and why?
Agger is nominative singular because it is the subject of est.
In other words, agger is the thing that is somewhere.
So in this sentence:
- agger = the subject
- est = the verb
- prope molem = a phrase telling where the subject is
This is the same basic idea as in English The embankment is near the structure.
How do I know that molem comes from moles?
This is a matter of third-declension noun forms.
The dictionary form is . Its accusative singular is .