[1331.] (1.) Singular proper names of towns and of little islands are put in the locative to denote the place in or at which action occurs: as,
quid Rōmae faciam? mentīrī nescio, J. 3, 41, what can I do in Rome? I don’t know how to lie. Corinthī et Karthāginī, Agr. 2, 90, at Corinth and at Carthage. Lacedaemonī, N. praef. 4, in Lacedaemon. Tīburī, Att. 16, 3, 1, at Tibur. Rhodī, Fam. 4, 7, 4, at Rhodes. mānsiōnēs diutinae Lēmnī, T. Ph. 1012, protracted stays at Lemnos ([1301]). Sometimes in dates: as, data Thessalonīcae, Att. 3, 20, 3, given at Thessalonica ([1307]). The locative rarely means near: as, Antiī, L. 22, 1, 10, round about Antium. In Plautus only two singular town names with consonant stems occur, and these regularly in the locative, Carthāginī and Sicyōnī, three times each; once in a doubtful example, Sicyōne, Cist. 128. Terence has no examples of these stems. From Cicero on, the locative ablative is commoner with them ([1343]).
[1332.] With an adjective attribute also, the locative is used: as, Teānī Āpulī, Clu. 27, at the Apulian Teanum. Suessae Auruncae, L. 32, 9, 3, at the Auruncan Suessa. The appellative forum, market place, used, with an attribute, as a proper name, is sometimes put in the accusative with ad: as, Claternae, ad Forum Cornēlium, Fam. 12, 5, 2, at Claterna and at Forum Cornelium; sometimes in the locative ablative: Forō Iūlī, Plin. Ep. 5, 19, 7.
[1333.] When the locative is further explained by an appellative following, the appellative is put in the locative ablative, either alone, or with in: as, Antiochīae, celebrī quondam urbe, Arch. 4, at Antioch, once a bustling town. Neāpolī, in celeberrimō oppidō, RabP. 26, at Neapolis, a town swarming with people. An appellative in the ablative with in may be further defined by a proper name in the locative: as, duābus in īnsulīs, Melitae et Samī, V. 5, 184, in two islands—at Melita and Samos. in oppidō, Antiochīae, Att. 5, 18, 1, within town walls—at Antioch. in sēcessū, Apollōniae, Suet. Aug. 94, out of town—at Apollonia. Or in the ablative: as, in oppidō Citiō, N. 5, 3, 4, in the town of Citium. in urbe Rōmā, L. 39, 14, 7, in the city of Rome.
[1334.] In Plautus, singular town names with stems in -ā- or -o- are put in the locative ten or twelve times, in the ablative with in some fifteen times. Three such have only in, never the locative: in Anactoriō, Poen. 896, in Seleuciā, Tri. 901, in Spartā, Poen. 663; furthermore, in Epidamnō, Men. 267, 380 twice, in Ephesō, B. 309, MG. 441, 778, and in Epidaurō, Cur. 341, 429, E. 540, 541, 554, but also Epidamnī, Men. prol. 51, Ephesī, B. 336, 1047, MG. 648, and Epidaurī, E. 636. Terence, who has only -o- stems, uses the locative six times, the ablative with in four times: only with in: in Andrō, Andr. 931, in Imbrō, Hec. 171. Furthermore in Lēmnō, Ph. 873, 1004 but also Lēmnī, Ph. 680, 942, 1013. Also Mīlētī, Ad. 654, Rhodī, Eu. 107, Sūniī, Eu. 519.
[1335.] A town name is sometimes put in the ablative with in by assimilation with a parallel in: as, in Illyricō, in ipsā Alexandrēā, Att. 11, 16, 1, in Illyricum, and at Alexandrea itself. Antiochum in Syriā, Ptolemaeum in Alexandrīā esse, L. 42, 26, 7. that Antiochus was in Syria, Ptolemy at Alexandria. in mōnte Albānō Lāvīniōque, L. 5, 52, 8, on the Alban mount and at Lavinium. Also without assimilation: as, nāvis et in Caiētā est parāta nōbīs et Brundusiī, Att. 8, 3, 6, we have a vessel all chartered, one in Cajeta and one at Brundusium. in Hispalī, Caes. C. 2, 18, 1, in Hispalis.
[1336.] With country names, the locative is very exceptional: as, Chersonēsī, N. 1, 2, 4, at the Peninsula. Aegyptī, Val. M. 4, 1, 15, in Egypt. Similarly Accheruntī, Pl. Cap. 689, 998, Mer. 606, Tru. 749, in Acheron; Accherunte however once: Accheruntest, Pl. Poen. 431. In Sallust, Rōmae Numidiaeque, I. 33, 4, with assimilation of Numidiae to Rōmae.
[1337.] (2.) The locatives domī, rūrī, humī, and rarely orbī, are used like proper names of towns: as,