1455. When two things only are compared, the comparative is used: as,
#uter igitur melior?# _Div._ 2, 133, _which of the two then is the
better?_ #uter est īnsānior hōrum?# H. _S._ 2, 3, 102, _which of these
two is crazier?_ #uter erātis, tūn an ille, maior?# Pl. _Men._ 1119,
_you were--which of the two the bigger, thou or he?_
1456. The superlative is sometimes loosely used when only two things are
meant: as, #Numitōrī, quī stirpis maximus erat, rēgnum lēgat#, L. 1, 3,
10, _to Numitor, who was the eldest of the family, he bequeaths the
crown_, of two brothers, Numitor and Amulius. #id me͡ā minumē rēfert,
quī sum nātū maxumus#, T. _Ad._ 881, _that is of small concern to me,
who am the eldest son_, says Demea, who has only one brother.
1457. From Cicero on, an adjective or adverb is sometimes compared with
another adjective or adverb. In such comparisons #quam# is always used.
In this case: (_a._) Both members may have the positive form, the first
with #magis#: as, #Celer disertus magis est quam sapiēns#, _Att._ 10, 1,
4, _Celer is more eloquent than wise_. #magis audācter quam parātē#,
_Br._ 241, _with more assurance than preparation_. Or (_b._) Both
members may have the comparative suffix: as, #lubentius quam vērius#,
_Mil._ 78, _with greater satisfaction than truth_. #pestilentia minācior
quam perniciōsior#, L. 4, 52, 3, _a plague more alarming than
destructive_.
1458. But sometimes the second member is put in the positive, even when
the first has the comparative suffix: as, #ācrius quam cōnsīderātē#, Ta.
_H._ 1, 83, _with more spirit than deliberation_. And sometimes both
members: as, #clārīs maiōribus quam vetustīs#, Ta. 4, 61, _of a house
famous rather than ancient_.
1459. The comparative may be modified by ablatives of difference, such
as #multō#, _far_, #aliquantō#, _considerably_, #paullō# or #paulō#, _a
little_, #nimiō#, _too much_, _ever so much_ (1393). Also by #etiam#,
_even_, _still_, and in Catullus, Sallust, Vergil, and later Latin by
#longē#, _far_, #adhūc#, _still_.
1460. The comparative of an adjective or adverb often denotes that which
is more than usual or more than is right: as,
#solēre aiunt rēgēs Persārum plūrēs uxōrēs habēre#, _V._ 3, 76, _they
say the Persian kings generally have several wives_. #senectūs est
nātūrā loquācior#, _CM._ 55, _age is naturally rather garrulous_.
#stomachābātur senex, sī quid asperius dīxeram#, _DN._ 1, 93, _the old
gentleman always got provoked if I said anything a bit rough_.
1461. The comparative of disproportion is often defined by some added
expression: as,
#prīvātīs maiōra focīs#, J. 4, 66, _something too great for private
hearths_ (1321). #flāgrantior aequō nōn dēbet dolor esse virī#, J. 13,
11, _the indignation of a man must not be over hot_ (1330). In Livy and
Tacitus by #quam prō# with the ablative: see the dictionary. Sometimes a
new sentence is added: as, #sum avidior, quam satis est, glōriae#,
_Fam._ 9, 14, 2, _I am over greedy of glory_. For #quam ut# or #quam
quī#, see 1896.
1462. The comparative with a sentence of negative import is often
preferred to the superlative with a positive sentence: as,
#elephantō bēluārum nūlla prūdentior#, _DN._ 1, 97, _of the larger
beasts not one is more sagacious than the elephant_, or _the elephant is
the most sagacious of beasts_. #sequāmur Polybium, quō nēmō fuit
dīligentior#, _RP._ 2, 27, _let us follow Polybius, the most scrupulous
of men_. For #nēmō# or #quis#, the more emphatic #nihil# or #quid# is
often used: as, #Phaedrō nihil ēlegantius, nihil hūmānius#, _DN._ 1, 93,
_Phaedrus was the most refined and sympathetic of men_.
1463. In colloquial language, a comparative suffix is sometimes
emphasized by the addition of #magis#: as, #mollior magis#, Pl. _Aul._
422, _more tenderer_. And sometimes by a mixture of construction, the
comparative is modified by #aequē#, like the positive: as, #homo mē
miserior nūllus est aequē#, Pl. _Mer._ 335, _there’s not a man so
woebegone as I_, for #miserior# alone, or #aequē miser#.
1464. The comparative with the ablative is particularly common, when a
thing is illustrated by some striking typical object, usually an object
of nature. In such illustrations, the positive with _as_ is commonly
used in English: as, #lūce clārius#, _V._ 2, 186, _plain as day_. #ō
fōns Bandusiae, splendidior vitrō#, H. 3, 13, 1, _ye waters of Bandusia,
as glittering as glass_. #melle dulcior ōrātiō#, E. in _CM._ 31, _words
sweet as honey_. #ventīs ōcior#, V. 5, 319, _quick as the winds_. #vacca
candidior nivibus#, O. _Am._ 3, 5, 10, _a cow as white as driven snow_.
#caelum pice nigrius#, O. _H._ 17, 7, _a sky as black as pitch_. #dūrior
ferrō et saxō#, O. 14, 712, _as hard as steel and stone_.