aptus ad rem militarem, fit for a soldier's duty. locus ad insidias aptior (Mil. 20), a place fitter for lying-inad amicitiam idoneus (Læl. 17), apt to friendship. [wait. castris idoneum locum deligit (B. G. vi. 10), he selects a suitable camping-ground. b. Adjectives and nouns of inclination may take the accusative with in or erga: as, comis in uxorem (Hor. Ep. ii. 2), kind to his wife. divina bonitas erga homines (N. D. ii. 23), the divine goodness towards men. c. The following may take also the possessive genitive: :aequalis, affinis, amīcus, cognatus, communis, consanguineus, dispar, familiaris, inimicus, necessarius, par, peculiaris, proprius, superstes (see p. 118). REMARK. - After similis, like, with early writers, the genitive is more usual; Cicero uses the genitive of persons, and the genitive or dative of things. d. The following take the accusative: -propior, proximus (sometimes), propius, proxime (more commonly)—as if prepositions, like prope. e. Verbal nouns take (rarely) the dative, like the verbs from which they are derived: as, invidia consuli (Sall.), ill-will against the consul. obtemperatio legibus (Leg. i. 15), obedience to the laws. 7. Dative of Reference. The dative is often required not by any particular word, but by the general meaning of the sentence (dativus commodi et incommodi). NOTE. In these cases there may be only one word in the sentence; but they are distinguished by the fact that the meaning of the verb is complete without the dative, while in the preceding cases it is required to complete the sense of some particular word. tibi aras (Pl. Merc. i. 1), you plough for yourself. non solum nobis divites esse volumus sed liberis (Off. iii. 15), it is not for ourselves alone but for our children that we would be rich. res tuas tibi habe (formula of divorce), keep your goods. laudavit mihi fratrem, he praised my brother [out of regard for me; laudavit fratrem meum would imply no such motive]. a. The dative of reference is often used instead of the posses sive genitive: as, iter Pœnis vel corporibus suis obstruere (Cat. M. 20), to block the march of the Carthaginians even with their bodies. se in conspectum nautis dedit (Verr. vi. 33), he put himself in sight of the sailors. versatur mihi ante oculos (id. 47), it comes before my eyes. b. The dative of reference is used in relations of direction, answering to the English as you go in (on the right, in the front, &c.): as, oppidum primum Thessaliæ venientibus ab Epiro (B. C. iii. 80), the first town of Thessaly as you come from Epirus. læævâ parte sinum intrantibus (Liv. xxxvi. 26), on the left as you sail up the gulf. c. The dative of reference is used, rarely (by a Greek idiom), with the participle of volo or nolo, and similar words: as, ut quibusque bellum invitis aut volentibus erat (Tac. Ann. i. 59), as they might receive the war reluctantly or gladly. ut militibus labos volentibus esset (Jug. 100), that the soldiers might assume the task willingly. d. Ethical Dative. The dative of the personal pronouns is used to show a certain interest felt by the person referred to (dativus ethicus: compare "I'll rhyme you so eight years together."As you Like it.): as, quid mihi Celsus agit (Hor.), pray what is Celsus doing? at tibi repente venit mihi Cominius (F. ix. 2), but, look you, of a sudden comes to me Cominius. hem tibi talentum argenti (Pl. Trin. v. 1), hark ye, a talent of silver. quid tibi vis? what would you have? avaritia senilis quid sibi velit non intelligo (Cat. M. 18), I do not understand what an old man's avarice means. REMARK.-To express FOR-meaning instead of, in defence of, in behalf of the ablative with pro must be used, not the dative: as, pro patriâ mori (Hor. Od. iii. 2), to die for one's country. pro rege, lege, grege (prov.), for king, law, people. ego ibo pro te (Pl. Most.), I will go instead of you. non pro me sed contra me (De Or. iii. 20), not for me but against me. 52. ACCUSATIVE. The Accusative denotes that which is immediately affected by the action of a verb (Direct Object). 1. General Use. The Accusative is the case of the direct object of a transitive verb: as, legationem suscepit, he undertook the embassy. Caesar vicit Pompeium, Cæsar conquered Pompey. REMARK.The Object of a transitive verb in the active voice becomes its Subject in the Passive, and is put in the nominative: as, legatio suscipitur, the embassy is undertaken. Pompeius a Cæsare victus est, Pompey was overcome by Cæsar. a. Many verbs which express Feeling, apparently intransitive, may take an accusative in Latin: as, fidem supplicis erubuit (Virg.), he respected [blushed at] the faith of a suppliant. flebat mortuos vivosque, he wept the dead and living. meum casum luctumque doluerunt (Sest. 69), they grieved [at] my calamity and sorrow. horreo conscientiam (Fin. i. 16), I shudder at conscience. Such verbs may accordingly be used in the passive: as, ridetur ab omni conventu (Hor.), he is laughed [at] by the whole assembly. b. Cognate Accusative. A neuter verb often takes an accusative of kindred meaning, almost always modified by an adjective, or in some other manner (Accusative of Effect): as, vivere eam vitam (Cic.), to live that kind of life. ætatem tertiam vivebat, he was living his third age. Similarly, in such phrases as vincere judicium, to gain one's case at court, and in poetic use: as, saltare Cyclopa (Hor. Sat. v. 1), to dance the Cyclops. Bacchanalia vivere (Juv. ii. 2), to live in revels. c. Verbs of taste, smell, &c., take an accusative of the quality: as, vinum redolens (Cic.), smelling of wine. herbam mella sapiunt (Plin.), the honey tastes of grass. d. Verbs of motion, and a few others, compounded with prepositions, especially compounds of circum and trans, frequently become transitive, and take the accusative: as, mortem obire, to die. consulatum ineunt (Livy iii. 6), they assume the consulship. neminem conveni (Fam. ix. 14), I met no one. tectum subire, to enter [go under] a place of shelter. colloquium haud abnuit (Livy xxx. 29), he did not refuse the interview. si insulam adîsset (B. G. iv. 20), if he should go to the island. cives qui circumstant senatum (Cat. i. 8), the citizens who throng about the senate. e. Constructio Praegnans. The accusative is used in certain phrases constructively, the real object of the verb being something understood: as, coire societatem, to [go together and] form an alliance. ferire fœdus, to strike a treaty [i.e. to sanction by striking down the victim]. mare navigare, to sail the sea [i.e. to sail a ship upon the sea]. f. The accusative is used after the Impersonals decet, it becomes; delectat, juvat, it delights; oportet, it behooves; fallit, it deceives; fugit, praeterit, it escapes: as, te non præteriit (Fam. i. 8), it has not escaped your notice. (For Accusative and Genitive after Impersonals, see § 50, 4, c.) 2. Two Accusatives. Several classes of verbs, besides the direct object, take another accusative, either in apposition or as a secondary object. a. The accusative is used in apposition after verbs of naming, choosing, &c. (See § 46.) b. A second accusative is sometimes used after transitive verbs compounded with prepositions: as, Hiberum copias trajecit (Liv. xxi. 23), he threw his forces across the Ebro. But with these verbs the preposition is oftener repeated. c. Verbs of asking and teaching govern two accusatives, either of which may be regarded as the direct object of the action: as, hoc vos doceo (Cic.), I teach you this. hoc te vehementer rogo (id.), this I urgently beg of you. REMARK-The accusative of the thing may remain, in this construction. after a passive: as, rogatus sententiam; while the person will be, after verbs of asking, in the ablative with the preposition ab or ex: as, hoc a te rogatur. The preposition is always used, to denote the person after peto, postulo (ab), quaero (ex or de): as, pacem ab Romanis petere (Cæs.), to beg peace of the Romans. d. The transitive celo, conceal, and the usually neuter lateo, lie hid, take the accusative of the person: as, hoc me celavit, he hid this from me. latet plerosque (Plin.), it is hid from most. 3. Adverbial Accusative. The accusative is used adverbially, or for specification. This is found a. With many verbs usually intransitive, which take a neuter pronoun or adjective in the accusative: as, quid moror, why do I delay? pauca milites hortatus (Sall.), having briefly exhorted the men. dulce loquentem (Hor. Od. i. 22), sweetly speaking. acerba tuens (Æn. ix. 793), looking cruelly. torvum clamat (id. vii. 599), he cries harshly. idem gloriari, to boast the same thing. NOTE. Many of these are cognate accusatives. b. In a few adverbial phrases, such as id temporis, at that time; meam vicem, on my part; quod si, but (as to which) if. c. In the so-called synecdochical or Greek accusative, used by the poets to denote the part affected: as, caput nectentur (Virg.), their head shall be bound [they shall be bound about the head]. The part is strictly in apposition with the whole, and remains (as above) after the passive. REMARK.The accusative after passive verbs used reflexively is sometimes wrongly referred to this construction: as, inutile ferrum cingitur (Virg.), he girds on the useless steel. 4. Special Uses. Peculiar uses are the following: a. The accusative is used in Exclamations: as, O fortunatam rempublicam (Cic.), O fortunate republic! b. The subject of the Infinitive Mood is in the accusative. This is especially frequent after words of knowing, thinking, and telling (verba sentiendi et declarandi, § 67, 1. In all cases, the accusative is strictly the Object of the leading verb). c. Time how long, and Distance how far, are in the accusative. (See § 55.) For the Accusative with Prepositions, see § 56. |