Bennett's New Latin Grammar is a book, now in the public domain, written by the famous Charles E. Bennett. I have made this version available online. Of course there may be errors, so use at your own risk.
166. The Subject of a Finite Verb (i.e. any form of the Indicative, Subjunctive, or Imperative) is in the Nominative Case.
1. The Subject may be -
a) A Noun or Pronoun; as, -
puer scrībit, the boy writes;
hīc scrībit, this man writes.
b) An Infinitive; as, -
decōrum est prō patriā morī, to die for one's county is a noble thing.
c) A Clause; as, -
opportūnē accīdit quod vīdistī, it happened opportunely that you saw.
2. A Personal Pronoun as Subject is usually implied in the Verb and is not separately expressed; as, -
scrībō, I write; videt, he sees.
a. But for the purpose of emphasis or contrast the Pronoun is expressed; as, -
ego scrībō et tū legis, I write, and you read.
3. The verb is sometimes omitted when it can be easily supplied from the context, especially the auxiliary sum; as, -
rēctē ille (sc. facit), he does rightly; consul profectus (sc. est), the consul set out.
167. A PREDICATE NOUN is one connected with the Subject by some form of the verb Sum or a similar verb.
168. A Predicate Noun agrees with its Subject in Case;[47] as, -
Cicerō ōrātor fuit, Cicero was an orator;
Numa creātus est rēx, Numa was elected king.
1. when possible, the Predicate Noun usually agrees with its Subect in Gender also; as, -
philosophia est vītae magistra, philosophy is the guide of life.
2. Besides sum, the verbs most frequently accompanied by a Predicate Noun are -
a) fiō, ēvādō, exsistō; maneō; videor; as, -
Croesus nōn semper mānsit rēx, Croesus did not always remain king.
b) Passive verbs of making, calling, regarding, etc.; as, creor, appellor, habeor; as, -
Rōmulus rēx appellatus est, Romulus was called king;
habitus est deus, he was regarded as a god.
169. 1. An Appositive is a Noun explaining or defining another Noun denoting the same person or thing; as, -
Cicerō cōnsul, Cicero, the Consul;
urbs Rōma, the city Rome.
2. An Appositive agrees with its Subject in Case; as, -
opera Cicerōnīs ōrātōris, the works of Cicero, the orator;
apud Hērodotum, patrem historiae, in the works of Herodotus, the father of history.
3. When possible, the Appositive agrees with its Subject in Gender also; as, -
assentātiō adjūtrīx vitiōrum, flattery, the promoter of evils.
4. A Locative may take in Apposition the Ablative of urbs or oppidum, with or without a preposition; as, -
Corinthī, Achāiae urbe, or in Achāiae urbe, at Corinth, a city of Greece.
5. PARTITIVE APPOSITION. A Noun denoting a whole is frequently followed by an Appositive denoting a part; as, -
mīlitēs, fortissimus quisque, hostibus restitērunt, the soldiers, all the bravest of them, resisted the enemy.
THE NOMINATIVE.
170. The Nominative is confined to its use as Subject, Appositive, or Predicate Noun, as already explained. See §§ 166-169.
THE VOCATIVE.
171. The Vocative is the Case of direct address; as, -
crēdite mihi, jūdicēs, believe me, judges.
1. By a species of attraction, the Nominative is occasionally used for the Vocative, especially in poetry and formal prose; as, audī tū, populus Albānus, hear ye, Alban people!
2. Similarly the Appositive of a Vocative may, in poetry, stand in the Nominative; as, nāte, mea magna potentia sōlus, O son, alone the source of my great power.
THE ACCUSATIVE.
172. The Accusative is the Case of the Direct Object.
173. The Direct Object may express either of the two following relations: -
A. The PERSON OR THING AFFECTED by the action; as, -
cōnsulem interfēcit, he slew the consul;
legō librum, I read the book.
B. The RESULT PRODUCED by the action; as, -
librum scrīpsī, I wrote a book (i.e. produced one);
templum struit, he constructs a temple.
174. Verbs that admit a Direct Object of either of these two types are TRANSITIVE VERBS.
a. Verbs that regularly take a Direct Object are sometimes used without it. They are then said to be employed absolutely; as, -
rūmor est meum gnātum amāre, it is rumored that my son is in love.
175. 1. This is the most frequent use of the Accusative; as in -
parentēs amāmus, we love our parents;
mare aspicit, he gazes at the sea.
2. The following classes of Verbs taking an Accusative of this kind are worthy of note: -
a) Many Intransitive Verbs, when compounded with a Preposition, become Transitive. Thus: -
1) Compounds of circum, praeter, trāns; as, -
hostēs circumstāre, to surround the enemy;
urbem praeterīre, to pass by the city;
mūrōs trānscendere, to climb over the walls.
2) Less frequently, compounds of ad, per, in, sub; as, -
adīre urbem, to visit the city;
peragrāre Italiam, to travel through Italy;
inīre magistrātum, to take office;
subīre perīculum, to undergo danger.
b) Many Verbs expressing emotions, regularly Intransitive, have also a Transitive use; as, -
queror fātum, I lament my fate;
doleō ejus mortem, I grieve at his death;
rīdeō tuam stultitiam, I laugh at your folly.
So also lūgeō, maereō, mourn; gemō, bemoan; horreō, shudder, and others.
c) The impersonals decet, it becomes; dēdecet, it is unbecoming; juvat, it pleases, take the Accusative of the Person Affected; as, -
mē decet haec dīcere, it becomes me to say this.
d) In poetry many Passive Verbs, in imitation of Greek usage, are employed as Middles (§ 256, 1; 2), and take the Accusative as Object; as, -
galeam induitur, he puts on his helmet;
cīnctus tempora hederā, having bound his temples with ivy;
nōdō sinus collēcta, having gathered her dress in a knot.
176. 1. The ordinary type of this Accusative is seen in such expressions as -
librum scrībō, I write a book;
domum aedificō, I build a house.
2. Many Verbs usually Intransitive take a Neuter Pronoun, or Adjective, as an Accusative of Result. Thus: -
a) A Neuter Pronoun; as, -
haec gemēbat, he made these moans;
idem glōriārī, to make the same boast;
eadem peccat, he makes the same mistakes.
b) A Neuter Adjective, - particularly Adjectives of number or amount, - multum, multa, pauca, etc.; also nihil; as, -
multa egeō, I have many needs;
pauca studet, he has few interests;
multum valet, he has great strength;
nihil peccat, he makes no mistake.
NOTE. - In poetry other Adjectives are freely used in this construction; as -
minitantem vāna, making vain threats;
acerba tuēns, giving a fierce look;
dulce loquentem, sweetly talking.
3. The adverbial use of several Neuter Pronouns and Adjectives grows out of this Accusative; as, -
multum sunt in vēnātiōne, they are much engaged in hunting.
a. So also plūrimum, very greatly; plērumque, generally; aliquid, somewhat; quid, why? nihil, not at all; etc.
4. Sometimes an Intransitive Verb takes an Accusative of Result which is of kindred etymology with the Verb. This is called a COGNATE ACCUSATIVE, and is usually modified by an Adjective; as, -
sempiternam servitūtem serviat, let him serve an everlasting slavery;
vītam dūram vīxī, I have lived a hard life.
a. Sometimes the Cognate Accusative is not of kindred etymology, but merely of kindred meaning; as, -
stadium currit, he runs a race;
Olympia vincit, he wins an Olympic victory.
5. The Accusative of Result occurs also after Verbs of tasting and smelling; as, -
piscis mare sapit, the fish tastes of the sea;
ōrātiōnēs antīquitātem redolent, the speeches smack of the past.
177. Many Verbs of Making, Choosing, Calling, Showing, and the like, take two Accusatives, one of the Person or Thing Affected, the other a Predicate Accusative; as, -
mē hērēdem fēcit, he made me heir.
Here mē is Direct Object, hērēdēm Predicate Accusative. So also -
eum jūdicem cēpēre, they took him as judge;
urbem Rōmam vocāvit, he called the city Rome;
sē virum praestitit, he showed himself a man.
2. The Predicate Accusative may be an Adjective as well as a Noun; as, -
hominēs caecōs reddit cupiditās, covetousness renders men blind;
Apollō Sōcratem sapientissimum jūdicāvit, Apollo adjudged Socrates the wisest man.
a. Some Verbs, as reddō, usually admit only an Adjective as the Predicate Accusative.
3. In the Passive the Direct Object becomes the Subject, and the Predicate Accusative becomes Predicate Nominative (§ 168, 2, b): as, -
urbs Rōma vocāta est, the city was called Rome.
a. Not all Verbs admit the Passive construction; reddō and efficiō, for example, never take it.
178. 1. Some Verbs take two Accusatives, one of the Person Affected, the other of the Result Produced. Thus: -
a) Verbs of requesting and demanding; as, -
ōtium dīvōs rogat, he asks the gods for rest;
mē duās ōrātiōnēs postulās, you demand two speeches of me.
So also ōrō, poscō, reposcō, exposcō, flāgitō, though some of these prefer the Ablative with ab to the Accusative of the Person; as, -
opem ā tē poscō, I demand aid of you.
b) Verbs of teaching (doceō and its compounds); as, -
tē litterās doceō, I teach you your letters.
c) Verbs of inquiring; as, -
tē haec rogō, I ask you this;
tē sententiam rogō, I ask you your opinion.
d) Several Special Verbs; viz. moneō, admoneō, commoneō, cōgō, accūsō, arguō, and a few others. These admit only a Neuter Pronoun or Adjective as Accusative of the Thing; as, -
hōc tē moneō, I give you this advice;
mē id accūsās, you bring this accusation against me;
id cōgit nōs nātūra, nature compels us (to) this.
e) One Verb of concealing, cēlō; as, -
nōn tē cēlāvī sermōnem, I have not concealed the conversation from you.
2. In the Passive construction the Accusative of the Person becomes the Subject, and the Accusative of the Thing is retained; as, -
omnēs artēs ēdoctus est, he was taught all accomplishments;
rogātus sum sententiam, I was asked my opinion;
multa ādmonēmur, we are given many admonitions.
a. Only a few Verbs admit the Passive construction.
179. 1. Transitive compounds of trāns may take two Accusatives, one dependent upon the Verb, the other upon the Preposition, as, -
mīlitēs flūmen trānsportat, he leads his soldiers across the river.
2. With other compounds this construction is rare.
3. In the Passive the Accusative dependent upon the preposition is retained; as, -
mīlitēs flūmen trādūcēbantur, the soldiers were led across the river.
180. 1. The Synecdochical (or Greek) Accusative denotes the part to which an action or quality refers; as, -
tremit artūs, literally, he trembles as to his limbs, i.e. his limbs tremble;
nūda genū, lit. bare as to the knee, i.e. with knee bare;
manūs revinctus, lit. tied as to the hands, i.e. with hands tied.
2. Note that this construction -
a) Is borrowed from the Greek.
b) Is chiefly confined to poetry.
c) Usually refers to a part of the body.
d) Is used with Adjectives as well as Verbs.
181. 1. Duration of Time and Extent of Space are denoted by the Accusative; as, -
quadrāgintā annōs vīxit, he lived forty years;
hīc locus passūs sescentōs aberat, this place was six hundred paces away;
arborēs quīnquāgintā pedēs altae, trees fifty feet high;
abhinc septem annōs, seven years ago.
2. Emphasis is sometimes added by using the Preposition per; as,
per biennium labōrāvī, I toiled throughout two years.
182. 1. The Accusative of Limit of Motion is used -
a) With names of Towns, Small Islands, and Peninsulas; as, -
Rōmam vēnī, I came to Rome;
Athēnās proficīscitur, he sets out for Athens;
Dēlum pervēnī, I arrived at Delos.
b) With domum, domōs, rūs; as, -
domum revertitur, he returns home;
rūs ībō, I shall go to the country.
NOTE. - When domus means house (i.e. building), it takes a preposition; as, -
in domum veterem remigrāre, to move back to an old house.
2. Other designations of place than those above mentioned require a Preposition to denote Limit of Motion; as, -
ad Italiam vēnit, he came to Italy.
a. The Preposition is also customary with the Accusatives urbem or oppidum when they stand in apposition with the name of a town; as, -
Thalam, in oppidum magnum, to Thala, a large town;
Genavam ad oppidum, to the town Geneva.
b. The name of a town denoting limit of motion may be combined with the name of a country or other word dependent upon a preposition; as, -
Thūriōs in Italiam pervectus, carried to Thurii in Italy;
cum Acēn ad exercitum vēnisset, when he had come to the army at Ace.
3. To denote toward, to the vicinity of, in the vicinity of, ad is used; as, -
ad Tarentum vēnī, I came to the vicinity of Tarentum;
ad Cannās pugna facta est, a battle was fought near Cannae.
4. In poetry the Accusative of any noun denoting a place may be used without a preposition to express the limit of motion; as, -
Italiam vēnit, he came to Italy.
5. The goal notion seems to represent the original function of the Accusative Case. Traces of this primitive force are recognizable in the phrase īnfitiās īre, to deny (lit. to go to a denial), and a few other similar expressions.
183. The Accusative, generally modified by an Adjective, is used in Exclamations; as, -
mē miserum, ah, wretched me!
Ō fallācem spem, oh, deceptive hope!
184. The Subject of the Infinitive is put in the Accusative; as, -
videō hominem abīre, I see that the man is going away.
185. Here belong -
1. Some Accusatives which were originally Appositives; viz. -
id genus, of that kind; as, hominēs id genus, men of that kind (originally hominēs, id genus hominum, men, that kind of men);
virīle secus, muliebre secus, of the male sex, of the female sex;
meam vicem, tuam vicem, etc., for my part, etc.;
bonam partem, magnam partem, in large part;
maximam partem, for the most part.
2. Some phrases of doubtful origin; as, -
| id temporis, at that time; | quod si, but if; |
| id aetātis, at that time; | cētera, in other respects. |
[47] For the Predicate Genitive, see §§ 198, 3; 203, 5.