Friday, August 9, 2024

13.09.24: the dative of purpose

The first image and notes are from group member Daniel Wong

“Mīlitēs ex veteribus legiōnibus erant relictī praesidiō castrīs” (Caesar)

conjugātiō et dēclīnātiō

Mīlitēs (n.pl) ex (prep) veteribus (ab.pl) legiōnibus (ab.pl) [erant relictī] (pass.pluperf.p3.pl) praesidiō (d) castrīs (d.pl)

vocābulāria

mīles (n.m.3) soldier

legiō (n.f.3) legion

relinquere (v3) to leave behind

praesidium (n.ne.2) defence / guard / protection

castra (n.ne.2.pl) encampment

vetus (adj.1/2) old

Anglicē

The soldiers from the old legions had been left as a guard for the camp

Grammar note

Dative of purpose*

praesidiō and castrīs


*I just wanted to say a little more about Daniel’s reference to the dative of purpose because that specific use has not been mentioned in the group yet.

Latin uses a “double dative” here i.e. two nouns both in the dative case:

[i] first one: for what purpose the action is happening

[ii] second one: who / what is affected by that

Mīlitēs ex veteribus legiōnibus erant relictī ¦ [i] praesidiō [ii] castrīs.

The soldiers from the old legions had been left behind …

[i] For what purpose?

> praesidiō │ for the purpose of being a guard = as a guard

[ii] What was affected by that, or who benefitted from it?

> praesidiō [ii] castrīs │ as a guard [ii] for the camp

Examples from the authors:

[i] Māgnō ūsuī [ii] nostrīs fuit. (Caesar) │ He was ¦ [i] of great service ¦ [ii] to our men.

[ii] Suīs [i] salūtī fuit. (Caesar) │ He was [i] the salvation [ii] for our men.

English has a similar concept:

This was ¦ of advantage ¦ to us.

A neat way of remembering this construction is a two word quotation from Cicero:

Cui [dative] bonō [dative]? │ Who benefits? [Literally: to whom (is it) of advantage?]

More information on this at the moment can be found here:



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