23.06.26; Level 3+; Subjunctive [57] dependent uses [4] iubeō, vetō; verbs of wishing (1)

Now that you have seen the subjunctive in the formation of indirect commands, in this post, and in the next, we’ll look at constructions where [1] it is not used and, more widely, [2] there are alternative ways of expressing the same idea depending on the sense.

[1] Although indirect commands are commonly formed with ut + subjunctive, below are important exceptions.

iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus [2]: to order

vetō, vetāre, vetuī, vetitus [1]: forbid

These verbs most often take:

verb + accusative (person ordered/forbidden) + infinitive (action) i.e. they do not use the subjunctive + ut even though they convey indirect commands.

Examples:

Imperātor mīlitēs [accusative] pugnāre [infinitive] iubet. │ The general orders ¦ the soldiers ¦ to fight.

Magister discipulōs [accusative] loquī [infinitive] vetat.│ The teacher forbids the students to speak.

This construction mirrors English very closely.

Labiēnum … iugum montis ascendere iubet (Caesar) │ He orders Labienus to climb the ridge of the hill

Līberōs … ad sē addūcī iussit (Caesar) │ He ordered the children to be brought to him.

Esse trīstem mē meus vetat Paetus (Martial) │ My friend Paetus forbids me to be sad.

Ab opere lēgātōs discēdere vetuerat (Caesar) │ He had forbidden the lieutenants to leave the work.

Note: vetō is inherently negative: forbidding somebody to do something is equivalent to ordering somebody not to do something.

He told me not to leave = Mē abīre vetuit.

[2] Verbs of wishing take either the infinitive or the subjunctive

Here, we will look only at one verb – volō, velle (want) – in order to focus on the structures being used.

[1] verb + infinitive, for example ‘I want ¦ to do something’  i.e. identical to English, the infinitive referring back to the subject:

Ego sorōrī meae cēnam hodiē dare volō viāticam (Plautus) │ I want ¦ to give my sister dinner and travel provisions today.

Uterque rēgnāre vult (Cicero) │ Each (one) of them wishes ¦ to rule.

Multa scīre volunt (Cicero) │ They want ¦ to know many things.

[2] When the wish is referring to somebody else e.g. “I want you ¦ to do something” then there are two alternatives, the first one of which you have already seen, and the second is the same as English.

(1) volō + ut + subjunctive to express an indirect command:

Volō ut sciās (Plautus) │ I want you to know [literally: I want ¦ that you should know].

Volō ut dicās vēritātem. │ I want you to tell the truth

Volō ut servētis disciplīnam cūriae (Seneca) │ I want you to observe the discipline of the senate-house.

Volō ut illī istōc cōnfugiant (Plautus) │ I want them to take refuge there.

(2) It can also be used with an accusative-infinitive construction, which mirrors the English construction. The accusative noun or pronoun is the logical subject of the infinitive.

Tē [accusative] volō scrībere [infinitive] (Plautus) │ I want you ¦ to write

Tē [accusative] scīre [infinitive] volō (Cicero) │ I want you ¦ to know

Vim [accusative] volumus exstinguī [infinitive] (Cicero) │ We wish violence ¦ to be put down

Spectātōrēs, vōs [accusative] valēre [infinitive] volumus et clārē adplaudere [infinitive] (Plautus) │ Spectators, we wish you ¦ to be well and ¦ to applaud loudly.