II General Uses

1. An object not caused by the action or directly affected by it, but sharing in it or receiving it.

2. The purpose of an action or that for which it serves.

The dative case indicates the person or thing interested in the state or action described by the verb. Many relations expressed by the dative in Latin are expressed by to or for in English (though English, too, often omits the preposition). The difference between the accusative and dative depends upon the point of view implied in the verb or existing in the mind of the speaker or writer. (A&G 360)

III Uses of the dative with examples

1. Indirect Object: some transitive verbs, especially verbs of giving, showing, telling, entrusting, take an accusative of the direct object and a dative of the indirect object.

2. Dative with "Special Verbs" = Dative with Intransitive Verbs

The Latin eqivalents of many transitive English verbs are intransitive. Many of these take a dative object rather than an accusative. That is, they complete their meaning with an indirect object, as if the idea of the direct object is already contained in the verb itself. Verbs of aiding, favoring, obeying, pleasing, and serving; verbs of injuring, opposing, displeasing; verbs of commanding, persuading, trusting, distrusting, sparing, pardoning, envying, being angry take the dative case.

Some of the most common of these Latin verbs are:

faveo favor

studeo desire [have zeal, enthusiasm for]

credo believe [put one's faith in]

cedo yield to

impero command, order, rule

minor, minitor threaten

fido, confido trust [put one's trust in]

diffido distrust

suadeo, persuadeo persuade [make a thing sweet to]

noceo harm [do a hurt to]

parco spare

indulgeo    indulge

irascor be angry at

pareo obey

servio serve

invideo envy [look askance at]

placeo please

ignosco pardon

respondeo answer

evenio happen

The dative is also used with the impersonals licet (it is permitted) and libet/lubet (it pleases).

ideo nihil alterutrum in partem respondere tibi possum ... [I.5]

cum responderet mihi et Satrio Rufo [I.5]

Idem fortasse eveniet tibi, si quando in nostra deverteris. [I.4]

NOTES:

1. In the passive, these verbs are used impersonally:

mihi persuadetur "it is persuaded to me" = I am persuaded

tibi diffiditur "it is distrusted to you" = you are distrusted

2. Some exceptions to the general rule about the types of verbs that take the dative are: iubeo, delector, iuvo, hortor, laedo, offendo which take the accusative.

3. Dative with Compound Verbs: many verbs compounded with ad, ante, con, in, inter, ob, post, prae, pro, sub, super and some with circum take the dative.

hoc mihi sufficit. [I.11]

Note: if the verb is transitive, a direct object may also be found.

Sed tu, iterum dicam, plurimum interest quid esse tribunatum putes, quam personam tibi inponas ... [I.23]

experieris non Dianam magis montibus quam Minervam inerrare. [I.6]

4. Dative with Adjectives

The Dative is used with adejectives (and even with adverbs) for the person or thing affected by the quality which the adjective denotes (cf. dative with compound verbs). Such adjectives include those expressing: advantage, disadvantage, usefulness, fitness, facility, nearness, dearness and their opposites. Some adjectives that take the dative:

Likeness

similis like [/ + gen. of person] dissimilis unlike

par equal to [/ + gen.]

aequus equal to iniquus unequal to

proprius peculiar to [/ + gen.]

communis common to [/ + gen.]

Nearness

proximus next to, nearest

finitimus        neighboring to

Friendliness and hostility

amicus friendly to inimicus unfriendly, hostile to

carus dear to

infestus hostile to

gratus pleasing to

adversus opposed to, facing

contrarius opposed to, opposite

Examples:

Pergratum est mihi quod tam diligenter libros avunculi mei lectitas ut habere velis quaerasque qui sint omnes. [III.5]

Fungar indicis partibus atque etiam quo sint ordine scripti notum tibi faciam: est enim haec quoque studiosis non iniucunda cognitio. [III.5]

5. Dative of Possession "there is to me" = "I have"

The dative is used for the possessor with forms of esse when more emphasis is to be put on the thing possessed that on the possessor or on the interest of the possessor in the thing possessed. The thing possessed is the subject of this construction.

Est enim, inquam, mihi cum Cicerone aemulatio, nec sum contentus eloquentia saeculi nostri. [I.5]

6. Dative of Agent

The dative is used of the agent with the gerundive + sum (the future passive perifrastic) to denote the person on whom the obligation rests.

Et ille quidem plenus annis abiit, plenus honoribus, illis etiam quos recusavit: nobis tamen quaerendus ac desirandus est ut exemplar aevi prioris, mihi vero praecipue... [II.1]

7. The Dative of Reference or Interest denotes the person interested: the person or thing for whose benefit or to whose prejudice the action is performed. This dative (also called the dative of advantage or disadvantage: dativus commodi aut discommodi) depends not on a particular word but on the general meaning of the construction. This dative is often used of the person from whose point of view an opinion is stated or a situation or direction is defined. Under this heading come "the dative of the local standpoint," "the dative of the person judging," "the ethical dative," and "the dative of separation."

Usus est firma valetudine, nisi quod solebant ei manus tremere, citra dolorem tamen. [II.1]

Hic fere nobis sermonis terminus. [I.5]

Tu modo enitere ut tibi ipse sis tanti quanti videberis aliis si tibi fueris. [I.3]

Quod evenit mihi, postquam in Laurentino meo aut lego aliquid aut scribo aut etiam corpori vaco, cuius fulturis animus sustinetur. [I.9]

8. Dative of Purpose denotes that for which something serves. This is common in combination with the dative of reference in the double dative.

Hanc ego vitam voto et cogitatione praesumo, ingressurus avidissime, ut primum ratio aetatis receptui canere permiserit. [III.1] "I anticipate this life with prayer and reflection, intending to set out upon it with relish as soon as considerations of age permit [me] to sound the trumpet for retreat.

V [audierat] hinc populum late regem belloque superbum