Have Some More

My curiosity about habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum led me to Lewis and Short. I’ll share some of the less intuitive uses I found there.

• habēre in metū = to fear
• habēre quemquam can also refer to a sense of esteem. That is, how you ‘hold’ someone in your mind, and how you think of them.
• habēre + infinitive, in addition to ‘I must do x‘ could also mean ‘I am able to do x,’ much like the Greek ἔχω + infinitive
• habēre sē benē = to be well
• habēre sibi/sēcum aliquid = to keep something to oneself
• habēre without a direct object = to dwell [eum domī advēnimus, quō nunc habet — we went to visit him at the house where he now lives]
• habēre in animō = to have in mind to, to be inclined to
• the future imperative, habētō means ‘consider’ or ‘understand’ with a present sense [sīc habētō, mī amīce–consider it this way, friend]

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To Have and Holding, For as Long as You Both Shall Live

In this post, I’d like to differentiate between the three ways that habeō takes a direct object: (a) an accusative, (b) an accusative perfect participle, and (c) an infinitive.

Habeō takes an accusative direct object in the sense of ‘possessing’ that object.

• I have three sons: trēs fīliōs habeō.
• She held the scepter: sceptrum habēbat.

Habeō with the perfect participle bears the same sense as ‘habēbat‘ above: possession extended over a period of time.

• They are holding him in the prison: eum in carcere habent. (right now)
• They are holding him in prison: eum captātum in carcere habent. (continuous status of incarceration)

• They have him as a witness: eum teste habent. (at this moment).
• They have him as a witness: eum testātum habent. (for now, but also for when they might need him)

Habeō with an infinitive completes a construction of purpose.

• I have much to promise: multum habeō pollicērī.
• You have work to do: labōrem habēs facere.
• You must do the work: labōrem habēs facere. (cf. Spanish tener que)

The Essential AG: 460a, 497b

Datophilic Verb Phrases

Verbs Takings the Dative (p7/7)

Datophilic Phrases

Phrases with Corresponding Verbs

There are a variety of phrases that take the dative, corresponding in sense to more basic categories of verbs that take the dative

• I am on hand to aid Caesar: iuvendī Caesaris praestō sum. (cf. adsum)
• She will humor his request: precī eius mōrem geret. (cf. mōrigeror)
• Let us all do favors for our loved ones: omnēs amantibus grāta faciāmus. (cf. grātificor)
• The dog is only obedient to me: iste canis solum mihi dictō audiēns est. (cf. oboedīre)
• I held confidence in her prophecy: suō effatī fidem habuī. (cf. cōnfidō)

Indepedent Phrases

Other phrases take the dative according to their own, particular sense

• The Furies inflict their injuries upon the men: Eumenides eīs damna dant.  
• This slave did me an injury: hīc servus mihi iniūriam fēcit!
• They brought the slave to trial: servō diem dixērunt.
• They set the day of the election: comitibus diem dixērunt.
• They were told to thank the father: grātiās agere patrī iussī sunt.
• I am thankful to Pompey: grātiam Pompeiō habeō.
• I must repay Pompey the favor: grātiam Pompeiō mihi referendum est.
• There is need of action: gerendō opus est.
• Children too rarely honor their parents: liberī parentibus rarius honōrem habent.
• He is given credit: acceptum eō ferre est.

The Poetic Dative

The poets put the dative in numerous places were strict Latin syntax suggests some other, more regular, case

• Nor would I dare to tear the clinging crown from that highly lauded head: nēque egō illī detrahere ausīm / haerentem capitī cum multā laude corōnam (Horace, Satires, 1.10.48-9) [prō abl.]
• Scorning Iarbas, and the leaders of other men, whom the rich soil of Africa nourishes in triumph–will you also fight a pleasing lover: dēspectus Iarbas / ductorēsque aliī, quōs Āfrica terra triumphīs / dīves alit: placitōne etiam pugnābis amorī? [prō cum + abl. or in + acc.]
• She filled the wound with tears, and mixed mourning with blood: vulnerā supplēvit lacrimīs flētumque cruōrī / miscuit [Ovid, Metamorphoses, 4.139-140] [prō abl.]

The Essential AG: 367 n2, 368.3a, 413a

Famous Phrase: prīus quam incipiās, consultō et, ubī consuluerīs factō opus est

[before you being, there is need of planning, and where you’ve consulted–of action!]

Sallust, Bellum Catilinae, 1.6

verbs_dative_7.pdf