100

Indirect Discourse (Oratio Obliqua)

101

Declarative statements:

Indirect commands use the subjunctive with ut (neg. nê.

Subject is in the accusative.

Caesar told Marcus not to go away.

Main verb is in the infinitive.

Caesar Marcô imperâvit nê abîret.

He said that Caesar had come.

NB: iubêre is an exception and requires acc. + inf.

Dîxit Caesarem vênisse.

Caesar Marcum nôn abîre iussit.

Subordinate clauses use the subjunctive if they were

Indirect questions use the subjunctive:

part of the original statment and not information provided

Caesar asked who was coming.

by the narrator.

Caesar rogâvit quis venîret.

Marcus said that Caesar, who was a great general,

Marcus asked whether Caesar would come.

had come.

Marcus rogâvit an Caesar venîret.

Marcus dîxit Caesarem, quî imperâtor magnus

esset, vênisse.

Choice of tenses:

(Marcus said that Caesar was a great general)

Infinitives are in the same tense as the original statement:

"Caesar veniet." inquit Marcus.

Marcus said that Caesar (who was a great general)

Marcus dîxit Caesarem ventûrum esse.

had come.

Marcus diixit Caesarem, quî imperator magnus

Subjunctives follow the rules of sequence (of page 97).

erat, vênisse.

Caesar mîlitibus imperâbit, "Pugnâte!"

(FYI: Caesar was a great general.)

Caesar mîlitibus imperâvit ut pugnârent.

Caesar mîlitibus imperat, "Pugnâte!"

Caesar mîlitibus imperat ut pugnent.