§368. Indirect Object with Special Verbs

The Dative is used—

• With the impersonals libet ( lubet), it pleases, and licet, it is allowed:—

  • quod mihimaximē lubet (Fam. 1.8.3), what most pleases me.
  • quasi tibi nōn licēret (id. 6.8), as if you were not permitted.

• With verbs compounded with satis, bene, and male:—

  • mihi ipse numquam satisfaciō; (Fam. 1.1), I never satisfy myself.
  • optimōvirō maledīcere (Deiot. 28), to speak ill of a most excellent man.
  • pulchrum est benefacerereī pūblicae (Sall. Cat. 3), it is a glorious thing to benefit the state.

• With grātificor, grātulor, nūbō, permittō, plaudō, probō, studeō, supplicō, excellō:—

  • Pompêiōsē grātificārī putant (Fam. 1.1), they suppose they are doing Pompey a service.
  • grātulor tibi, mī Balbe (id. 6.12), I congratulate you, my dear Balbus.
  • tibi permittō respondēre (N. D. 3.4), I give you leave to answer.
  • mihi plaudō ipse domī; (Hor. S. 1.1.66), I applaud myself at home.
  • cum inimīcī M. Fontêī vōbīs ac populō Rōmānō minentur, amīcī ac propinquī supplicent vōbīs (Font. 35), while the enemies of Marcus Fonteius are threatening you and the Roman people too, while his friends and relatives are beseeching you.

a. The dative is often used by the poets in constructions which would in prose require a noun with a preposition. So especially with verbs of contending (§ 413. b):—

• contendis Homērō (Prop. 1.7.3), you vie with Homer. [In prose: cum Homērō.]
• placitōne etiam pūgnābis amōrī (Aen. 4.38), will you struggle even against a love that pleases you?
• tibi certat (Ecl. 5.8), vies with you. [tēcum.]
• differt sermōnī (Hor. S. 1.4.48), differs from prose. [ ā sermōne, § 401.]
• laterī abdidit ēnsem (Aen. 2.553), buried the sword in his side. [ in latere, § 430.]

For the Dative instead of ad with the Accusative, see § 428. h.