§374. Dative of the Agent

The Dative of the Agent is used with the Gerundive to denote the person on whom the necessity rests:—

• haec vōbīs prōvincia est dēfendenda (Manil. 14), this province is for you to defend (to be defended by you).
• mihi est pūgnandum, I have to fight (i.e. the need of fighting is to me: cf. mihi est liber, I have a book, § 373. N.).

a. This is the regular way of expressing the agent with the Second or Passive Periphrastic Conjugation (§ 196).

• quibus est ā vōbīs cōnsulendum (Manil. 6), for whom you must consult. [Here two datives, quibus and vōbīs, would have been ambiguous.]
• rem ab omnibus vōbīs prōvidendam (Rab. 4), that the matter must be attended to by all of you. [The dative might mean for all of you.]