§505. Gerund and Gerundive

The Dative of the Gerund and Gerundive is used in a few expressions after verbs:—¹

• diem praestitit operī faciendō (Verr. 2.1.148), he appointed a day for doing the work.
• praeesse agrō colendō (Rosc. Am. 50), to take charge of cultivating the land.
• esse solvendō, to be able to pay (to be for paying).

a. The dative of the gerund and gerundive is used after adjectives,² especially those which denote fitness or adaptability:—

• genus armōrum aptum tegendīs corporibus (Liv. 32.10), a sort of armor suited to the defence of the body.
• reliqua tempora dēmetendīs frūctibus et percipiendīs accommodāta sunt (Cat. M. 70), the other seasons are fitted to reap and gather in the harvest.
• perferendīs mīlitum mandātīs idōneus (Tac. Ann. 1.23), suitable for carrying out the instructions of the soldiers.

b. The dative of the gerund and gerundive is used in certain legal phrases after nouns meaning officers, offices, elections, etc., to indicate the function or scope of the office etc.:—

• comitia cōnsulibus rogandīs (Div. 1.33), elections for nominating consuls.
• triumvir colōniīs dēdūcundīs (Iug. 42), a triumvir for planting colonies.
• triumvirī reī pūblicae cōnstituendae (title of the Triumvirate), triumvirs (a commission of three) for settling the government.

Accusative of the Gerund and Gerundive