§ 376. Nominative with Infinitive in Dependent Statement.—When a Quasi-Impersonal Verb such as it is said, it is thought, would have an Inf. with Ace. after it, the construction is generally made personal, the Accusative and everything agreeing with it being put in the Nominative. So also with iŭbētŭr it is ordered, vĕtātŭr it is forbidden.
| Dīcŏr essĕ fēlīx | I am said to he fortunate. |
| Dŏlŭs āfŭissĕ dēmōnstrābĭtŭr | 'It will be shown that trickery was absent. |
| Iūssŭs ĕs rĕnūntiārī cōnsŭl | Orders are given for you to be proclaimed consul. |
But Participles and Gerunds are rarely made personal.
| Nĕgandum est essĕ dĕōs | We must deny that there are gods |
| Thĕŏpompum vīcisse iūdŭcātum est | It was decided that Theopompus had won. |
§ 377. Rare or Poetical Uses of the Infinitive.
(1) As a Complement to Adjectives, instead of other Verbal Nouns: cŭpĭdŭs mŏrī eager to die (for mŏrĭendī); dīgnŭm lĕgī worthy to be read (for lēctū).
(2) As a Complement to Verbs of Movement, instead of the Supine in -um: pĕcŭs ēgĭt altōs vīsĕrĕ montēs he drove his herd to visit the high mountans.
(3) After Verbs of Saying, etc., with no subject expressed: Măgo id nescīrĕ dīxīt Mago said "(I) don't know that." (So especially the Future Infinitive.) In poetry, even with Adjectives, etc., in the Nominative: rettŭlĭt Āiāx essĕ Iŏvis prŏnĕpōs Ajax stated that he tvas great-grandson of Jupiter.
§ 378. Tenses of the Infinitive.
The Present Infinitive corresponds to the Present Indicative.
The Future Infinitive corresponds to the Future Indicative.
The Perfect Infinitive corresponds to the Imperfect, Perfect, or Aorist, and Pluperfect Indicative.
Present.
| Dīcĭt hŏmĭnem tĭmērĕ[1] nē ā lătrōnĭbus căpĭātŭr[2] | He says " The man is afraid (tĭmĕt) he will be captured by brigands." |
