1200. The dative with many adjectives and some adverbs denotes that to
which the quality is directed.
Such have the meaning of _useful_, _necessary_, _fit_, _easy_,
_agreeable_, _known_, _near_, _belonging_, _friendly_, _faithful_,
_like_, and most of their opposites; the adjective is often predicative:
as, #vēr ūtile silvīs# (1036), V. _G._ 2, 323, _the spring is good for
woods_. #est senātōrī necessārium nōsse rem pūblicam#, _Leg._ 3, 41,
_for a senator it is indispensable to be conversant with government_.
#ōrātiōnis genus pompae quam pugnae aptius#, _O._ 42, _a style better
suited to the parade than to the field_. #convenienter nātūrae vīvere#,
_Off._ 3, 13, _to live in touch with nature_.
1201. Some adjectives of this class have the dative of a person, the
accusative with #ad# of a thing: so #accommodātus#, #aptus#, #idōneus#,
#necessārius#, and #ūtilis#; and some denoting feeling have also the
accusative with a preposition: #aequus#, #inīquus#, #fidēlis# with #in#,
#benevolus# with #ergā#, and #impius# with #adversus#. #propior# and
#proximus# sometimes accompany an accusative, like #prope#, #propius#,
and #proximē#.
1202. The adjectives #commūnis#, #proprius# or #aliēnus#, #sacer#,
#tōtus#, often accompany the construction of the genitive of the owner:
see 1238. For #aliēnus# with the ablative, see 1306. Sometimes #aliēnus#
has the ablative with #ab#.
1203. Some adjectives denoting relationship, connection, friendship or
hostility, become substantives, and as such, admit the genitive also
(1103): such are (_a._) #adfīnis#, #cōgnātus#; (_b._) #aequālis#,
#familiāris#, #fīnitimus#, #pār# and #dispār#, #propīnquus#, #vīcīnus#;
(_c._) #adversārius#, #amīcus#, #inimīcus#, #necessārius#.
1204. In Plautus and Terence, #similis#, _the like_, _the counterpart_,
and its compounds, regularly take the genitive. The dative, as well as
the genitive, is also used from Ennius on, particularly of a limited or
approximate likeness: see the dictionary.
(2.) THE OPTIONAL COMPLEMENT.
1205. The dative of a person or thing interested, benefited, harmed, may
be added at option to almost any verb: as,
#cōnservāte parentī fīlium, parentem fīliō#, _Cael._ 80, _save the son
for the father, the father for the son_. #mea domus tibī̆ patet, mihī̆
clausa est#, _RA._ 145, _the very house I own is open for you, is shut
upon me_. #cui flāvam religās comam, simplex munditiīs?# H. 1, 5, 4,
_for whom bind’st thou in wreaths thy golden hair, plain in thy
neatness?_ #nōn audēret facere haec viduae mulierī, quae in mē fēcit#,
T. _Hau._ 953, _he durst not to an unprotected female do what he hath
done towards me_.
1206. The place of a verb with the dative of interest is sometimes
filled by an interjection, #ecce#, #ei#, #em#, or #vae#: as, #ei mihi
quālis erat#, E. 1, 7, V. 2, 274, _ah me, how ghastly he did look_. #vae
vīctīs#, Pl. _Ps._ 1317, said by Brennus, 390 B.C., L. 5, 48, 9, _woe
worth the worsted_. #vae capitī atque aetātī tuae#, Pl. _R._ 375,
_a murrain on thy head and life_.
1207. The dative is often added to the entire sentence, where either a
genitive or a possessive pronoun limiting a substantive might be used.
In such cases the dative expresses interest, advantage, or disadvantage,
while the genitive would simply indicate the owner or the object: as,
#trānsfīgitur scūtum Puliōni#, 5, 44, 7, _unfortunately for Pulio, his
shield gets pierced through and through_. #mīlitantī in Hispāniā pater
ē̆ī moritur#, L. 29, 29, 6, _while serving in Spain he had the
misfortune to lose his father_. #huic ego mē bellō ducem profiteor#,
_C._ 2, 11, _I here proclaim myself captain for this war_. #sēsē Caesarī
ad pedēs prōiēcērunt#, 1, 31, 2, _they cast themselves at Caesar’s
feet_. #nostrīs mīlitibus spem minuit#, 5, 33, 5, _it dashed the hopes
of our soldiers_. #extergē tibi manūs#, Pl. _Most._ 267, _wipe off thy
hands_. #vellunt tibi barbam lascīvī puerī#, H. _S._ 1, 3, 133, _the
wanton gamins pull thy beard, poor soul_.
1208. This dative is sometimes detached from the verb, and used
immediately with a substantive, instead of the genitive: as,
#Philocōmasiō custōs#, Pl. _MG._ 271, _the keeper for Philocomasium_.
#rēctor iuvenī#, Ta. 1, 24, _a mentor for the young man_. So
particularly with a gerundive in official expressions: as, #cūrātor
mūrīs reficiendīs#, _OG._ 19, _commissioner for rebuilding the walls_.
1209. Verbs of warding off sometimes take a dative, especially in
poetry, also those of robbing and ridding: as, (_a._) #hunc quoque
arcēbis gravidō pecorī#, V. _G._ 3, 154, _him also wilt thou for the
pregnant herd keep far_. #sōlstitium pecorī dēfendite#. V. _E._ 7, 47,
_the summer’s heat keep distant for the flock_. (_b._) #torquem dētrāxit
hostī#, _Fin._ 1, 35, _he pulled a torque away from his enemy_. #ēripiēs
mihī̆ hunc errōrem#, _Att._ 10, 4, 6, _you will rid me of this mistake_.
1210. With verbs of motion the dative of the person interested denotes
in poetry the end of motion also: as, #multōs Danaūm dēmittimus Orcō#,
V. 2, 398, _we send down many a Danaan for the nether king_. So also the
dative of personified words of place: as, #it clāmor caelō#, V. 5, 451,
_up goes a shout for heaven_, i.e. _heaven hears a shout_. #sēdibus hunc
refer ante suīs#, V. 6, 152, _first bear him duly to his place of rest_,
i.e. let his expectant grave receive him.