The gerundive with ad, in and the genitive

Instead of a gerund with an object, Latin usually puts the noun in the needed case and makes the gerundive agree with it: ad animum serenandum "for calming the mind".

Examples

• quodque ad eandem conservandam conducit 2.3and what helps to preserve it
• nisi ad animum serenandum accommodaveris 2.4unless you use it for calming your mind
• in peccatis inter se conferendis 2.10in comparing sins with one another

In the text 64

• I.3 A matre, pietatis studium, et largiendi promptitudinem: nec a malo patrando tantum, sed cogitando etiam, continere.patrando and cogitando are gerundives agreeing with malo (abl. sg. n.): "from evil to be done … to be thought", i.e. "from doing evil … from thinking it". nec … tantum, sed … etiam "and not only … but also".
• I.6 neve eis fidem adhiberem, quae a praestigiatoribus magisque de incantationibus, deque daemonibus averruncandis, aliisque ejusmodi imposturis dicuntur:Three subjects of their talk, each governed by de "about" (written twice and understood the third time). daemonibus averruncandis is a noun with a gerundive, "demons to be driven away", i.e. "the driving away of demons".
• I.8 sed et quod in disciplinis tradendis neutiquam morose se gereret:in + noun + gerundive: "in subjects being handed on", i.e. "in teaching his subjects". trado "hand over" is the usual word for passing on teaching.
• I.8 quodque hominem viderim, qui peritiam suam et in theorematibus tradendis solertiam, bonorum suorum minimum existimare se, palam faceret.
• I.9 A Sexto, benevolum erga alios affectum: familiae affectu paterno administratae specimen: de vita naturae convenienter instituenda cogitationem:de + noun + gerundive: "about life to be ordered", i.e. "about ordering life". convenienter "in agreement" takes the dative naturae: to live in agreement with nature is the Stoic ideal.
• I.9 adhaec dilucidam ac methodicam cum inventionem, tum et dispositionem, decretorum ejusmodi, quae ad vitam recte instituendam conducerent.
• I.16 quod laboribus ferendis cum libens, tum et assiduus, se dederit.ferendis is the gerundive of fero agreeing with laboribus: "to labours to be borne", i.e. "to bearing labours". The dative goes with se dare "to give oneself to, devote oneself to".
• I.16 nec in Deis colendis superstitiosus, nec in hominibus, aut muneribus, aut blanditiis auram captans popularem; sed in rebus quibusque sobrius, solidus, nusquam ineptus, aut novitatis studiosus.
• I.16 Porro quod ad vitam commodius transigendam conducentibus rebus, quarum copiam illi dapsilem sors suppeditabat, citra fastum, nec libere tamen minus, utebatur; ut et praesentibus simpliciter frueretur, neque absentia multum desideraret.A gerundive phrase: "for life to be passed more comfortably", i.e. "for passing life more comfortably". commodius is the comparative adverb of commode.
• I.16 quod nemo illum aut sophistam, aut vernaculum, aut scholasticum dixerit; sed virum maturum, consummatum, adulatione superiorem, rebus et propriis et alienis administrandis idoneum.idoneus "fit" takes the dative, and administrandis is a gerundive agreeing with rebus: "fit for affairs to be managed, both his own and others'", i.e. fit to manage them.
• I.16 prudentiam item et moderationem, in spectaculis exhibendis, fabricis extruendis, congiariis largiendis, aliisque istiusmodi;Three gerundive phrases, all governed by in: "in shows to be put on, buildings to be put up, largesses to be given out", i.e. "in putting on shows …". A congiarium was a gift of money (at first of oil or wine) from the emperor to the people of Rome.
• I.16 utpote cum is esset, qui non ad celebritatem ex rebus a se gestis acquirendam, sed id duntaxat quod facto erat opus, respiceret.respicere "to look to, have regard to" has two objects: first ad with a gerundive phrase, "to fame to be gained", then a plain accusative, id … quod facto erat opus "that which needed to be done" (opus est with the ablative participle, as in quid facto opus esset above).
• I.17 quod fratrem eum nactus sim, qui ad curam mei agendam suis moribus me extimularet, quique simul honore affectuque erga me suo animum mihi oblectaret.ad with a gerundive gives the purpose: 'towards care to be taken', that is, 'to take care'. mei is the genitive of ego, 'of myself', not a form of meus 'my'.
• I.17 quod de modo vitae naturae convenienter agendae, claras satis ac frequentes eas, cogitationes in animo habuerim:'About the manner of a life to be lived in agreement with nature', that is, 'about how to live in agreement with nature'. agendae is a gerundive agreeing with vitae (vitam agere 'to live a life'); naturae is dative with convenienter 'in agreement with'.
• I.17 quod ea fuerim illorum copia instructus, qui ad liberos educandos mihi idonei existerent.ad with the gerundive: 'for children to be brought up', that is, 'for bringing up the children'. educo (1st conj.) 'bring up' is not educo (3rd conj.) 'lead out'.
• I.17 quod cum philosophandi cupiditas incessisset, non in sophistam aliquem inciderim, nec commentariis evolvendis, vel syllogismis resolvendis, vel meteorologicis discutiendis, tempus deses contriverim. etenim ista omnia Diis adjutoribus ac Fortuna indigebant.Three ablative gerundive phrases saying how the time might have been spent: 'in treatises to be unrolled', that is, 'in reading treatises', 'in analysing syllogisms', 'in examining things in the sky'. A book was a roll, so evolvere 'unroll' means 'read through'; meteorologica are questions about the heavens and the weather.
• II.3 illud est autem parti unicuique bonum, quod universi fert natura, quodque ad eandem conservandam conducit.ad with a gerundive gives purpose: "towards preserving the same (nature)". eandem refers back to natura.
• II.4 sed et praescriptum esse tibi temporis terminum: quod nisi ad animum serenandum accommodaveris, avolaturum est illud, te simul abrepto, nec deinceps rediturum.ad with a noun and a gerundive expresses purpose: ad animum serenandum, literally 'towards the mind to be calmed', means 'for calming the mind'. The gerundive serenandum agrees with animum.
• II.10 Philosophice Theophrastus, in peccatis inter se conferendis (prout vulgo conferri solent) dicit; graviora esse quae per cupidinem, quam quae per iram admittuntur.in + noun + gerundive: conferendis agrees with peccatis (abl. pl. n.), so the phrase means 'in wrongdoings being compared', i.e. 'in comparing wrongdoings'. inter se 'among themselves' = 'with one another'.
• III.4 suis enim duntaxat agendis intentus est; sibique ab universo destinata cogitat assidue.agendis is the gerundive of ago used as a noun: "things to be done", i.e. his own tasks. intentus "intent on" takes the dative.
• III.6 et a sensuum affectionibus, quod Socrates dicebat, sese abstraxerit; Deis autem se regendum permiserit, hominibusque quibusvis curam lubens impendat.permittere "to hand over, entrust" takes the dative of the person (Deis) and the accusative of what is handed over (se); the gerundive regendum, agreeing with se, says for what: "has handed itself over to the gods to be governed".
• IV.3 denique quam multi, ubi inimicitiis exercendis, suspicionibus fovendis, odiis, litigiis, vitam exegissent, tandem defuncti et in cineres redacti sint, desine tandem tibi molestiam facessere.Ablatives saying how they spent their life. inimicitiis exercendis is a noun with a gerundive, "with enmities being carried on", i.e. "in carrying on enmities"; likewise suspicionibus fovendis "in nursing suspicions". Then two bare nouns: odiis, litigiis "in hatreds, in quarrels".
• IV.21 locumque hoc pacto faciunt aliis intra sedes easdem insuper recipiendis.recipiendis is a gerundive agreeing with aliis: "for others to be received", the new souls that must also find a place. The dative goes with locum faciunt "make room for". insuper is "in addition, besides", and hoc pacto "in this way".
• IV.26 in animo remittendo sobrie te geras.in with the ablative and a gerundive: literally "in the mind being relaxed", i.e. "in relaxing your mind", when you rest. It does the work of a gerund with an object (in animum remittendo), which Latin avoids after a preposition: the noun takes the case, and the gerundive agrees with it.
• IV.40 item quomodo ad sensum hujusce, unum et illum, omnia referantur: unoque quasi impetu ferantur universa, et ad omnia producenda cooperentur;ad with a noun and a gerundive gives a purpose: ad omnia producenda "for all things to be produced", i.e. "to produce all things". The gerundive producenda agrees with omnia.
• IV.50 Vulgare quidem hoc est, efficax tamen ad mortem contemnendam adminiculum, si eos recolas qui vitae avidi eidem fuerint diu immorati.ad with a noun and a gerundive expresses purpose: ad mortem contemnendam "towards death being despised", i.e. "for despising death". The gerundive contemnendam agrees with mortem.
• V.1 num vero aegre feram, si ad ea agenda proficiscor, quorum gratia natus et in mundum productus sum?ad with a gerundive gives a purpose: ad ea agenda "towards those things to be done", i.e. "to do those things". The gerundive agenda agrees with ea like an adjective.
• V.6 sicut equus, ubi cucurrerit, canis venatus fuerit, apes mel confecerit; ita iste, ubi benefecerit, non clamore prosequitur, sed ad aliud ejusmodi opus se transfert; quemadmodum vitis ad racemos alios denuo suo tempore producendos.Supply se transfert: "as the vine (passes on) to producing other clusters again". ad racemos producendos is ad with a noun and gerundive, "to clusters to be produced"; English turns it into "to producing clusters". suo tempore "in its own season": the vine waits for the next season, then gives again.
• V.8 altera, quod universi gubernatori prosperitatis et consummationis, atque adeo permansionis ipsius procurandae ex parte caussa sit.The gerundive procurandae agrees with the nearest noun, permansionis, but belongs to all three: "a cause of securing the prosperity, the completion, and indeed the very continuance". atque adeo "and indeed, and even" climbs to the strongest claim: what happens to you helps to keep the universe in being.
• V.15 ista enim nec ab homine exiguntur, nec pollicetur ea natura humana, nec ad eam perficiendam ferunt.ad with a noun or pronoun and a gerundive agreeing with it gives the aim: ad eam perficiendam "towards it being completed", i.e. "towards completing it". eam is human nature, and ferunt here is intransitive, "lead, tend": these things do nothing to bring a man's nature to its fulfilment.
• V.15 nec proinde in istis consistit, aut naturae humanae finis, aut bonum aliquod quod ad finem hunc conficiendum conducat.
• V.16 et rursus, cujus gratia quidque conditum est, ad id agendum esse conditum; ad quod autem agendum conditum est, ad id ferri:ad with a pronoun and a gerundive agreeing with it gives the purpose: ad id agendum "for that being done", "for doing that". agendum agrees with id and then with quod, both neuter accusative singular. Where there is an object Latin prefers this gerundive to a gerund with an object (ad agendum id).
• V.29 interim vero dum nihil me ad educendum me adigit, liber maneo; utpote quem nemo prohibere possit, quo minus faciam quae velim;dum with the indicative means "as long as". ad educendum me "to leading myself out": educendum is the gerundive of ēdūco "lead out" (not ēduco "bring up"), agreeing with me. "To lead oneself out" was the Stoics' phrase for taking one's own life. adigit "drives, forces".
• V.31 recole quoque quae transegeris negotia, quibusque sustinendis suffeceris.Two more indirect questions. quae … negotia "what tasks" puts the question word first and its noun last. In quibus sustinendis suffeceris, sufficere + dative is "to be equal to", and the gerundive sustinendis "to be borne" agrees with quibus: "for what things to be borne you have sufficed", i.e. what burdens you have proved strong enough to carry. The -que of quibusque is "and"; the word is not quisque.
• VI.11 tenoris enim servandi valentior fies, ad eum jugiter recurrendo.tenoris servandi "of the tenor to be kept", that is, "of keeping the tenor", is a gerundive phrase in the genitive. The genitive goes with valentior "more capable", as with potens "able": you will be better able to keep it. valentior is the comparative of valens "strong"; fies "you will become" is the future of fio.
• VI.28 Mors finem imponit sensuum impressioni, et affectuum impulsui, et mentis discursui, et obeundo circa carnem ministerio.obeundo is a gerundive agreeing with ministerio: "the service to be performed", the work of tending the body. obire is "to go to, take on" a task; circa "about, concerning" (+ acc.) here means "for, in the care of".
• VI.30 itaque serva te simplicem, bonum, integrum, gravem, serium, justi amantem, pium, placidum, affectu genuino praeditum, in officio praestando strenuum.in with a gerundive in the ablative means "in doing": in officio praestando "in duty being performed", i.e. "in doing your duty". officium praestare is the regular phrase for performing a duty.
• VI.30 imitare constantem illius in rebus rite gestis tenorem, in cunctis aequabilitatem, pietatem, vultus serenitatem, comitatem, gloriae inanis contemptum, in rebus indagandis studium;in with the gerundive again: in rebus indagandis "in matters being investigated", i.e. "in investigating matters". He took pains to get to the bottom of the business in hand.
• VI.30 adhaec constantiam et aequabilitatem in amicitiis colendis.in with the gerundive again: "in friendships being cultivated", i.e. "in keeping up friendships". colere amicitiam is the regular phrase for cultivating a friendship.
• VI.43 quid sidera ipsa, nonne diversa quamvis sint, ad unum tamen idemque efficiendum operas mutuas conferunt?ad with a gerundive expresses purpose: "for one and the same thing to be brought about", i.e. "to bring about one and the same thing". tamen "still" is slipped in between unum and idemque. Like the workers of the last section, the stars do different work for one end.
• VI.47 eo nimirum nos concedere oportet, quo tot oratores diserti, tot philosophi verendi, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Socrates;verendi is the gerundive of the deponent vereor "revere": "to be revered", and so "venerable". Heraclitus, Pythagoras and Socrates are named as examples of such philosophers.
• VII.5 si sufficit, ea tanquam instrumento ab universi natura mihi dato ad hoc efficiendum utor,ad with a noun and a gerundive expresses purpose: ad hoc efficiendum "for this to be done", i.e. "for doing this".
• VII.13 ad mutuas enim rei eidem conficiendae operas conferendas nata sunt utraque.Two gerundives, one inside the other. ad mutuas … operas conferendas is ad with a gerundive of purpose, "for contributing mutual services". Inside it, rei eidem conficiendae is dative (eidem can only be dative): "to one and the same thing to be accomplished", that is, "to accomplishing one and the same work".
• VII.23 quem mox denuo diffingit, ejusdemque materia ad arborem producendam abutitur; tum ad homuncionem, dein ad aliud quidpiam.ad with a noun and a gerundive says what something is for: ad arborem producendam "for producing a tree", literally "for a tree to be produced". The gerundive agrees with its noun, here feminine arborem.
• VII.68 etenim semper mihi praesens res omnis materiam praebet virtutis rationalis et socialis, artisque prorsus vel humanae vel divinae exercendae.A gerundive in the genitive: materiam virtutis … artisque … exercendae "material of virtue and art to be practised", that is, "material for practising virtue and art". exercendae agrees with the nearer noun, artis, but serves virtutis as well. prorsus "in short" sums the list up, and vel … vel "either … or" divides the art into human and divine.
• VII.75 Ad mundum condendum universi natura olim se intendit.ad with a gerundive gives the aim: ad mundum condendum "to the world to be made", that is, "to the making of the world"; condendum agrees with mundum. universi is the genitive of the neuter universum "the universe", used as a noun. se intendere ad is "to direct oneself to, set oneself to". intendit can be present or perfect; here olim "once" and the nunc "now" that follows show it is perfect: nature set itself to the work once, at the beginning.
• VIII.1 Hoc etiam ad inanis gloriae studium minuendum conducit, quod vitam totam, eam saltem quae a juventute hactenus transiit, non potes praestare philosophice ductam.ad with a noun and a gerundive expresses purpose. The gerundive minuendum agrees with studium like an adjective, "towards the craving being lessened", which English turns into "for lessening the craving". inanis gloriae "of empty glory" is what is craved: the love of fame for its own sake, vainglory.
• VIII.1 in quonam ergo consistit? in eis faciendis quae exigit natura humana.The gerundive agrees with its noun: in eis faciendis "in those things being done", that is, "in doing those things". Latin prefers this to a gerund with an object (in faciendo ea).
• VIII.23 Facio quicquam? ita facio, ut ad homines juvandos referam.ita … ut "in such a way that" takes the subjunctive referam: "I do it so as to refer it". ad homines juvandos is a gerundive phrase, literally "to men to be helped", in English "to the helping of men", to the good of others. referre ad "to refer to, direct towards": every act is aimed at that end.
• VIII.36 minuetur autem istud, si seorsim per se circumscriptum dederis, mentemque redargueris, si ne huic quidem soli tolerando suffecerit.sufficere "be equal to" takes the dative; here a dative gerundive phrase, huic soli tolerando "for this alone being borne", i.e. "to bear this one thing alone". ne … quidem "not even" encloses huic. The subject of suffecerit is the mind: rebuke it if it cannot manage even this single thing.
• IX.11 in quibusdam etiam opem eis porrigunt suam, ad sanitatem nempe, divitias, gloriam consequendam adeo benigni existunt.ad with a noun and a gerundive gives a purpose: ad gloriam consequendam "for glory to be gained", i.e. "for gaining glory". The gerundive agrees with the nearest noun, gloriam, but belongs to all three. consequor is deponent, yet its gerundive is passive in sense, as with any verb.
• IX.23 Sicut ipse es ad coetum civilem complendum constitutus: ita actio tua quaevis ad vitam ejusmodi consummandam referatur.es … constitutus is a perfect passive split in two, "you have been made". Between its halves stands a purpose phrase, ad with a noun and a gerundive: ad coetum civilem complendum "for a civic community to be completed", i.e. "to complete a civic community". You are one of the parts without which the body of citizens is not whole.
• IX.41 sed rei tantum praesenti agendae intendere, et instrumento per quod fiat.The infinitives still depend on hoc est … commune: what every school holds is also "to attend only to …". intendere (with animum "the mind" understood) and a dative is "to direct oneself to, attend to". In rei … praesenti agendae "the present thing to be done" the gerundive agendae agrees with rei: "the task in hand".
• IX.42 quemadmodum enim membra ista ad munus aliquod obeundum condita sunt, quod ubi pro conditionis suae ratione obierint, quicquid suum est adepta sunt;ad with a noun and a gerundive gives the purpose: ad munus … obeundum "for a task to be carried out", that is, "to carry out some task". munus obire is "to discharge a duty". condita sunt "have been made" is the perfect passive of condo "found, make".
• X.3 memineris tamen, natura esse comparatum te, ad quidlibet ferendum, quod in opinione tua situm est, ut tolerabile faciat, vel conducere tibi, vel officii esse, ut illud facias, censendo.Accusative and infinitive after memineris: te … esse comparatum "that you have been fitted", with the two halves of the perfect passive infinitive split. natura is ablative, "by nature". ad quidlibet ferendum "for anything to be borne" is the gerundive with ad, expressing purpose: "for bearing anything at all".
• X.6 quemadmodum civi illi vitam prospere fluere quivis existimet, qui in actionibus quae civitatis secum ejusdem consortibus utiles sint, obeundis constanter perrexerit, et quicquid civitas ipsi attribuerit, gratanter acceperit.in actionibus obeundis "in actions to be undertaken" is the gerundive with in: "in performing actions". A whole relative clause stands between the noun and its gerundive. obire is "to go to meet", hence "take on, carry out".
• X.13 nunquid oblitus sis, quales isti, qui de aliis laudandis vituperandisque tantopere se efferunt, in lecto sint, quales ad mensam,de aliis laudandis vituperandisque is a gerundive phrase, literally "about others to be praised and blamed", that is, "about praising and blaming others". se efferre, as in 10, is to be puffed up: they give themselves great airs as judges of others.
• X.31 et in quolibet cogitando, geminum ei quempiam.cogitando is a gerundive agreeing with quolibet: "in anyone being thought of", that is, "in thinking of anyone at all". After a preposition Latin prefers this to a gerund with an object.
• X.34 Qui decretis veris imbutus est, hunc dictum brevissimum et e trivio arreptum quodlibet commonere suffecerit de moerore metuve pellendo. quale illud est,A gerundive agreeing with its nouns: "about grief or fear being driven away", which English says as "about driving away grief or fear". -ve "or" is joined to metu. moeror is Gataker's spelling of maeror "grief".
• X.35 sed et auditus ac olfactus est sani, ad sonos odoresve quosvis percipiendos promptum esse.ad with a gerundive gives the purpose: "ready for any sounds or smells to be perceived", i.e. "ready to perceive them". promptum is accusative because it describes the unexpressed subject of the infinitive esse; it is masculine to suit the senses, auditus and olfactus.
• X.35 et stomachi valentis, adversus edulia quaevis pariter se habere; sicut molam ad omnia, ad quae molenda condita est.ad with a gerundive again gives purpose: ad quae molenda "for which to be ground", i.e. "for grinding which". condita est "it was built" has the mill as its subject.
• XI.20 siquidem et ista ad communionem tuendam faciunt; imo actionibus justis antiquiora sunt.ista "these things" is neuter plural although it means two feminine nouns, aequanimitas and pietas: Latin often sums up things in the neuter. ad communionem tuendam is ad with a gerundive, "for fellowship to be maintained", i.e. "for maintaining fellowship"; facere ad is "to make for, help towards". tueor is deponent, but its gerundive is passive in sense.
• XII.34 Nihil magis ad mortem contemnendam incitaverit, quam si consideres, etiam eos qui voluptatem in bonis, dolorem in malis habent, eam tamen contempsisse.
• XII.36 terminat enim hanc, qui ejusdem olim componendae cum fuerit, nunc et dissolvendae autor est.autor (Gataker's spelling of auctor) serves both halves: "who, as he was once the author of its composition, is now the author of its dissolution too". ejusdem … componendae and dissolvendae are gerundives in the genitive with autor: literally "of the same (play) being put together, being taken apart". cum fuerit "since he was" is a cum clause with the perfect subjunctive.