Purpose clauses (ut, ne, quo)

A clause with ut ("so that"), ne ("so that … not") or quo and the subjunctive says what an action is for.

Examples

• ut ne murmurans moriaris 2.3so that you may not die grumbling
• sed otium tibi praestes, quo boni aliquid addiscas 2.7but give yourself leisure, so that you may learn something good
• et ne in ea, quae vere mala sunt, incidat quisquam 2.11and so that no one should fall into the things that are truly evil

In the text 51

• I.7 quodque ad aemulationem ambitionemque Sophisticam nullus declinaverim, vel de theorematibus aliquid conscribendo, vel oratiunculas hortatorias declamando, vel exercitia obire operasque edere potis speciem praebendo, quo ad stuporem ac admirationem mei homines traherem.quo with the subjunctive gives a purpose, like ut: "so as to draw people to amazement and admiration of me". It explains the showing-off that Marcus avoided. traherem is imperfect because it follows the past tense declinaverim.
• I.16 sed et operam illis conferebat suam, ut pro eis, quibus maxime praecellebant, dotibus, existimationem singuli suam consequerentur.A purpose clause. The relative clause sits inside the phrase pro eis … dotibus "in proportion to those gifts", and quibus (ablative of respect with praecellebant) means "in which they most excelled". singuli "each of them" is the subject, and suam "his own" refers to it.
• II.3 librorum vero sitim pelle; ut ne murmurans moriaris, sed vere propitius, Deoque ex animo gratus.ut ne = ne "so that … not": a purpose clause with the subjunctive of the deponent morior, "so that you may not die grumbling".
• II.7 Ne te distrahant, quae extrinsecus obveniunt tibi; sed otium tibi praestes, quo boni aliquid addiscas, et huc illuc ferri desinas.quo is the relative in the ablative, referring to otium: 'by which'. A relative clause with the subjunctive can express purpose: 'leisure by which you may learn', i.e. 'so as to learn'. quo is also used on its own as a conjunction 'so that' (mostly with a comparative), and the sense is the same. desinas belongs to the same clause.
• II.11 et ne in ea, quae vere mala sunt, incidat quisquam, in ipsius arbitrio prorsus posuere.ne + subjunctive gives a negative purpose: 'so that no one may fall'. After ne, 'no one' is said as 'not … anyone': ne … quisquam.
• II.11 reliquorum siquid malum existeret, et de hoc utique pariter prospexissent, quo in ipso situm foret, in istud quoque ne incideret.quo + subjunctive introduces a purpose clause, 'so that', like ut; it usually comes with a comparative, but not here. foret = esset, and situm (perfect participle of sino) means 'placed, lying': in ipso situm foret 'it would lie in the man himself', i.e. in his own power.
• II.17 et ut verbo dicam, omnia, corporis quidem, fluvius; animae vero, somnium et fumus: vita, militia, et hospitis in peregrino mora: fama posthuma, oblivio mera.A set phrase: "to put it in a word". It is a purpose clause, ut with the subjunctive dicam, standing outside the grammar of the sentence.
• III.5 qui ita se composuerit, ut qui promptus decedere, classicum duntaxat, quo e vita avocetur, expectet.classicum is the trumpet signal of a Roman camp, here the signal to withdraw: the soldier leaves his post in life only when he is called off. quo … avocetur has the subjunctive because it says what the signal is for: "by which he is to be called away".
• III.6 Si quid in vita humana deprehenderis praestabilius justitia, veritate, temperantia, fortitudine; et, ut uno verbo absolvam omnia,A purpose clause set in as an aside, "to sum everything up in one word", like the common ut verbo dicam "to put it in a word". What follows sums up the four virtues just named.
• III.6 si quid, inquam, praestantius hoc adverteris, eo te vertas, eodemque tanquam bono praestantissimo, quo fruaris, toto animo fac incumbas.A relative clause of purpose: "(a good) which you may enjoy", i.e. "to enjoy it". fruor is deponent and takes the ablative, here quo.
• III.6 judiciumque, quo minus externa rerum facie specieque corrumpatur, integrum servare curae sit, quo rerum examen exquisitius instituas.quo takes the place of ut in a purpose clause that contains a comparative: quo … exquisitius "so that you may make a more exact (examination)". Literally quo is "by which (the more)".
• III.11 quo ipsa per se nuda ex natura sui, eademque integra, per partes sui universas, quale quid sit, distincte possis dijudicare;quo "so that" introduces a purpose clause, with the subjunctive possis: "so that you may be able". quo is normally used with a comparative ("so that … the more"); Gataker uses it here as a plain "so that".
• III.11 utque apud te perpendas, et quodnam sit nomen ejus, quaeque eorum ex quibus constat, et in quae futurum est ut resolvatur denuo, nomina.
• III.14 Ne diutius evageris. neque enim futurum est, ut commentarios tuos perlegas, aut Romanorum ac Graecorum priscorum res gestas, aut ex autoribus variis excerpta, quae, quo in senectute usui tibi essent, reposuisti.quo introduces a purpose clause, "so that" (usually with a comparative, here without). usui tibi is a double dative: usui "for use" says what purpose the extracts serve, tibi "for you" whom they serve: "so that they might be of use to you". essent is imperfect because reposuisti is past.
• IV.18 sed quid ipse tantum agat, quo id justum sit piumque; nec, ut Agatho loquitur, mores nigros quod resipiat.quo "so that" introduces a purpose clause with the subjunctive sit: "so that it may be just and holy". Classical writers use quo mostly before a comparative; Gataker often uses it simply for ut. id is the thing he is doing.
• IV.48 quot etiam urbes, ut sic dicam, intermortuae sint; Helice, Pompeii, Herculanum, aliaeque innumerabiles.ut sic dicam "so to speak", literally "that I may speak thus", is a fixed apology for a bold word: cities do not really die, but Marcus says they have. The subjunctive dicam is the usual one after ut "(so) that".
• V.1 aut nunquid ad hoc conditus sum, ut stragulis involutum decumbens me foveam?nunquid, like num, expects the answer "no": "was I really made for this?" hoc "this" points ahead, and the ut clause says what it is: "for this, (namely) that I should keep myself warm". conditus sum is the perfect passive of condo "found, create": "I was made".
• V.8 et quemadmodum ex cunctis corporibus mundus iste, quo corpus ejusmodi sit, consummatur; ita ex caussis universis, quo caussa sit ejusmodi fatum conficitur.quo + subjunctive is a purpose clause ("so that", literally "by which"): quo corpus ejusmodi sit "so that it may be a body of that kind", i.e. one single whole. The second half has the same pattern: quo caussa sit ejusmodi fatum "so that fate may be a cause of that kind". caussa, caussis are Gataker's spelling of causa, causis.
• V.10 mores autem eorum, quibuscum degis, si adverteris, tales esse comperies, ut etiam gratissimum quemlibet vix sustineas, ut ne adjiciam seipsum etiam vix sustinere quenquam.ut ne adjiciam "so as not to add", i.e. "not to mention": a stock aside, like ut ne dicam. What he will not add is an accusative and infinitive: quenquam … seipsum … sustinere "that anyone bears even himself". seipsum is se ipsum "himself".
• V.26 sed sistenda partis principalis censura, ne de his tanquam aut bonis aut malis sententiam ullam ferat.ne with the subjunctive ferat gives the purpose: "so that it may not pass". sententiam ferre "to give a verdict" is the language of the courts. tanquam aut bonis aut malis "as being either good or bad": for the Stoic, pleasure and pain are neither, and only the judgement that they are makes them disturb us.
• VI.14 et congeneri suo cuilibet, ut hoc ipsum praestet, operam itidem mutuatur suam.congener "of the same kind" is used as a noun, "kinsman": any fellow rational being. The dative names the one helped. ut … praestet is a purpose clause, "so that he may achieve this very thing", that is, keep his soul in the same right state. praestare here means "to make good, accomplish".
• VI.30 haec, inquam, imitare, ut probe conscio tibi, sicut illi olim, superveniat hora novissima.ut with the subjunctive gives the purpose: "so that the last hour may come upon you". supervenire "come upon" is a compound verb and takes the dative: tibi, and illi with the verb understood.
• VII.25 Quaecunque vides, universa mox est mutatura universi rectrix natura, aliaque ex eorum materia effectura, et ex horum rursus alia, ut mundus perpetim renovetur.ut with the subjunctive gives the purpose: "so that the world may be continually renewed". The constant change is not decay but the way the world keeps itself new (the Greek says "ever young").
• VII.27 ex his autem selige quae gratissima sunt tibi, quo reputes tecum quanto cum studio ea, ni jam adessent, tibi requireres.quo with the subjunctive is "so that", a purpose clause; classical Latin keeps it mostly for clauses with a comparative, but Gataker uses it freely. reputare secum (here tecum) is "to think over with oneself".
• VII.51 Potu, ciboque, atque id genus cupediis Cursum moramur, cita mors ne nos obruat.moror 'delay, hold back' is deponent: moramur 'we hold back' is active in meaning. Cursum is the course of life, pictured as running water (the Greek speaks of turning a channel aside). ne with the subjunctive obruat gives the purpose, 'so that swift death may not overwhelm us'; in verse ne may come after the subject cita mors.
• VII.54 Omni loco omnique tempore, in te situm est, et casu praesenti pie acquiescere, et cum hominibus praesentibus secundum jus fasque versari, et visa praesentia perite explorare, nequid incompertum clam subrepat.nequid is ne quid: ne 'so that … not' with quid, which after ne means 'anything': 'so that nothing may creep in'. incompertum 'not found out, unexamined' describes the quid, and clam 'secretly' adds 'unnoticed': no impression should slip into the mind before it has been examined.
• VII.60 Corpus etiam fixum esse oportet, ut nec motu, nec gestu temere jactetur.ut … nec … nec "so that … neither … nor": a purpose clause whose negative is split over two members, where a single negative would be ne. motu "in movement" and gestu "in posture" are ablatives of respect: whether moving or at rest. jacto "toss about" is the frequentative of jacio "throw".
• VIII.32 In singulis actionibus vitam componere oportet; ut si unaquaeque quantum datur, quod suum est tulerit, in eo acquiescas.ut with the subjunctive acquiescas says what this way of building aims at: "so that you rest content". Inside it sits a condition, si unaquaeque … tulerit "if each one has achieved"; unaquaeque is feminine because actio is understood, and tulerit (perfect of fero) is subjunctive because it stands inside the ut clause.
• VIII.33 Sic accipe, ne fastuosus fias; sic posside, ut dimittere proclivis sis.sic … ne "in such a way that … not": sic "so, thus" points ahead to the clause that says how. With ne, rather than ut non, the outcome is something to aim at: "take (what is given) so as not to become proud". fastuosus "haughty, disdainful" is from fastus "pride"; fias is the subjunctive of fio "become".
• VIII.56 alioqui vicini mei malitia malum me faceret: id quod Deo non est visum, ne alieni arbitrii esset miserum me facere.
• IX.1 cum enim universi natura animalia rationalia sui invicem gratia condiderit, ut sibi invicem pro cujusque dignitate prosint, nec ulla ratione sibi invicem obsint, qui naturae placitum hoc violat, impie prorsus agit adversus numinum omnium antiquissimum.ut with the subjunctive gives nature's purpose; the second half goes on with nec "and not". prosum "be useful to" and obsum "be harmful to" are compounds of sum and take the dative, sibi. pro cujusque dignitate "according to the worth of each": each is to be helped as he deserves. nec ulla ratione "and not in any way" is an ablative of manner.
• IX.1 adversus haec eadem eum pariter esse ex aequo affectum, qui naturae ductum sequi desiderat, quo naturae consentire possit.quo with the subjunctive is "so that", a purpose clause. Classical Latin uses quo mostly with a comparative; Gataker uses it freely for ut. consentire "to agree with" takes the dative naturae.
• IX.3 ut dicere liceat, Propere accedas o mors; nequando etiam ipse obliviscar mei.nequando (ne quando) "lest at some time, lest perhaps" introduces a negative purpose with the subjunctive. obliviscor "forget" takes the genitive: mei "myself". To forget oneself is to lose one's own character and become like the people around one.
• IX.9 ad terram mole sua fertur terrestre quodvis; in idem confluit humidum omne; et aereum itidem quodcunque. ut necesse sit vi aliqua intercludi ea, id ne faciant.
• IX.12 Laborem sustine, non ut miser, nec quo miserationi vel admirationi sis aliis.
• IX.22 ad tuam, ut ipsam justam exhibeas: ad universi, ut recorderis, cujusnam sis pars:Each return has its purpose, an ut clause with the subjunctive. ipsam justam exhibeas "that you may render it just": exhibere with an object and a predicate adjective is "to show (it) as, render (it)"; ipsam is your mind.
• IX.22 ad delinquentis cujusvis, ut consideres, inscius an consulto deliquerit; cogitesque simul esse tibi cognatum.
• IX.41 atque in hoc praecipue incumbebam, quo mens, etiamsi motuum in corpusculo istiusmodi particeps una, imperturbata consisteret nihilominus, bonumque suum retineret.quo with the subjunctive makes a purpose clause, "so that", used here like ut; it normally goes with a comparative, but Gataker uses it as a plain "that". consistere "to stand firm, hold one's ground" takes a predicate adjective, imperturbata "untroubled": "that the mind should stand firm, unshaken". The imperfects consisteret and retineret follow the past incumbebam.
• X.1 neque tempus, in quo diutius fruaris, neque locum, aut regionem, aut coeli blandam temperiem, aut hominum amicam societatem;A relative clause with the subjunctive can express purpose: tempus in quo diutius fruaris "time in which you may enjoy (it) longer", i.e. more time to go on enjoying. The object of fruaris is left out: the pleasures just spoken of.
• X.1 ecquando ita affecta futura es, quo cum Deis hominibusque ita verseris, ut nec eos quicquam insimules, neque ab eis ipsa condemneris?ita affecta "so disposed". quo here does the work of ut "so that", as it often does in Gataker even without a comparative: "so disposed that you live with gods and men …". versari cum is "to live among, keep company with".
• X.7 praesertim, alia ut mittam, cum in eadem ipsa resolvatur unumquodque, ex quibus constiterat.A set phrase, "to pass over other things": a purpose clause in which ut comes second. mittere "let go" is used for leaving a topic aside.
• X.11 Methodo contemplativa instructus sis, qua perspectum habeas, quomodo cuncta in se invicem mutent.
• XI.2 itaque virtute sola excepta et virtutis actionibus, in reliquis omnibus ad particulas seorsim consideratas recurrere memento, ut ab harum disjunctione res ipsas contemptum eas.contemptum here is not the noun "contempt" but the supine of contemno: the supine in -um after a verb of motion gives the purpose, "go to despise". So contemptum eas "you may go on to despise", with res ipsas "the things themselves" as its object. ab harum disjunctione "from the separating of these (parts)" is the starting point.
• XI.3 ut mortem obeas considerate, composite, citra tumultum, quo et aliis idem suadere possis.quo introduces a purpose clause, like ut. suadeo "urge, persuade" takes the dative of the person and the accusative of the thing: aliis idem "(urge) the same on others". A calm death is itself an argument that can convince others.
• XI.6 Primo tragoediae invectae sunt, quae casuum et eventuum homines commonefacerent, quo et ista sic fieri nata monerentur; nec quibus in scena oblectarentur, ea in scena majori, gravatim sustinerent:quo introduces a purpose clause, like ut. Inside it is an accusative and infinitive with esse left out: ista … nata (esse) "that these things are born", with sic fieri "to happen so": the misfortunes shown on stage are by nature bound to happen.
• XI.13 ego mihi cavebo, nequid contemptu dignum vel egisse vel dixisse deprehendar.mihi cavere "to look out for oneself": the dative names the person protected. nequid is ne "that … not" joined to quid "anything", as Gataker often writes it: "that I be not caught in anything". The ne clause says what he guards against, with the subjunctive deprehendar.
• XI.18 neque animo quasi attacto et exulcerato, neque tanquam in schola, neque ut astanti alicui sis admirationi, sed ita semper, ut cum solo agas, etiamsi alii forsan circumstiterint nonnulli.
• XI.20 Quicquid aereum et igneum immixtum est tibi, etiamsi natura sursum feratur, utrumque ut tamen universi dispositioni obsequatur, in massa composita istic detinetur.The subject of the main verb detinetur is utrumque "each of the two", air and fire, set before ut for emphasis. tamen "still" stands inside the ut clause but answers etiamsi: "(even though it rises,) each is still held here, so that it may obey". obsequor "comply with" is deponent and takes the dative dispositioni.
• XI.25 Perdiccae accersenti excusabat se Socrates; ne pessimo, inquit, exitio peream, cum gratiam collatam referre nequeam.ne with the subjunctive gives the purpose: "so that I may not perish by the worst death". inquit "he said" is set inside the quotation, as English puts "he said" after the first words. pessimo is the superlative of malus. The wit is in the reason that follows: to be loaded with kindnesses one can never return is the "worst death" for an honest man.
• XI.27 Pythagorei mane coelum suspicere praecipiebant, quo eorum commoneamur, quae eundem perpetuo cursum servant, eodemque modo peragunt opus suum; utque ordinem eorundem observemus, et puritatem, et nuditatem.quo with the subjunctive is a purpose clause, "so that", used mostly with a comparative but here without one. Verbs of reminding take the genitive of the thing: eorum commoneamur "we may be reminded of those (things)", the heavenly bodies. The present commoneamur after the past praecipiebant keeps the rule alive: it still holds for us.
• XII.21 omnia enim mutare ac verti et interire nata sunt, ut nova alia serie perpetua producantur.ut with the subjunctive gives the purpose: "so that other new things may be produced". serie perpetua "in an unbroken series" is an ablative of manner: one thing follows another without a gap.