LPH: Lesson - Grammar - Uses of the Supine - Accusative Case

Uses of the Supine - Accusative Case

The Supine can be used in the Accusative or Dative/Ablative.

Accusative Uses of the Supine - Purpose

Of the two uses, the accusative is more common and more universal. The accusative supine can be used with verbs of motion to express purpose. Recall: we also saw this same connection with future active participles, in which the future participle indicates the purpose of a verb of motion. It is the same with the accusative supine:

  • Amicos visum venimus.
    • We came to see our friends.
  • Fuere cives qui rem publicam perditum irent. (Sallust, Catilina, 36)
    • There were citizens who went about to ruin the republic.
  • Stultitia est venatum ducere invitas canes. (Plautus, Stichus 1, 2, 82) 
    • It is folly to take unwilling dogs to hunt.

Review these other ways to express purpose, generally from most common to least:

  • Purpose Clause (with ut + subjunctive):
    • Horatius carmina scipsit ut legentos delectaret.
    • Horace wrote poems to please his readers.
  • Relative Clause of Purpose (with relative pronoun + subjunctive):
    • Horatius carmina misit quae legentos delectaret.
    • Horace sent poems to please his readers. (which were meant to please his readers)
  • Gerund/Gerundive Construction (various methods, using genitive, dative, accusative or ablative):
    • Horatius carmina legentorum delectandorum causa scripsit.
    • Horace wrote poems for the sake of pleasing his readers (to please his readers).
  • Future participle (future participle following a verb of motion):
    • Horatius carmina scripturus venit.
    • Horace came to write poems.

Accusative Uses of the Supine - Future Passive Infinitive

The accusative supine is a part of the highly specialized form: the future passive infinitive. This infinitive form is only used in indirect statements where a future passive was used in the direct statement, and so is quite uncommon. The construction is:

  • accusative supine form + iri (the present passive infinitive of the verb ire - to go)

Example:

  • Caesar dixit se ab hostibus oppugatum iri.
    • Caesar said that he would be attacked by his enemies.
  • si sciret se trucidatum iri (Cicero, de Divinatione 2.22)
    • if he (Pompey) had known that he was going to be murdered