Chapter 34: Personal and Reflexive Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives

It’s especially useful here to fill in the missing word without reading the notes. The possible choices are often more limited in this chapter than they are in others.

Virtus et aliorum scientia est et suī. — Seneca, Epistles 95.56
Translation

But virtue is the understanding of both itself and other things.

More literally: Virtue is knowledge both of other things and of itself.

Details

Virtūs, virtūtis (3f): virtue. Et (conj.): and (et. . . et: both. . . and). Aliōrum is the m/n (here n) genitive plural form of alius/alia/aliud (1/2, irreg.): other, another; different. Scientia, scientiae (1f): knowledge. Est: is. Et (conj.): and. Suī is the genitive form of the reflexive pronoun.


Hoc mihi sufficit. — Pliny the Younger, Letters 1.11.2
Translation

That will do for me.

More literally: This is sufficient for me.

Details

Hic/haec/ hoc (pron.): this; he, she, it. Mihi is the dative form of ego. Sufficit is the third person singular form of sufficiō, sufficere, suffēcī, suffectum (3, –iō): to be sufficient; supply.


Res agit illa tuās. — Martial, Epigrams 9.3.10
Translation

She is your business manager.

More literally: She manages your affairs.

Details

Rēs is the accusative plural form of rēs, reī (5f): thing; matter, affair. Agit is the third person singular form of agō, agere, ēgī, āctum (3): to drive, put in motion; do; act; manage. Ille/ illa /illud (pron.): that; he, she it. Tuās is the feminine accusative plural form of tuus/tua/tuum (1/2): your, yours.


Itaque nostrī procedunt. — Anonymous, The Spanish War 29.7
Translation

And so our men advanced.

More literally: And so ours advance.

Details

(The work is traditionally attributed to Caesar but now widely thought to have been written by an unknown author.) Itaque (adv.): and so, hence, therefore. Nostrī is the masculine nominative plural form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Prōcēdunt is the third person plural form of prōcēdō, prōcēdere, prōcessī, prōcessum (3): to advance, proceed.


Vera enim modum suum habent. — Seneca, Epistles 13.9
Translation

For truth has its own definite boundaries.

More literally: For truths/true things have their own limit.

Details

(But imagined fears run wild.) Vēra is the neuter nominative plural form of vērus/vēra/vērum (1/2): true. Enim (particle): for, indeed. Modum is the accusative singular form of modus, modī (2m): quantity; measure; limit; moderation; way, manner. Suum is the m/n accusative singular form of suus/sua/suum (1/2). Habent is the third person plural form of habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum (2): to have.


Nec tēcum possum vivere, nec sine . — Martial, Epigrams 12.46.2
Translation

I can’t live with you or without you.

More literally: I am able to live neither with you nor without you.

Details

Neque/ nec: (conj.) and not, nor; (adv.) neither, not either, not even (nec. . . nec: neither. . . nor). Tēcum: with you. Possum, posse, potuī, — (irreg.): to be able, can. Vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctum (3): to live. Nec (conj.): nor. # nor% Sine (prep.): without (takes the ablative). is the ablative form of tū: you.


Nil fuit umquam sic impar sibi. — Horace, Satires 1.3.18
Translation

Nobody was ever so much at variance with himself.

More literally: Nothing was ever so unequal to itself.

Details

Nīl (contraction of nihil; n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom.): nothing. Fuit is the third person singular perfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be. Umquam (adv.): ever, at any time. Sīc (adv.): thus, so, in such manner. Impār, imparis (3): unequal; ill-matched. Sibi is the dative form of the reflexive pronoun.


Qui enim non est adversum vōs, pro vōbīs est. — Mark 9:39
Translation

For he who is not against you is for you. (Plural “you”.)

Details

Quī /quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Enim (particle): for, indeed. Nōn: not. Est: is. Adversum (prep.): against (takes the accusative). Vōs is the accusative form of vōs: you (pl.). Prō (prep.): before, in front of; instead of, in place of; for (takes the ablative). Vōbīs is the ablative form of vōs: you (pl.). Est: is.


Amare meōs docuit. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 7.4.2
Translation

She taught me to love my family.

More literally: She taught me to love mine/my own.

Details

Amō, amāre, amāvī, amātum (1): to love. is the accusative form of ego. Meōs is the masculine accusative plural form of meus/mea/meum (1/2): my, mine. Docuit is the third person singular perfect form of doceō, docēre, docuī, doctum (2): to teach.


Sunt superis sua iura! — Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.500
Translation

The gods are a law unto themselves!

More literally: There are their own laws for the gods!

Details

Sunt: there are. Superīs is the m/f/n (here m) dative plural form of superus/supera/superum (1/2): upper, of above (often used substantively to refer to deities). Sua is the neuter nominative plural form of suus/sua/suum (1/2). Iūra is the nominative plural form of iūs, iūris (3n): law, right.


Ad arbitrum odia nostra non mittimus. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 1.1.23
Translation

We do not send our quarrels for you to settle them.

More literally: We do not send our hatreds to you (as) judge.

Details

(Our judges are the gods.) Ad (prep.): to (takes the accusative). is the accusative form of tū: you. Arbitrum is the accusative singular form of arbiter, arbitrī (2m): judge. Odia is the accusative plural form of odium, odiī (2n): hatred, grudge. Nostra is the neuter accusative plural form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Nōn: not. Mittimus is the first person plural form of mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum (3): to send; throw.


Miseri tibi videntur? — Seneca, On Providence 4.15
Translation

Do they seem miserable to you?

Details

Miserī is the masculine nominative plural form of miser/misera/miserum (1/2): miserable, pitiful, wretched. Tibi is the dative form of tū: you. Videntur is the third person plural passive form of videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsum (2): to see; (in passive) seem.


Qui facit per alium facit per . — legal maxim
Translation

He who acts through another acts through himself.

Details

(A contract signed by your agent binds you.) Quī /quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Facit is the third person singular form of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make. Per (prep.): through, by; during (takes the accusative). Alium is the masculine accusative singular form of alius/alia/aliud (1/2, irreg.): other, another; different. Facit is the third person singular form of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make. is the accusative form of the reflexive pronoun.


Quid nōbīs profuit superbia? — Wis. 5:8
Translation

What has our arrogance profited us?

Alt. : How has arrogance benefited us?

Details

Quid is the neuter accusative singular form of quis/quis/quid (interrog. pron.): who? what? accusative used adverbially: in what respect? how? Nōbīs is the dative form of nōs: we. Prōfuit is the third person singular perfect form of prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī, prōfutūrum (irreg.): to help, benefit (takes the dative). Superbia, superbiae (1f): pride, arrogance, vanity.


Repetivi ergo iam . — Seneca, Epistles 104.6
Translation

The result is that I am fully myself again now.

More literally: So I have now recovered me.

Details

Repetō, repetere, repetīvī /repetiī, repetītum (3): to return to, make for again; attack again; demand back; recover, get back; repeat. Ergō (adv.): therefore, then, so. Iam (adv.): already; now; soon. is the accusative form of ego (used reflexively: myself).


Frustra,” inquit, “Meae vitae subvenire conamini.” — Caesar, The Gallic War 7.50.6
Translation

He said: “In vain do you try to rescue my life.”

Details

Frūstrā (adv.): in vain; uselessly. Inquit is the third person singular form of inquam (irreg. and defective): to say (inquit = he/she/it says or said). Meae is the feminine dative singular form of meus/mea/meum (1/2): my, mine. Vītae is the dative singular form of vīta, vītae (1f): life. Subveniō, subvenīre, subvēnī, subventum (4): to support, assist, rescue (takes a dative object). Cōnāminī is the second person plural form of cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum (1, deponent): to try, attempt.


Nemo,” inquis, “nōs consuluit.” — Seneca, Consolation to Marcia 18.8
Translation

“No one consulted us,” you say.

Details

Nēmō, nēminis (3m): no one. Inquis is the second person singular form of inquam (irreg. and defective): to say. Nōs is the accusative form of nōs: we. Cōnsuluit is the third person singular perfect form of cōnsulō, cōnsulere, cōnsuluī, cōnsultum (3): to consult; give thought to.


Tuō pede metire. — Erasmus, Adagia (1536)
Translation

Measure yourself by your own foot.

Details

(Don’t listen to compliments or criticism; judge yourself by your own standards.) Tuō is the m/n ablative singular form of tuus/tua/tuum (1/2): your, yours. is the accusative form of tū: you (used reflexively: yourself). Pede is the ablative singular form of pēs, pedis (3m): foot. Mētīre is the singular imperative form of mētior, mētīrī, mēnsus sum (4, deponent): to measure.


Sapiens scit sibi omnia restare. — Seneca, Epistles 76.35
Translation

The wise man knows that everything is waiting for him.

More literally: The sage knows all things to lie in store for him.

Details

Sapiēns, sapientis (3m): wise man, sage. # the sage% Scit is the third person singular form of sciō, scīre, scīvī/sciī, scītum (4): to know. Sibi is the dative form of the reflexive pronoun. Omnia is the neuter accusative plural form of omnis/omnis/omne (3): all; every; (n. pl. used substantively) all things, everything. Restō, restāre, restitī, — (1): to remain; await, lie in store.


Cladibus nostrīs daret vel Troia lacrimas. — Seneca, Agamemnon 521
Translation

Even Troy would shed tears for our disasters!

Details

Clādibus is the dative plural form of clādēs, clādis (3f): disaster; defeat; destruction. Nostrīs is the m/f/n dative plural form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Daret is the third person singular imperfect subjunctive form of dō, dare, dedī, datum (1, irreg.): to give, offer (imperfect subjunctive because it’s present contrary to fact). Vel (adv.): even. Troia, Troiae (1f): Troy. Lacrimās is the accusative plural form of lacrima, lacrimae (1f): tear.

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