Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges
J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, Ed.

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[*] 388. Certain special verbs require notice.

[*] a. Many verbs apparently intransitive, expressing feeling, take an accusative, and may be used in the passive:—

1. “meum cāsum lūctumque doluērunt ” (Sest. 145) , they grieved at my calamity and sorrow.
2. “ sī nōn Acrisium rīsissent Iuppiter et Venus ” (Hor. Od. 3.16.5) , if Jupiter and Venus had not laughed at Acrisius.
rīdētur ab omnī conventū; (Hor. S. 1.7.22), he is laughed at by the whole assembly.

For the Cognate Accusative with verbs of taste, smell, and the like, see § 390. a.

[*] Note.--Some verbs commonly intransitive may be used transitively (especially in poetry) from a similarity of meaning with other verbs that take the accusative:—

1. “gemēnsīgnōminiam ” (Georg. 3.226) , groaning at the disgrace. [Cf. doleō .]
2. “festīnāre fugam ” (Aen. 4.575) , to hasten their flight. [Cf. accelerō .]
3. “cōmptōsārsit crīnīs ” (Hor. Od. 4.9.13) , she burned with love for his well-combed locks. [Cf. adamō .]

[*] b. Verbs of motion, compounds of circum , trāns , and praeter , and a few others, frequently become transitive, and take the accusative (cf. § 370. b):—

1. mortem obīre, to die (to meet death).
2. “ cōnsulātum ineunt ” (Liv. 2.28) , they enter upon the consulship.
nēminem convēnī; (Fam. 9.14), I met no one.
3. “ sī īnsulam adīsset ” (B. G. 4.20) , if he should go to the island.
4. trānsīre flūmen (id. 2.23), to cross the river (cf. § 395).
5. “cīvēs quī circumstant senātum ” (Cat. 1.21) , the citizens who stand about the senate.

[*] Note.--Among such verbs are some compounds of ad , in, per, and sub .

[*] c. The accusative is used after the impersonals decet , dēdecet , dēlectat , iuvat , oportet , fallit , fugit , praeterit :—

1. ita ut vōs decet (Plaut. Most. 729), so as befits you.
2. “ mē pedibus dēlectat claudere verba ” (Hor. S. 2.1.28) , my delight is (it pleases me) to arrange words in measure.
3. nisi mē fallit, unless I am mistaken (unless it deceives me).
4. “iūvit mē tibi tuās litterās prōfuisse ” (Fam. 5.21.3) , it pleased me that your literary studies had profited you.
5. “ tē nōn praeterit ” (Fam. 1.8.2) , it does not escape your notice.

[*] Note 1.--So after later in poetry and post-classical prose: as,latet plērōsque (Plin. N. H. 2.82), it is unknown to most persons.

[*] Note 2.--These verbs are merely ordinary transitives with an idiomatic signification. Hence most of them are also used personally.

[*] Note 3.-- Decet and latet sometimes take the dative:—

1. “ita nōbīs decet ” (Ter. Ad. 928) , thus it befits us.
2. hostīque Rōma latet (Sil. It. 12.614), and Rome lies hidden from the foe.

[*] d. A few verbs in isolated expressions take the accusative from a forcing of their meaning. Such expressions are:—

1. ferīre foedus, to strike a treaty (i.e. to sanction by striking down a victim).
vincere iūdicium (spōnsiōnem, rem, hōc), to prevail on a trial, etc. [As if the case were a difficulty to overcome; cf. vincere iter , Aen. 6.688.]
2. “ aequor nāvigāre ” (Aen. 1.67) , to sail the sea. [As if it were trānsīre , § 388. b.]
3. maria aspera iūrō; (id. 6.351), I swear by the rough seas (cf. id. 6.324). [The accusative with verbs of swearing is chiefly poetic.]
4. noctīs dormīre, to sleep [whole] nights (to spend in sleep).

[*] Note 1.--These accusatives are of various kinds. The last example approaches the cognate construction (cf. the second example under § 390).

[*] Note 2.--In early and popular usage some nouns and adjectives derived from transitive verbs retain verbal force sufficient to govern the accusative:—

1. quid tibi istanc tāctiō est (Plaut. Poen. 1308), what business have you to touch her? [Cf. tangō.]
2. “mīrābundī bēstiam ” (Ap. Met. 4.16) , full of wonder at the creature. [Cf. mīror .]
3. “vītābundus castra ” (Liv. 25.13) , trying to avoid the camp. [Cf. vītō .]