W. M. Lindsay, Syntax of Plautus

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The Old Latin Infinitive bibere in the phrase dare bibere (biber), e.g.

• Pers. 821 “bibere da usque plenis cantharis”,
• Titinius 78 “date illi biber”,
• Lucilius 222 Ma. “da bibere ab summo” (but Cist. 18 “raro nimium dabat quod biberem”, Stich. 757 “date bibat tibicini”),

is in some Grammars explained like aquam dare, in others as an Infinitive of Purpose. The Infinitive of Purpose is a common usage, e.g.

• Asin. 910 “ecquis currit pollinctorem arcessere?”,
• Pseud. 642 “reddere hoc non perdere erus me misit”,
• Bacch. 631 “militis parasitus modo venerat aurum petere hinc”,
• Truc. 167 “nunc ad amicam venis querimoniam referre”,
• Ter. Eun. 528 “misit porro orare ut venirem serio”,
• Hec. 345 “tum filius tuus intro iit videre, ut venit, quid agat”,
• Turpilius 154 “progredior foras visere quid hic tumulti ante fores.”

In this function the First Supine competes with the Infinitive, e.g. Most. 594 “venisti huc te extentatum?” (see below, 42), also ut (or Relative Pronoun) and Subjunctive. These two are combined in Ter. Andr. 514 “missast ancilla ilico obstetricem arcessitum ad eam et puerum ut adferret simul.”