The Syntax of the Nominal Forms of the Verb in Livy Book XXXVI

Graduation Date

Spring 1943

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Document Form

Print

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Degree Granting Institution

Catholic University of America

Program Name

Humanities

Abstract

The object of this study is to determine the manner in which Livy employs the nominal forms of the verb, i.e., the infinitive, gerund, gerundive, supine, end participle, in the thirty-sixth book of his history. The investigation has been approached from the historical standpoint, and the author has mainly attempted to show to what extent Livy follows the standards of the Classical Age and to what extent ho either deviates front or extends them. Accordingly, the examples of the nominal forms of the verb as found in Livy, Book 36, are preceded by historical accounts of their use as found in writers before our historians time and also in contemporary and later writers. Stoltz-Schmalz, Lateinische Grammatik, 5th ed., revised by Leumann and Hofman, Munich, 1928, has been used as the basis of these accounts. The lists of instances in which the various nominal forms are employed in the thirty-sith book of Livy have been compile with as much completeness as was thought necessary for the purpose of this study. In the case of most usages quotations have been given in full, while only references have usually been given in the case of very frequent and classical usages, such as that of the perfect passive participle in the ablative absolute construction. In a few instances of a very common usage, such as the circumstantial employment of the perfect passive participle, no statistics whatever have been recorded. In the summaries at the end of each chapter Livy’s usage in Book 36 has been compared with that of previous writers, especially Caesar and Cicero. A final summing up of the various points discussed in the study is made in a brief conclusion at the end of the monograph.

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