OBLIQUE NARRATION.

233. If we report the precise words used by a speaker we call it Direct Narration.

If we make the words of a speaker conform to the grammatical construction of a sentence, of which the principal verb is said, answered, or the like, we call it Indirect (or Oblique) Narration; for example

Direct Narration, Tum Cato, "ego," inquit, "scripsi ad
Caesarem."

Indirect Narration, Cato dixit se scripsisse ad Caesarem. The following are the main features of Oblique Narration— 1. The pronouns and pronominal adjectives of the first and second persons, ego, tu, meus, tuus, do not occur. 2. Se, suus, ipse refer generally to the subject of the sentence; ille and is refer to the object of the sentence. 3. Verbs are put in the Infinitive and Subjunctive.

1. Simple Statements in Oblique Narration.

234. The Indicative tenses of a Direct statement are changed into the corresponding tenses of the Infinitive, Imperfect tenses being replaced by Imperfects, and Perfect tenses by Perfects; thus

facio and faciebam are changed into facere.
feci and feceram are

fecisse.
facturum (esse).

NOTE. The Future-Perfect seldom occurs in a simple statement, but such an expression as videro, I shall soon see, might be rendered in oblique narration by mox visurum.

The following are simple examples of the conversion of Direct to Oblique Narration

2. Simple Questions.

Questions expressed directly by an Indicative are usually expressed by the Infinitive for the first and third persons, and by the Subjunctive (sometimes Infinitive) for the second person

3. Simple Commands or Prohibitions.

In these, the Imperative or Subjunctive of the Direct speech is replaced by the Subjunctive in Oblique narration—

Direct.

Ad consules ite.

Create consules ex plebe.

Ne commiseris ut hic locus ex calamitate populi Romani nomen capiat.

Oblique.

Ad consules irent.

Crearent consules ex plebe.

Ne committeret ut is locus ex calamitate populi Romani nomen caperet.

4. Subordinate Sentences.

235. In a Subordinate sentence, the verb, whether Indicative or Subjunctive in the Direct narration, is put in the Subjunctive in Oblique narration—

1. Ei legationi Ariovistus respondit :-Si quid ipsi a Caesare opus esset, sese ad eum venturum fuisse: si quid ille se velit, illum ad se venire oportere.

His words were:-Si quid mihi a te, Caesar, opus esset, ipse ad te venissem: si quid tu me vis, ad me veni.

2. Cato mirari se aiebat, quod non rideret haruspex, haruspicem quum vidisset.

His words were:-Miror quod non rideat haruspex haruspicem quum viderit.

3. L. Tarquinii uxor Tullia inquietum animum stimulavit: si sibi eum, quo digna esset, dii dedissent virum, domi se prope diem visuram regnum fuisse, quod apud patrem videat.

Her words were :-Si mihi eum, quo digna sum, dii dedissent virum, domi meae prope diem vidissem regnum, quod apud patrem video.

4. Dux Helvetiorum ita cum Caesare egit:-Si pacem populus Romanus cum Helvetiis faceret, in eam partem ituros atque ibi futuros Helvetios ubi eos Caesar constituisset atque esse voluisset.

His words were :-Si pacem populus Romanus nobiscum faciet, in eam partem ibimus atque ibi erimus ubi nos tu, Caesar, constitueris atque esse volueris.

5. Ad haec Ariovistus respondit :-Ius esse belli ut qui vicissent iis quos vicissent quemadmodum vellent imperarent: item populum Romanum victis non ad alterius praescriptum sed ad suum arbitrium imperare consuesse.

His words were:-Ius est belli ut qui vicerint iis quos vicerint quemadmodum velint imperent: item vos, Romani, victis non ad alterius praescriptum sed ad vestrum arbitrium imperare consuestis.

6. Vercingetorix venisse tempus victoriae demonstrat. Fugere in provinciam Romanos Galliaque excedere. Id sibi ad praesentem obtinendam libertatem satis esse; ad reliqui temporis pacem atque otium parum profici; maioribus enim coactis copiis reversuros neque finem bellandi facturos. Proinde agmine impeditos adorirentur. Si pedites suis auxilium ferant atque in eo morentur, iter facere non posse; si, id quod magis futurum confidat, relictis impedimentis suae saluti consulant, et usu rerum

Nam de equitibus

necessariarum et dignitate spoliatum iri. hostium, quin nemo eorum progredi modo extra agmen audeat, et ipsos quidem non debere dubitare. Id quo maiore faciant animo, copias se omnes pro castris habiturum et terrori hostibus futurum.

NOTE 1. Se and suus sometimes refer to the persons spoken of. From the nature of the sentence there is scarcely ever any ambiguity as to the persons to whom these pronominal forms refer. Thus, in this passage, sibi clearly refers to the friends of the speaker; suis and suae to his adversaries, the Romans.

NOTE 2. The tenses of the verbs in dependent clauses depend partly on the tense of the verb introducing the speech. Thus here the Present demonstrat causes ferant, morentur, confidat, etc., to be in the Present-Imperfect. Had demonstravit been used, these verbs would have been in the Past-Imperfect-ferrent, morarentur, confideret, etc.

NOTE 3. The Perfect fuisse of oblique narration often represents the Imperfect erat of direct speech

Zeno non eos solum, qui tum erant, figebat maledictis: sed
Socratem ipsum scurram Atticum fuisse dicebat.

THE HISTORIC INFINITIVE.

236. The Present Infinitive is used instead of the Past-Imperfect Indicative in lively descriptions of actions and emotions.

Thus when Sallust is describing the proceedings of Catiline just before the outbreak of his conspiracy, he writes—

Interea Romae multa simul moliri; Consuli insidias tendere, parare incendia, opportuna loca armatis hominibus obsidere: ipse cum telo esse, item alios iubere: hortari, uti semper intenti paratique essent: dies noctesque festinare, vigilare, neque insomnia neque labore fatigari.