134                  THE  WRITING  OF  NARRATIVE  LATIN          ,

LESSON  XXXI

SPECIAL IDIOMS IN VERB  CONSTRUCTION

i66.  Command and prohibition.

a.   A command is expressed in Latin by the imperative mode.
Any command may, as in English, be accompanied by tii, vos,
or the vocative of a noun.

Leap down, fellow soldiers, desilite, commilitones.

I. A command, in Latin as in English, is often put in the
softened form of a request. The verb indicating the command
(or request) is then in the subjunctive depending on the impera¬
tive of euro, facio, video, either alone or joined with ut (89), or
on volo or velim. These expressions are equivalent to see that
you do, take care to do, I want you to do, I should like you to do
the thing requested.

See that you be a man, cura ut vir sis.

b.   The imperative cannot, in prose Latin, express a pro¬
hibition (negative command). Prohibitions in the second per¬
son are generally expressed by noli (pi., nolite, imperative of
nolo) with infinitive, by cave (cavete, imperative of caveo,
be on guard or beware) followed by ne and the subjunctive, or
by a subjunctive joined with ne and depending on a verb of
requesting.    (This last is a virtual, not a formal prohibition.)

Do not blunder, noli committere (lit., do not wish to blunder)', see
that you do not go, cave ne eas; / beg you not to pass too severe a sen¬
tence, obsecro te ne quid gravius statuas.

167.  Intention and likelihood.

Such expressions as intend to, propose to, about to, going to,
likely to, etc., are translated into Latin by the forms of the ac¬
tive periphrastic conjugation.

What they were going to carry with them (or intended to carry), quod
secum portaturi erant.