Operatives, in the past you have seen the present active infinitive. Study the following examples:
Nerō currere nōn potest quod est pinguis.
Nero is not able to run because he is fat.
Recentiī audīvit mīlitēs quaerere eōs.
The Recentii heard that the soldiers were searching for them.
Now, study this new type of infinitive:
Omnēs puellae amārī volunt.
All the girls want to be loved.
Discipulus docērī vult.
The student wants to be taught.
Egō trahī ē cubiculō nōn volō.
I do not want to be dragged out of the room.
The new infinitive is called the present passive infinitive. Compare the formation of the present active and present passive infinitives in the four different verb conjugations:
Conjugation Present Active Present Passive
1st Amāre - to love Amārī - to be loved
2nd Docēre - to teach Docērī - to be taught
3rd Dūcere - to lead Ducī - to be lead
4th Audīre - to hear Audīrī - to be heard
Notice that in the 1st, 2nd and 4th conjugations the only change is to drop the -e off the active infinitive and replace it with -ī. In the 3rd conjugation simply drop the whole present active infinitive ending and add -ī.
Operatives, also note that these present passive infinitive endings should look very familiar to you. You have actually already learned them as the present infinitives of deponent verbs. Examine again how deponent verbs form their infinitives:
1st conjugation hortārī - to try
2nd conjugation fatērī - to confess
3rd conjugation sequī - to follow
4th conjugation orīrī - to rise
Operatives, elections (even in the Imperial period) were still an important aspect of public life and those running for magisterial positions took them very seriously. It would be adviseable to review the cursus honorum and the order in which individuals could advance through public office.
It would be adviseable to read up on the comitia centuriata and how elections played out even on through the early empire, including the transfer of all electorial responsibilties to the senate.
CULTURALIA Comprehension Questions
Directions: Using the CULTURALIA section of your CODEX as a guide, answer the following questions:
dē cursū honōrum
1. In the imperial period, what traditional republican positions remained available for individuals to pursue?
2. Which office lost the most power, influence, and presitige? Why?
3. Which rank of citizens was the full cursus honorum open to? What was the standard order?
4. Which office would be considered the highest office for a plebian?
dē Comitiā Centuriātiā
1. Under the early republic, how are elections carried out for magisterial positions?
2. What is the major inequity about that procedure?
3. How did the reforms of 241 BCE attempt to change that?
4. Why does Sulla revert back to the older custom?
5. What changes about elections with Augustus and the principate?
6. Why is it significant that the senate elects magistrates in the empire? Who ultimately decides the elections?