The passive periphrastic construction in Latin expresses the idea of obligation -- of “must” or ”ought.” A very familiar passive periphrastic is a phrase attributed to Cato, who was bent on destroying the Phoenicians. Cato is said to have ended his speeches with the phrase “Carthago delenda est” or “Carthage must be destroyed.”
There are two parts to this passive periphrastic, one adjectival and one a form of the verb to be. The adjectival form is the gerundive – note the “nd” before the ending. The ending is, in this case, feminine, nominative singular, to agree with the noun Carthago, which, like many place names, is feminine.
The agent, or in Cato's case, the person who would be doing the destroying, is expressed by a dative of agent.
Eventually, Cato got his way.
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There are two parts to this passive periphrastic, one adjectival and one a form of the verb to be. The adjectival form is the gerundive – note the “nd” before the ending. The ending is, in this case, feminine, nominative singular, to agree with the noun Carthago, which, like many place names, is feminine.
The agent, or in Cato's case, the person who would be doing the destroying, is expressed by a dative of agent.
Eventually, Cato got his way.
