[Genitive.]
[2258.] (1.) The genitive of the gerundive construction or gerund is used with substantives or adjectives.
([a.]) tacendī tempus est, Pl. Poen. 741, it’s time to be still. spēs potiundī oppidī, 2, 7, 2, the hope of overpowering the town ([2244]). summa difficultās nāvigandī, 3, 12, 5, the greatest difficulty in sailing. proeliī committendī sīgnum dedit, 2, 21, 3, he gave the signal for beginning the battle. exemplō eōrum clādēs fuit ut Mārsī mitterent ōrātōrēs pācis petendae, L. 9, 45, 18, their downfall was a warning to the Marsians to send envoys to sue for peace. sīve nāvēs dēiciendī operis essent missae, 4, 17, 10, or if vessels for breaking down the works had been sent. Particularly with causā, grātiā, or rarely ergō ([1257]), to denote purpose: as, frūmentandī causā, 4, 12, 1, for foraging. vītandae suspīciōnis causā, C. 1, 19, to avoid suspicion. mūneris fungendī grātiā, RP. 1, 27, for the sake of doing one’s duty. illīusce sacrī coercendī ergō, Cato, RR. 139, because of thinning out yon hallowed grove.
([b.]) quam cupida eram hūc redeundī, T. Hec. 91, how eager I was to return here. homine perītō dēfīniendī, Off. 3, 60, a man accomplished in drawing distinctions. perpessus est omnia potius quam cōnsciōs dēlendae tyrannidis indicāret, TD. 2, 52, he stood out against the worst sooner than betray his confederates in the overthrow of the tyranny. īnsuētus nāvigandī, 5, 6, 3, unused to sailing. studiōsus audiendī, N. 15, 3, 2, an eager listener. nescia tolerandī, Ta. 3, 1, ignorant what patience was. nandī pavidus, Ta. H. 5, 14, afraid to swim. With adjectives, the gerundive construction is not found in Plautus and Terence, and the gerund not in Plautus. Terence has the gerund with cupidus, Cato with studiōsus. The construction is of slow growth before Tacitus, who greatly developed it.
[2259.] In the genitive, a transitive gerund with an object in the accusative is rare except in Plautus; ordinarily the gerundive is used ([2240]).
tē dēfrūdandī causā, Pl. Men. 687, for the purpose of cheating you. cupidus tē audiendī, DO. 2, 16, eager to hear you. summa ēlūdendī occāsiōst mihi nunc senēs, T. Ph. 885, I’ve now a splendid chance the graybeards of eluding. nē suī līberandī ([2260]) atque ulcīscendī Rōmānōs occāsiōnem dīmittant, 5, 38, 2, that they should not let slip the chance of freeing themselves and taking vengeance on the Romans. sīgnum colligendī vāsa dedit, L. 24, 16, 14, he gave the signal to pack their things.
[2260.] nostrī, vostrī (or vestrī), and suī, being singular in form ([649]) have often a singular gerundive.
nōn tam suī cōnservandī quam tuōrum cōnsiliōrum reprimendōrum causā profūgērunt, C. 1, 7, they fled, not so much to protect themselves as to crush your plans. vēnisse tempus ulcīscendī suī, Sest. 28, that the time was come for them to revenge themselves. vestrī adhortandī causā, L. 21, 41, 1, for the purpose of encouraging you.
[2261.] Sometimes another genitive appears beside the genitive of the gerund, each perhaps dependent on the main word. This use is found in old Latin, Lucretius, Varro, and here and there in Cicero, as well as in late Latin.