Indirect Commands
An indirect command is a reported instruction or request.
The old man ordered the soldiers to hand over the citizens.
In Latin this sentence would be:
senex militibus imperavit ut cives traderent.
Another way to translate the above sentence would be:
The old man ordered the soldiers that they should hand over the citizens.
This format is necessary when the indirect command contains a passive verb:
rex imperavit ut captivi necarentur.
The king gave orders that the prisoners should be killed.
An indirect command is introduced by ut and the verb is in the imperfect subjunctive.
An indirect command is preceded by one of the following verbs:
Table
| rogo | I ask |
| persuadeo | I persuade |
| hortor | I urge |
| impero | I order |
| oro | I beg |
| moneo | I warn |
| invito | I invite |
Match
A negative indirect command uses ne.
frater me monuit ne in flumen inirem.
My brother warned me not to enter the river.
Note that the verb iubeo (I order) does not use an ut clause, but an infinitive verb.
femina maritum discedere iussit.
The woman told her husband to leave.
- te oravi ne eos vulnerares.
- eum rogavi ut per vias me sequeretur.
- rex principes invitavit ut ad regnum suum venirent.
- dux militibus imperavit ne in proelium intrarent.
- feminae monitae sunt ne domos suas relinquerent.
- nonne pueros monuisti ne prope mare irent?
- imperator suos hortatus erat ut in eodem loco manerent.
- te iussi illum pecuniam rogare.
- a liberis rogabamur ut libros sibi legeremus.
- senex nautas monuit ut per tempestatem ad insulam adveniendam navigarent.
