316 LAURA Α. MICHAELIS
e. Mihi ne quid facer em imper avit.
me(ö) lest anything(A) I-should-do (he)ordered.
"He ordered me not to do anything."
f. Victor victis perpercit.
victor(N) vanquished(ö) spared
"As victor, he spared the vanquished."
g. Militibus medeor.
soldiers(ö) (I)heal.
"I am healing the soldiers."
h. Cum legiones hostibus résistèrent.
since legions(N) enemies(ö) were-resisting.
"Since the legions were resisting the enemy." Caes. .G.
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Several of the verbs given in (6) have synonyms taking accusative objects.
Some of these are given in (7):
(7) a. Fortuna fortes adiuvat.
fortune(N) strong(A) helps
"Fortune helps the strong." (cf. 6a)
b. Haec laedunt oculos.
these(N) hurt eyes(A)
"These things hurt the eyes." (cf. 6b)
Puerum ne quid dicer et iussit.
() lest anything(A) he-should-say (he)ordered
"He ordered the boy not to say anything." (cf. 6e)
d. Milites cur avit.
soldiers(A) (he)cured.
"He cured the soldiers."(cf. 6g)
Such examples indicate that, for the most part, the requirement of a dative
object is lexically idiosyncratic.^2 As has traditionally been asserted, and as
will be assumed in this analysis, this idiosyncracy resides in the verb's trans
itivity, rather than in its case-marking per se: despite the fact that these
verbs (as well as those licensing genitive or ablative objects) each have at
least two direct core arguments, they are intransitive. This assumption will
not go undefended here — it has been challenged most recently by Pinkster
(to appear), and his objections will be dealt with in the following section.