Case of direct address; as,--

credite mihi, judices, _believe me, judges_.

1. By a species of attraction, the Nominative is occasionally used for the
Vocative, especially in poetry and formal prose; as, audi tu, populus
Albanus, _hear ye, Alban people!_

2. Similarly the Appositive of a Vocative may, in poetry, stand in the
Nominative; as, nate, mea magna potentia solus, _O son, alone the source of
my great power_.

* * * * *

THE ACCUSATIVE.

172. The Accusative is the Case of the Direct Object.

173. The Direct Object may express either of the two following relations:--

A. The PERSON OR THING AFFECTED by the action; as,--

consulem interfecit, _he slew the consul_;

lego librum, _I read the book_.

B. The RESULT PRODUCED by the action; as,--

librum scripsi, _I wrote a book_ (i.e. produced one);

templum struit, _he constructs a temple_.

174. Verbs that admit a Direct Object of either of these two types are
TRANSITIVE VERBS.

a. Verbs that regularly take a Direct Object are sometimes used without
it. They are then said to be employed _absolutely_; as,--

rumor est meum gnatum amare, _it is rumored that my son is in love_.

Accusative of the Person or Thing Affected.

175. 1. This is the most frequent use of the Accusative; as in--

parentes amamus, _we love our parents_;

mare aspicit, _he gazes at the sea_.

2. The following classes of Verbs taking an Accusative of this kind are
worthy of note:--

a) Many Intransitive Verbs, when compounded with a Preposition, become
Transitive. Thus:--

1) Compounds of circum, praeter, trans; as,--

hostes circumstare, _to surround the enemy;_

urbem praeterire, _to pass by the city;_

muros transcendere, _to climb over the walls._

2) Less frequently, compounds of ad, per, in, sub; as,--

adire urbem, _to visit the city;_

peragrare Italiam, _to travel through Italy;_

inire magistratum, _to take office;_

subire periculum, _to undergo danger._

b) Many Verbs expressing emotions, regularly Intransitive, have also a
Transitive use; as,--

queror fatum, _I lament my fate;_

doleo ejus mortem, _I grieve at his death;_

rideo tuam stultitiam, _I laugh at your folly._

So also lugeo, maereo, _mourn_; gemo, _bemoan_; horreo, _shudder_, and
others.

c) The impersonals decet, _it becomes_; dedecet, _it is unbecom