Indirect Reflexive (sē / suus pointing OUT)

Learning

GrammarIndirect Reflexive (sē / suus pointing OUT)

A&G §300–300. b|3 rules|0 practice questions

Inside indirect statement, purpose, fear, and indirect command, sē and suus leap across the clause boundary to point at the subject of the MAIN verb — the speaker, the thinker, the one doing the wanting.

Sēsē cum eīs pācem esse factūrum (B. G. i. 14): sēsē is Caesar, even though eīs (the Helvetii) sits right beside it.

This is the indirect reflexive, the upper-Latin and AP killer. Anyone OTHER than the speaker — the third party — has to be named with eum, eius, eī. Read sē as a flag saying "track me back to who's speaking," and Caesar's reported speech decodes in one pass.

Pattern

MAIN-verb subject ← sē / suus (across the clause boundary)

third party ← eum, eius, eī, eōs

Indirect Reflexive

Inside indirect statement, purpose, fear, and indirect command, sē / suus refers back to the MAIN verb's subject — not to the local subject of the embedded clause.

The split is binary: sē = the speaker / thinker / wanter; is = anyone else.

Where Indirect Reflexives Show Up

in indirect statement (acc + inf) → sē = the speaker

sēsē cum eīs pācem esse factūrum (B. G. i. 14) — sē = Caesar

critical

in purpose clauses (ut / nē + subj.) → sē = the wanter

nē Germānī ē suīs fīnibus trānsīrent (B. G. i. 28) — suīs = Germans (local)

critical

in fear clauses (timeō nē) → sē = the fearer

verētur nē sibi noceat — "he fears it may harm HIM"

important

in indirect commands (imperō / petō / hortor + ut) → sē = the commander

petiērunt ut sibi licēret (B. G. i. 30) — sibi = the Gauls

critical

in subord. subjunctive clauses inside obliqua → sē = original speaker

sī obsidēs ab eīs sibi dentur (B. G. i. 14) — sibi = Caesar

critical

in *causal quod-clauses in subj. (virtual obliqua) → sē* = speaker of reason

quod dē sē iūdicium fēcisset (B. G. i. 41) — sē = the legion

important

ambiguity context → Latin substitutes ipse for sē

dē suā virtūte aut dē ipsīus dīligentiā (B. G. i. 40) — suā=soldiers, ipsīus=Caesar

common

subord. clause NOT reporting main subject's thought → is takes over

sunt ita multī ut eōs carcer capere nōn possit (Cat. ii. 22) — result, so eōs

important

suus follows the same indirect rule as sē

Caesar dīxit suōs mīlitēs fortēs esse — suōs = Caesar's

critical

third party in any of the above → eum, eius, eī, eōs

Caesar dīxit eum ventūrum esse — eum = someone other than Caesar

critical

See It In Action

[Caesar respondit] sī obsidēs ab eīs sibi dentur, sēsē cum eīs pācem esse factūrum

[Caesar replied that] if hostages were given to him by them , he would make peace with them

— B. G. i. 14

Three pronouns in one breath: sibi and sēsē = Caesar (the speaker), eīs = the Helvetii (the third party). The reflexive holds onto the speaker even across the sī-clause boundary.

Iccius ... nūntium ad eum mittit, nisī subsidium sibi submittātur, sēsē diūtius sustinēre nōn posse

Iccius sends a message that unless relief be sent to him , he cannot hold out any longer

— B. G. ii. 6

Iccius' famous SOS. Both sibi and sēsē point back to Iccius (the sender), not to the local subject subsidium. The reflexive tracks the speaker, not the nearest noun.

Petiērunt ut sibi concilium tōtīus Galliae ... indīcere ... licēret: sēsē habēre quāsdam rēs quās ... ab eō petere vellent

they begged that they be allowed to call a council of all Gaul : [they said] they had certain matters they wished to ask of him

— B. G. i. 30

Indirect command (ut...licēret) chained with indirect statement (sēsē habēre). Every sē-form = the Gallic envoys; eō = Caesar (the third party). Both triggers in one sentence.

[X. legiō] ei grātiās ēgit, quod dē sē optimum iūdicium fēcisset

the tenth legion thanked him because [they said] he had expressed a high opinion of them

— B. G. i. 41

Trickiest case: a quod-clause in subjunctive (the legion's stated reason). Sē still tracks the MAIN subject (the legion), not the local fēcisset-subject (Caesar). Ask whose words the clause reports — that's the sē-anchor.

Direct sē vs. Indirect sē (the AP killer)

Same pronoun, two antecedents. In a simple clause sē = local subject. In indirect contexts, sē leaps OUT to the main verb's subject. Clause type decides.

DIRECT reflexive

sē = subject of its OWN clause (no leap)

Caesar sē interfēcit

Caesar killed himself

INDIRECT reflexive

sē = subject of the MAIN clause (leaps OUT)

Caesar dīxit sē ventūrum esse

Caesar said that HE (= Caesar) would come

Tip: Ask: is sē inside acc + inf, ut / nē, timeō nē, or a subjunctive quod-causal? Yes → INDIRECT, jump to the main verb's subject. Plain main clause → DIRECT, stay local. The third party always gets eum / eius.

Quick Check

In Iccius nūntium ad eum mittit, nisī subsidium sibi submittātur, sēsē diūtius sustinēre nōn posse (B. G. ii. 6), to whom does sibi refer?

Study Tips

•Inside acc + inf, ut / nē, timeō nē, or indirect command, don't look at the nearest subject — sē / suus points to the MAIN verb's subject.
•If the OTHER party needs a pronoun, Latin switches to is, ea, id: Caesar dīxit eum ventūrum = "Caesar said that HE (someone else) was coming."
•When reading reported speech in Caesar, mark sē as "= the speaker" once per paragraph; the rest falls into place.
•Watch for ipse as ambiguity-breaker: cūr dē suā virtūte aut dē ipsīus dīligentiā dēspērārent (B. G. i. 40) — suā = the soldiers, ipsīus = Caesar.

See It In Action

[Caesar respondit] sī obsidēs ab eīs sibi dentur, sēsē cum eīs pācem esse factūrum

[Caesar replied that] if hostages were given to him by them , he would make peace with them

— B. G. i. 14

Three pronouns in one breath: sibi and sēsē = Caesar (the speaker), eīs = the Helvetii (the third party). The reflexive holds onto the speaker even across the sī-clause boundary.

Iccius ... nūntium ad eum mittit, nisī subsidium sibi submittātur, sēsē diūtius sustinēre nōn posse

Iccius sends a message that unless relief be sent to him , he cannot hold out any longer

— B. G. ii. 6

Iccius' famous SOS. Both sibi and sēsē point back to Iccius (the sender), not to the local subject subsidium. The reflexive tracks the speaker, not the nearest noun.

Petiērunt ut sibi concilium tōtīus Galliae ... indīcere ... licēret: sēsē habēre quāsdam rēs quās ... ab eō petere vellent

they begged that they be allowed to call a council of all Gaul : [they said] they had certain matters they wished to ask of him

— B. G. i. 30

Indirect command (ut...licēret) chained with indirect statement (sēsē habēre). Every sē-form = the Gallic envoys; eō = Caesar (the third party). Both triggers in one sentence.

[X. legiō] ei grātiās ēgit, quod dē sē optimum iūdicium fēcisset

the tenth legion thanked him because [they said] he had expressed a high opinion of them

— B. G. i. 41

Study Tips

•Inside acc + inf, ut / nē, timeō nē, or indirect command, don't look at the nearest subject — sē / suus points to the MAIN verb's subject.

•If the OTHER party needs a pronoun, Latin switches to is, ea, id: Caesar dīxit eum ventūrum = "Caesar said that HE (someone else) was coming."

•When reading reported speech in Caesar, mark sē as "= the speaker" once per paragraph; the rest falls into place.

•Watch for ipse as ambiguity-breaker: cūr dē suā virtūte aut dē ipsīus dīligentiā dēspērārent (B. G. i. 40) — suā = the soldiers, ipsīus = Caesar.