SOBRE EL DATIVVS AVCTORIS

The alternance Dative/ab... abl. with -tum esse is associated with two ways of presenting the States of Affairs: if they are presented as Actions, the choice is ab... abl to express the Agent, but if they are presented as States, the choice is Dative case. In adition, the structure -tum esse + Dative establishes a diathetic opposition with the structure -tum habere.