Cases in Augustine

[CharlieJ]

In Augustine's commentary on Galatians, he makes the following statement:

Cesserat enim talium hominum scandalis apostolus Petrus et in simulationem ductus erat.


I have a translation of this that reads, "To avoid scandalizing such people, the Apostle Peter had yielded to them and had thus been led into hypocrisy."

I think that's the right sense, but I'd like some help with the case uses and a more literal rendering.

apostolus Petrus is subject

Cesserat is the verb in question.

With the meaning of "yield to someone," is "talium hominum" expressing the in the genitive? It strikes me more as dative. I looked up L&S, but confess I often find it more confusing than helpful.

Also, scandalis is ablative, right? Is there an ablative use that amounts to "on account of"?


Or is scandalis dative and talium hominum modifying that, giving the sense "he yielded to the offenses of such people" ?

So really, I'm asking what talium hominum is modifying, and how, and what scandalis is modifying, and how.

[adrianus]

Or is scandalis dative and talium hominum modifying that, giving the sense "he yielded to the offenses of such people" ?

"He had given in to the scandals/inducements/temptations/stumbling blocks/outcry (even) of such men..." as you say // ut dicis

scandalis = outcry, hôc in loco ut opinor