# A line in Virgil, dative, verb form

**URL:** <https://www.textkit.com/t/a-line-in-virgil-dative-verb-form/31122>\
**Category:** Latin\
**Created:** [April 7, 2026, 12:49pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/a-line-in-virgil-dative-verb-form/31122 "2026-04-07T12:49:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hlawson38](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@hlawson38](https://www.textkit.com/u/hlawson38)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 12:49pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/a-line-in-virgil-dative-verb-form/31122/1 "2026-04-07T12:49:56Z")

</div>

“qui cultus sit habendo pecori”

Translation: what kind of care is proper for the management of a herd?

I need a grammatical commentary on this line, with special attention to “sit habendo pecori”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bedwere](https://www.textkit.com/user_avatar/www.textkit.com/bedwere/32/35_2.png) [@bedwere](https://www.textkit.com/u/bedwere)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:26pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/a-line-in-virgil-dative-verb-form/31122/2 "2026-04-07T17:26:30Z")

</div>

[Verg. G. 1.1](https://artflsrv03.uchicago.edu/philologic4/Latin/navigate/183/1/2/1/)

Quid faciat laetas segetes, quo sidere terram  
vertere, Maecenas, ulmisque adiungere vitis  
conveniat, quae cura boum, qui cultus habendo  
sit pecori, apibus quanta experientia parcis,  
hinc canere incipiam.

It’s an indirect interrogative depending on canere, habendo pecori= to have a herd. Habendo is the dative gerundive.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mwh](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@mwh](https://www.textkit.com/u/mwh)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/a-line-in-virgil-dative-verb-form/31122/3 "2026-04-07T17:50:56Z")

</div>

It’s just one of the whole series of indirect questions that kicks off the Georgics. For the use of the gerundive cf. e.g. 2.397 _labor curandis vitibus alter_ “the other work for taking care of vines.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hlawson38](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@hlawson38](https://www.textkit.com/u/hlawson38)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/a-line-in-virgil-dative-verb-form/31122/4 "2026-04-07T19:32:38Z")

</div>

Many thanks to bedwere & mwh. Very helpful.