In chapter XXXII (32) of Fabulae Syrae, I find the following sentence (lines 67-69):
“Tanta vero erat Arachnes superbia, ut, vim deae contemnens, ‘a se Minerva facile arte vinci posse’ dicere auderet.”
I must be missing something very obvious, but why is “Minerva” in the nominative case here? Isn’t Minerva the subject of the infinitive “vinci” and shouldn’t the word be in the accusative case?
I appreciate any help anyone can provide.
I don’t think you’re missing anything–I think the author or editor missed something that you caught.
You may want to write to the publishing house.
edizioni@vivariumnovum.it
Thanks for the replies. I thought it might be a typo, but I wanted to make sure that I was not missing something (which would not have been surprising).
I will write to the publisher to let them know.
Congratulations! You know your Latin.
It looks as if it should be either the direct quote, “a me … vinci potest” (or possit or posset) or in indirect speech without quote marks, which would require Minervam accusative, just as you say. As written, it’s neither one thing nor the other (as Winston Churchill remarked of a man called Bossom.)
Minerva is actually the subject not of vinci but of posse, but that makes no difference to your point.