Ferox Tullia, quae Arrunti Tarquinio nupta erat, aegre ferebat nihil materiae in viro neque ad cupiditatem neque ad audaciam esse.
The above means, I’m sure, that Ferox Tullia bore it ill (aegre ferebat)…that there was nothing of substance (materiae - genitive case) in her husband (ablative case) …then I’m just a bit confused. I’m taking it that ad cupiditatem…ad audaciam simply means “towards” as in “tendency towards” these two natures (in acc. case).
Ferox Tullia…bore it ill that there was nothing of substance in her husband that tended towards ambition or boldness…
I think you’ve got it. Aegre ferebat is essentially an idiom for being really “pissed off” or “vexed.” The use of ad here is best expressed with the English “for” …nothing of substance in her husband either for ambition or boldness."
In this sentence Ferox is not a name but rather an adjective describing Tullia as bold, courageous, fierce who took it hard… And materia, in this context, denotes natural abilities, talents, genius, disposition (see materia’s Perseus-entry. Concerning the two accusatives you are indeed right.
The sentence itself is adapted from Livy (I, 46). Vale,