Heavy Construction
The Allen and Greenough is still under construction;
so some links may not work quite the way you would expect.
Dative of Reference.
376.
The Dative often depends, not on any
particular word, but on the general meaning of the sentence
(Dative of Reference).
The dative in this construction is often called the Dative of
Advantage or Disadvantage,[1][Datívus
commodí aut incommodí] as denoting the person or
thing for whose benefit or to whose prejudice the action is performed.
- tibi arás (Plaut. Merc. 71), you plough for
yourself.
- tuás rés tibi
habétó (Plaut. Trin. 266), keep your goods to
yourself (formula of divorce).
- laudávit mihi
frátrem, he praised my brother (out of regard for me; laudávit frátrem meum would imply no such motive).
- meritós mactávit
honórés, taurum Neptúnó, taurum
tibi, pulcher Apolló (Aen. iii. 118), he offered
the sacrifices due, a bull to Neptune, a bull to thee, beautiful
Apollo.
NOTE: In this construction the meaning of the sentence is
complete without the dative, which is not, as in the preceeding
constructions, closely connected with any single word. Thus the Dative
of
Reference is easily distinguishable in most instances even when the
sentence consists of only two words, as in the first example.