Heavy Construction
The Allen and Greenough is still under construction;
so some links may not work quite the way you would expect.
Ethical Dative.
380.
The Dative of the Personal Pronouns is used to
show a certain interest felt by the person indicated[1][Compare ``I'll
rhyme you so eight years together,'' - As You Like It, iii.
2.]
This construction is called the Ethical Dative.[2][Datívus éthicus.] It is really
a
faded variety of the Dative of Reference.
- quod mihi Celsus agit
(Hor. Ep. i. 3. 15), pray what is Celsus doing?
- suó sibi servit
patrí (Plaut. Capt. 5), he serves his own father.
- at tibi repente venit mihi
Canínius (Fam. ix. 2), but, look you, of a sudden comes
to be Caninius.
- hem tibi telentem
argentí (Pl. Trunc. 60), hark ye, a talent of silver.
- quit tibi vís, what
would you have (what do you wish for yourself)?