# A magnis proprio vivitur arbitrio



## Lamb67

A magnis proprio vivitur arbitrio

I can google out its meaning, but wondering what's its literal translation looks like.

_We live on the peculiar judgement (an appropriate verb missing, a guess)from the great (guys)_?

What's your opinion on the lit.tran.of it in Eng. please?


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## Flaminius

If I remember correctly, _vivitur_ is a special passive (no, it's deponent) that has its subject in the ablative.  Thus the subject of "live" is not we but the mighty.

The great ones live by their own judgement/standard (especially of what is good and bad).


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## radagasty

Flaminius said:


> If I remember correctly, _vivitur_ is a special passive (no, it's deponent) that has its subject in the ablative.


 
_Vivitur_ is from _vivo _and therefore not deponent. It is rather an impersonal passive, with the agent expressed by _a_.


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## Peano

This double ablative is really hard :-(


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## radagasty

Peano said:


> This double ablative is really hard :-(


 
I'm not sure I would call this a 'double ablative'_. Magnis_ is governed by a preposition and shouldn't therefore be considered a standalone ablative.


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## Peano

Well, I was not using accurate terms. 
Anyway, I think the question here is the meaning of "A". If it is something like "by", the sentence would be more clear. _By the great ones, one lives by his/her own judgement._


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## unknown222

radagasty said:


> I'm not sure I would call this a 'double ablative'_. Magnis_ is governed by a preposition and shouldn't therefore be considered a standalone ablative.



Technically they are two ablative, as Peano wrote,

[Ablative of Agent] A Magnis
[A passive verb] Vivitur
[Ablative of Manner] Proprio Arbitrio




Lamb67 said:


> What's your opinion on the lit.tran.of it in Eng. please?




A literal translation?
There are many,an example could be:

Due to "Magnis"
it is forced to live
"proprio arbitrio "( here you could use also an adverbial form).


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