hortatus

Hortatus is a Latin term that derives from the verb hortari, meaning to urge, encourage, or exhort. In classical Latin, hortatus most often appears as a participle meaning “urged” or “exhorted,” and it can function as an adjective referring to someone who has been urged or, less commonly, as a substantive form in certain contexts.

Etymology and forms. The form hortatus arises as the perfect passive participle of hortari (deponent verb). Its usual nominal counterpart is hortatio, meaning “an exhortation” or “a urging,” while a related agent noun is hortator, meaning “one who exhorts” or “an exhorter.” As a participle, hortatus agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes, but when used as a standalone noun, hortatus is comparatively rare in standard Classical Latin.

Usage. Hortatus appears in texts to describe actions in which exhortation has occurred. For example, a sentence such as “Hortatus est eos ut pacem peterent” translates to “He exhorted them to seek peace.” While the verb itself is common, the participial form hortatus is typically encountered in accompanying clauses or in literary style, whereas the noun hortatio more commonly conveys the act of exhorting as an abstract concept.

Relation to related terms. Hortatus is closely connected to hortatio (the exhortation) and hortator (the exhorter). These forms illustrate how Latin often shifts between a verb, its participle, and a corresponding noun to express the act, agent, or result of urging.

See also: hortatio, hortator, hortari.