When the verb of saying etc. is passive , the construction may be either Personal or Impersonal. But the Personal construction is more common and is regularly used in the tenses of incomplete action:— beātē vīxisse videor (Lael. 15) , I seem to have lived happily. Epamīnōndās fidibus praeclārē cecinisse dīcitur (Tusc. 1.4) , Epaminondas is said to have played excellently on the lyre. multī idem factūrī esse dīcuntur (Fam. 16.12.4) , many are said to be about to do the same thing. [Active: dīcunt multōs factūrōs ( esse ).] prīmī trāduntur arte quādam verba vīnxisse (Or. 40) , they first are related to have joined words with a certain skill. Bibulus audiēbātur esse in Syriā ; ( Att. 5.18 ), it was heard that Bibulus was in Syria ( Bibulus was heard, etc.). [Direct: Bibulus est .] cēterae Illyricī legiōnēs secūtūrae spērābantur (Tac. H. 2.74) , the rest of the legions of Illyricum were expected to follow. vidēmur enim quiētūrī fuisse, nisi essēmus lacessītī (De Or. 2.230) , it seems that we should have kept quiet , if we had not been molested (we seem, etc.). [Direct: quiēssēmus ... nisi essēmus lacessītī . ] The poets and later writers extend the personal use of the passive to verbs which are not properly verba sentiendī etc.: as,— colligor dominae placuisse (Ov. Am. 2.6.61), it is gathered [from this memorial] that I pleased my mistress.