Quote Originally Posted by Elmetiacos View Post
and esse is what form of the verb?
Nothing to do with passive periphrastics (though they can be in indirect speech too as Cato's comment was related), but subordinate to a verb of thinking/knowing/saying/etc. (here dicerent) the infinitive is indeed translated as a finite verb in indirect discourse. Thanks for trying to prove other people are wrong twice within three (or four) words in something you're admittedly unsure of though; that takes some balls.