Select access to v_$

This is probably going to be something really dumb - but.... I can't do selects on v_$ tables or views or whatever they are. I can access the same v$ stuff. And I suppose that should be good enough - but I don't understand why I can't get the v_$ stuff. I have the dba role and I also setup the monitorer role (which specifically grants select access to a lot of the v_$ tables) and gave that to me and I still get table or view doesn't exist.
If I log in as sys I can do the select.
What is the catch? What am I missing?

tia - barb. Received on Wed Dec 04 1996 - 00:00:00 CST