Selections from Viri Romae Part 2

3. #Dum#, #donec# (until) with the subjunctive:

#dum convalesceret# (indirect discourse also), VII, 17; ut tempus extraheret, #donec# novae copiae ex Africa #advenirent#, XVII, 3 (partly purpose).

4. #Antequam# and #priusquam# with the subjunctive:

Alterum . . #priusquam# tertius #posset# consequi, interfecit, IV, 24; #priusquam# eis bellum #indiceret#, legatum misit qui res repeteret, V, 7; petiit . . ne quid . . statuerent #antequam# ipse #inspexisset# Macedonum . . causam, XIII, 83 (indirect discourse).

5. #c.u.m# with the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive:

#c.u.m# iis #insidiati essent# latrones, I, 22; #c.u.m# Numitor . .

#compararet#, I, 30; #c.u.m# (as) Romae #appropinquarent#, II, 15; c.u.m (while) . . contionem . . #haberet#, II, 44; Qui #c.u.m# Romam #venisset#, III, 2. This form of temporal clause is extremely common.

[Footnote I.4: Cf. also Ablative Absolute, _K_ 3.]

_H._ CAUSAL CLAUSES[I.5]

1. Relative clause with the subjunctive:

quippe #qui cerneret# ferrum ante oculos micans, accusationem dimisit, XIII, 8; c.u.m in eam civitatem animadvertere decrevisset #quae# (= c.u.m ea) sibi #adversata fuisset#, XXVII, 37.

2. #c.u.m# with the subjunctive:

#c.u.m# vero uxores . . non #haberent#, legatos circa vicinas gentes misit, II, 3; #c.u.m# se invidiosum . . #videret#, Veientes . .

adversus Romanos concitavit, IV, 55; #c.u.m# . . facinora clandestina #fierent#, Ancus carcerem . . aedificavit, V, 21-25.

3. #Quod#,[I.6] #quia#, #quoniam#, or #quando#, with the indicative:

#quia# tribus impar #erat#, . . fugam capessivit, IV, 18; #quandoquidem . . pugnavisti#, XIII, 53; #quia# non #paruisti#, XIII, 77.

4. #Quod# with the subjunctive:

c.u.m se invidiosum apud cives videret, #quod# bellum uno paucorum certamine #finisset#, IV, 55-56 (see note); Tarquinius filium . .

#quod# in proelio hostem #percussisset#, praetexta . . donavit, VI, 25-27.

5. #Quasi# with the subjunctive (a.s.sumed reason):

eum accusantes, #quasi# Numitoris agros infestare #solitus esset#, I, 28; Is c.u.m iratus ad mortem duci iussisset militem, #quasi# (because, as was supposed,) #interfecisset# commilitonem, XIII, 65.

NOTE.--These clauses resemble those in 4, as giving the reason ascribed to some one other than the writer. They show also that the reason is fict.i.tious, and invented by the person who advances it.

[Footnote I.5: Cf. also Ablative Absolute, _K_ 4.]

[Footnote I.6: These conjunctions are regularly used with the indicative. They are employed with the subjunctive only when the writer is indirectly quoting the reason given by some one else.]

_I._ CONCESSIVE OR ADVERSATIVE CLAUSES

1. #c.u.m# (although) with the subjunctive:

#c.u.m retineretur# a propinquis et amicis, tamen Carthaginem rediit, XVII, 53.

2. #Quamquam# with the indicative:

#quamquam . . pellebatur#, XXI, 242.

3. #Quamvis# with the subjunctive:

#quamvis sis# molestus, XXVI, 158.

_J._ c.u.m CLAUSES

The temporal, causal, and concessive uses of #c.u.m# have already been given separately. #c.u.m# was originally a temporal conjunction. From the temporal idea were developed its other meanings. So the English _when_ frequently contains the ideas of time and cause, or time and concession combined, and _while_ also is frequently at once temporal and concessive. So #c.u.m# also may represent these ideas in combination as well as separately. In many cases, indeed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to decide which meaning is more prominent: cf.

#c.u.m# (_when_ and _since_) lupa saepius ad parvulos . .

#reverteretur#, I, 16; His artibus #c.u.m# (_when_ and _although_) Hannibalem Fabius . . #clausisset#, ille . . se expedivit, XIX, 31.

_K._ THE ABLATIVE ABSOLUTE

1. FORM.--The ablative absolute consists usually of a noun and a participle. The participle is generally pa.s.sive, but often active: #Eo regnante#, IV, 3; #relabente flumine#, I, 9.

2. Often, however, the ablative absolute consists of a noun and adjective, or of two nouns, or a noun and p.r.o.noun. In such cases there is an ellipsis of the lost present participle of #sum#:

#magna gloria# belli, IV, 75; #pari# fere #ornatu#, X, 6; #Appio iudice#, XII, 15; #Valerio# et #Cosso consulibus#, XIV, 1.

3. MEANING.--The ablative absolute may denote

TIME; compare Temporal Clauses, _G_ 1, 2, and 5.

#pulso fratre#, regnavit, I, 3; #Ea re cognita#, parvulos . .

abiecit in Tiberim, I, 5; #armatis pastoribus#, Albam properavit, I, 25.

NOTE.--This is the original and most frequent use of the ablative absolute.

4. CAUSE: compare Causal Clauses, _H_ 2 and 3.

#orta# inter eos #contentione#, I, 40; durissima squamarum #lorica# omnia tela facile #repellente#, XVII, 22; in conferta mult.i.tudine aegre #procedente carpento#, XVIII, 17.

5. CONCESSION:

agrum eius, #omnibus# circa #vastatis#, intactum reliquit, XIX, 39.

6. Often time and cause together: compare note on c.u.m Clauses, _J_.

Examples are:

#militibus# segnius #dimicantibus#, raptum signum in hostem misit, VII, 9; #occiso Tatio#, ad Romulum potentatus omnis recidit, II, 40.