Latin for Beginners, Benjamin Leonard D'Ooge [easy novels to read .TXT] 📗

Latin the construction is called the Ablative Absolute, or the Ablative with a Participle. This form of expression is exceedingly common in Latin, but rather rare in English, so we must not, as a rule, employ the English absolute construction to translate the ablative abolute. The attendant circumstance may be one of time (when or after), or one of cause (since), or one of concession (though), or one of condition (if). In each case try to discover the precise relation, and tranlate the ablative and its participle by a clause which will best express the thought.

«381.» RULE. «Ablative Absolute.» The ablative of a noun or pronoun with a present or perfect participle in agreement is used to express attendant circumstance.

NOTE 1. The verb «sum» has no present participle. In consequence we often find two nouns or a noun and an adjective in the ablative absolute with no participle expressed; as, «tē duce», you (being) leader, with you as leader; «patre īnfirmō», my father (being) weak.

NOTE 2. Be very careful not to put in the ablative absolute a noun and participle that form the subject or object of a sentence. Compare

a. The Gauls, having been conquered by Cæsar, returned home

b. The Gauls having been conquered by Cæsar, the army returned home

In a the subject is The Gauls having been conquered by Cæsar, and we translate,

«Gallī ā Caesare victi domum revertērunt»

In b the subject is the army. The Gauls having been conquered by Cæsar is nominative absolute in English, which requires the ablative absolute in Latin, and we translate,

«Gallīs ā Caesare victīs exercitus domum revertit»

NOTE 3. The fact that only deponent verbs have a perfect active participle (cf. §375.a) often compels a change of voice when translating from one language to the other. For example, we can translate Cæsar having encouraged the legions just as it stands, because «hortor» is a deponent verb. But if we wish to say Cæsar having conquered the Gauls, we have to change the voice of the participle to the passive because «vincō» is not deponent, and say, the Gauls having been conquered by Cæsar (see translation above).

«382.» EXERCISES

I. 1. Māvīs, nōn vīs, vultis, nōlumus. 2. Ut nōlit, ut vellēmus, ut mālit. 3. Nōlī, velle, nōluisse, mālle. 4. Vult, māvultis, ut nōllet, nōlīte. 5. Sōle oriente, avēs cantāre incēpērunt. 6. Clāmōribus audītīs, barbarī prōgredī recūsābant. 7. Caesare legiōnēs hortātō, mīlitēs paulō fortius pugnāvērunt. 8. Hīs rēbus cognitīs, Helvētiī fīnitimīs persuāsērunt ut sēcum iter facerent. 9. Labōribus cōnfectīs, mīlitēs ā Caesare quaerēbant ut sibi praemia daret. 10. Conciliō convocātō, prīncipēs ita respondērunt. 11. Dux plūrīs diēs in Helvētiōrum fīnibus morāns multōs vīcōs incendit. 12. Magnitūdine Germānōrum cognitā, quīdam ex Rōmānis timēbant. 13. Mercātōribus rogātīs, Caesar nihilō plūs reperīre potuit.

II. 1. He was unwilling, lest they prefer, they have wished. 2. You prefer, that they might be unwilling, they wish. 3. We wish, they had preferred, that he may prefer. 4. Cæsar, when he heard the rumor (the rumor having been heard), commanded («imperāre») the legions to advance more quickly. 5. Since Cæsar was leader, the men were willing to make the journey. 6. A few, terrified[2] by the reports which they had heard, preferred to remain at home. 7. After these had been left behind, the rest hastened as quickly as possible. 8. After Cæsar had undertaken the business (Cæsar, the business having been undertaken), he was unwilling to delay longer.[3]

[Footnote 2: Would the ablative absolute be correct here?]

[Footnote 3: Not «longius». Why?]

LESSON LXVIII THE IRREGULAR VERB FĪŌ · THE SUBJUNCTIVE OF RESULT

«383.» The verb «fīō», be made, happen, serves as the passive of «faciō», make, in the present system. The rest of the verb is formed regularly from «faciō». Learn the principal parts and conjugation (§500). Observe that the «i» is long except before «-er» and in «fit».

a. The compounds of «facio» with prepositions usually form the passive regularly, as,

Active «cōnficiō, cōnficere, cōnfēcī, cōnfectus» Passive «cōnficior, cōnficī, cōnfectus sum»

[ Conjugation given in §500:

PRINCIPAL PARTS «fīō, fierī, factus sum»

  INDICATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE IMPERATIVE
  Pres. fīō —— fīam 2d Pers. fī fīte
           fīs ——
           fit fīunt
  Impf. fīēbam fierem
  Fut. fīam ——

INDICATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE Perf. factus, -a, -um sum factus, -a, -um sim Plup. factus, -a, -um eram factus, -a, -um essem F.P. factus, -a, -um erō

INFINITIVE PARTICIPLES Pres. fierī Perf. factus, -a, -um Perf. factus, -a, -um esse Ger. faciendus, -a, -um Fut. [[factum īrī]]]

«384.» Observe the following sentences:

1. «Terror erat tantus ut omnēs fugerent», the terror was so great that all fled.

2. «Terror erat tantus ut nōn facile mīlitēs sēsē reciperent», the terror was so great that the soldiers did not easily recover themselves.

3. «Terror fēcit ut omnēs fugerent», terror caused all to flee (lit. made that all fled).

    a. Each of these sentences is complex, containing a principal
    clause and a subordinate clause.

b. The principal clause names a cause and the subordinate clause states the consequence or result of this cause.

c. The subordinate clause has its verb in the subjunctive, though it is translated like an indicative. The construction is called the subjunctive of consequence or result, and the clause is called a consecutive or result clause.

d. In the last example the clause of result is the object of the verb «fēcit».

    e. The conjunction introducing the consecutive or result clause is
    «ut» = so that; negative, «ut nōn» = so that not.

«385.» RULE. «Subjunctive of Result.» Consecutive clauses of result are introduced by «ut» or «ut nōn» and have the verb in the subjunctive.

«386.» RULE. Object clauses of result with «ut» or «ut nōn» are found after verbs of «effecting» or «bringing about».

«387.» «Purpose and Result Clauses Compared.» There is great similarity in the expression of purpose and of result in Latin. If the sentence is affirmative, both purpose and result clauses may be introduced by «ut»; but if the sentence is negative, the purpose clause has «nē» and the result clause «ut nōn». Result clauses are often preceded in the main clause by such words as «tam», «ita», «sic» (so), and these serve to point them out. Compare

    a. «Tam graviter vulnerātus est ut caperētur»
      He was so severely wounded that he was captured
    b. «Graviter vulnerātus est ut caperētur»
      He was severely wounded in order that he might be captured

Which sentence contains a result clause, and how is it pointed out?

«388.» EXERCISES

I. 1. Fit, fīet, ut fīat, fīēbāmus. 2. Fīō, fīēs, ut fierent, fierī, fīunt. 3. Fīētis, ut fīāmus, fīs, fīemus. 4. Mīlitēs erant tam tardī ut ante noctem in castra nōn pervenīrent. 5. Sōl facit ut omnia sint pulchra. 6. Eius modī perīcula erant ut nēmō proficīscī vellet. 7. Equitēs hostium cum equitātū nostrō in itinere contendērunt, ita tamen[1] ut nostrī omnibus in partibus superiōrēs essent. 8. Virtūs mīlitum nostrōrum fēcit ut hostēs nē ūnum quidem[2] impetum sustinērent. 9. Hominēs erant tam audācēs ut nūllō modō continērī possent. 10. Spatium erat tam parvum ut mīlitēs tēla iacere nōn facile possent. 11. Hōc proeliō factō barbarī ita perterritī sunt ut ab ultimīs gentibus lēgātī ad Caesarem mitterentur. 12. Hoc proelium factum est nē lēgātī ad Caesarem mitterentur.

[Footnote 1: «ita tamen», with such a result however.]

[Footnote 2: «nē … quidem», not even. The emphatic word is placed between.]

II. 1. It will happen, they were being made, that it may happen. 2. It happens, he will be made, to happen. 3. They are made, we were being made, lest it happen. 4. The soldiers are so brave that they conquer. 5. The soldiers are brave in order that they may conquer. 6. The fortification was made so strong that it could not be taken. 7. The fortification was made strong in order that it might not be taken. 8. After the town was taken,[3] the townsmen feared that they would be made slaves. 9. What state is so weak that it is unwilling to defend itself?

[Footnote 3: Ablative absolute.]

LESSON LXIX THE SUBJUNCTIVE OF CHARACTERISTIC OR DESCRIPTION THE PREDICATE ACCUSATIVE

«389.» Akin to the subjunctive of consequence or result is the use of the subjunctive in clauses of characteristic or description.

This construction is illustrated in the following sentences:

1. «Quis est quī suam domum nōn amet?» who is there who does not love his own home?

  2. «Erant quī hoc facere nōllent», there were (some) who were
  unwilling to do this.

  3. «Tū nōn is es quī amīcōs trādās», you are not such a one as to,
  or you are not the man to, betray your friends.

4. «Nihil videō quod timeam», I see nothing to fear (nothing of such as character as to fear it).

a. Each of these examples contains a descriptive relative clause which tells what kind of a person or thing the antecedent is. To express this thought the subjunctive is used. A relative clause that merely states a fact and does not describe the antecedent uses the indicative. Compare the sentences

      Cæsar is the man who is leading us,
        «Caesar est is quī nōs dūcit»
          (mere statement of fact, no description, with the indicative)
      Cæsar is the man to lead us,
        «Caesar est is quī nōs dūcat»
          (descriptive relative clause with the subjunctive)

b. Observe that in this construction a demonstrative pronoun and a relative, as is «quī», are translated such a one as to, the man to.

c. In which of the following sentences would you use the indicative and in which the subjunctive?

These are not the men who did this These are not the men to do this

«390.» RULE. «Subjunctive of Characteristic.» A relative clause with the subjunctive is often used to describe an antecedent. This is called the «subjunctive of characteristic or description».

«391.» Observe the