Latin for Beginners

Chapter 38

5. >, _the soldiers, though they were conquered_ (lit. _the soldiers conquered_), _did not retreat_.

In each of these sentences the literal translation of the participle is given in parentheses. We note, however, that its proper translation usually requires a clause beginning with some conjunction (_when, since, after, though_, etc.), or a relative clause. Consider, in each case, what translation will best bring out the thought, and do not, as a rule, translate the participle literally.

<378.>> EXERCISES

I. 1. Puer timens ne capiatur fugit. 2. Aquila ira commota avis reliquas interficere conata erat. 3. Milites ab hostibus pressi tela iacere non potuerunt. 4. Caesar decimam legionem laudaturus ad primum agmen progressus est. 5. Imperator hortatus equites ut fort.i.ter pugnarent signum proelio dedit. 6. Milites hostis octo milia pa.s.suum insecuti multis c.u.m captivis ad castra reverterunt. 7. Sol oriens multos interfectos vidit. 8. Romani consilium audax suspicati barbaris sese non commiserunt. 9. Navis e portu egressa nullo in periculo erat.

II.[3] 1. The army was in very great danger while marching through the enemy"s country. 2. Frightened by the length of the way, they longed for home. 3. When the scouts were about to set out, they heard the shouts of victory. 4. When we had delayed many days, we set fire to the buildings and departed. 5. While living at Rome I heard orators much better than these. 6. The soldiers who are fighting across the river are no braver than we.



[Footnote 3: In this exercise use participles for the subordinate clauses.]

LESSON LXVII

THE IRREGULAR VERBS _VOLO_, _NOLO_, _MALO_ THE ABLATIVE WITH A PARTICIPLE, OR ABLATIVE ABSOLUTE

<379.>> Learn the princ.i.p.al parts and conjugation of >, _wish_; > (> + >), _be unwilling_; > (> + >), _be more willing, prefer_ (--497). Note the irregularities in the present indicative, subjunctive, and infinitive, and in the imperfect subjunctive. (Cf. --354.)

_a._ These verbs are usually followed by the infinitive with or without a subject accusative; as, >, _they wish to come_; >, _they wish their friends to come_.

The English usage is the same.[1]

[Footnote 1: Sometimes the subjunctive of purpose is used after these verbs. (See --366.)]

[ Conjugations given in --497:

PRINc.i.p.aL PARTS: >, ----, _be willing, will, wish_ >, ----, _be unwilling, will not_ >, ----, _be more willing, prefer_

INDICATIVE SINGULAR _Pres._ volo nolo malo vis non vis mavis vult non vult mavult

PLURAL volumus nolumus malumus vultis non vultis mavul"tis volunt nolunt malunt

_Impf._ volebam nolebam malebam _Fut._ volam, voles, etc. nolam, noles, etc. malam, males, etc.

_Perf._ volui nolui malui _Plup._ volueram nolueram malueram _F.P._ voluero noluero maluero

SUBJUNCTIVE SINGULAR _Pres._ velim nolim malim velis nolis malis velit nolit malit

PLURAL veli"mus noli"mus mali"mus veli"tis noli"tis mali"tis velint nolint malint

_Impf._ vellem nollem mallem _Perf._ voluerim noluerim maluerim _Plup._ voluissem noluissem maluissem

IMPERATIVE _Pres._ noli nolite _Fut._ nolito, etc.

INFINITIVE _Pres._ velle nolle malle _Perf._ voluisse noluisse maluisse

PARTICIPLE _Pres._ volens, -entis nolens, -entis ----]

<380.>> Observe the following sentences:

1. >, _with the teacher praising_, or _since the teacher praises_, or _the teacher praising, all the boys labor diligently._

2. >, _with Caesar leading_, or _when Caesar leads_, or _if Caesar leads_, or _Caesar leading, no one fears to advance._

3. >, _when this was known_, or _since this was known_, or _these things having been learned, the soldiers fled._

4.

>, _after the battle had begun_, or _when the battle had begun_, or _the battle having been joined, many were wounded._

_a._ One of the fundamental ablative relations is expressed in English by the preposition _with_ (cf. --50). In each of the sentences above we have a noun and a participle in agreement in the ablative, and the translation shows that in each instance the ablative expresses _attendant circ.u.mstance_. For example, in the first sentence the circ.u.mstance attending or accompanying the diligent labor of the boys is the praise of the teacher. This is clearly a _with_ relation, and the ablative is the case to use.

_b._ We observe, further, that the ablative and its participle are absolutely independent grammatically of the rest of the sentence.

If we were to express the thought in English in a similar way, we should use the nominative independent or absolute. In 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 circ.u.mstance 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.

NOTE 1. The verb > 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, >, _you_ (being) _leader_, _with you as leader_;

>, _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 Caesar, returned home_

_b._ _The Gauls having been conquered by Caesar, the army returned home_

In _a_ the subject is _The Gauls having been conquered by Caesar_, and we translate,

>

In _b_ the subject is _the army_. _The Gauls having been conquered by Caesar_ is nominative absolute in English, which requires the ablative absolute in Latin, and we translate,

>

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 _Caesar having encouraged the legions_ just as it stands, because > is a deponent verb. But if we wish to say _Caesar having conquered the Gauls_, we have to change the voice of the participle to the pa.s.sive because > is not deponent, and say, _the Gauls having been conquered by Caesar_ (see translation above).

<382.>> EXERCISES

I. 1. Mavis, non vis, vultis, nolumus. 2. Ut nolit, ut vellemus, ut malit. 3. Noli, velle, noluisse, malle. 4. Vult, mavultis, ut nollet, nolite. 5. Sole oriente, aves cantare inceperunt. 6. Clamoribus auditis, barbari progredi recusabant. 7. Caesare legiones hortato, milites paulo fortius pugnaverunt. 8. His rebus cognitis, Helvetii finitimis persuaserunt ut sec.u.m iter facerent. 9. Laboribus confectis, milites a Caesare quaerebant ut sibi praemia daret. 10. Concilio convocato, principes ita responderunt. 11. Dux pluris dies in Helvetiorum finibus morans multos vicos incendit. 12. Magnitudine Germanorum cognita, quidam ex Romanis timebant. 13. Mercatoribus rogatis, Caesar nihilo plus reperire 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. Caesar, when he heard the rumor (_the rumor having been heard_), commanded (>) the legions to advance more quickly. 5. Since Caesar 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 Caesar had undertaken the business (_Caesar, the business having been undertaken_), he was unwilling to delay longer.[3]

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

[Footnote 3: Not >. Why?]

LESSON LXVIII

THE IRREGULAR VERB _FIO_ THE SUBJUNCTIVE OF RESULT

<383.>> The verb >, _be made, happen_, serves as the pa.s.sive of >, _make_, in the present system. The rest of the verb is formed regularly from >. Learn the princ.i.p.al parts and conjugation (--500). Observe that the > is long except before > and in >.

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