[1] In each example below the pluperfect (in bold) points to an event that had happened before another event took place in the past.
Nūper in Graeciā habitāvī, │ sed anteā in Hispāniā habitāveram.
- I recently lived in Greece, but previously I had lived in Spain.
one step back into the past: I recently lived in Greece
two steps back into the past: I had previously lived in Spain
Priusquam auxilia vēnērunt, │ hostēs superāverat.
- Before auxiliary contingents arrived, he had conquered the enemy.
Rēx noster nōbīs dōnāvit pācem, quam diū frūstrā expectāverāmus.
- Our king gave us the peace │ which we had waited for in vain for a long time.
Aetāte virīlī multa vīdī et audīvī, quae anteā neque vīderam
neque audīveram.
- As a full-grown man I saw and heard many things │ which I had neither seen nor (had) heard before.
Diūtius in itinere fuī, │ quam exspectāveram.
- I was on the journey for longer than I had expected.
[2] Although the standard explanation of the pluperfect is
its reference to an action that completed before another action in the past
took place, you cannot, either in English or in Latin, take that explanation
too literally, for example:
[i] Canis dīvitis vīcīnī meum agrum intrāvit, necāvitque
trēs pullōs.
- Your wealthy neighbour’s dog entered my field, and killed three chickens.
The dog obviously
entered the field before it killed the chickens, but in such a close sequence
of connected events, the perfect tense is used. Similarly:
Quīntus in Arcānō remānsit │ et Aquīnum ad mē
postrīdiē māne vēnit │ mihique nārrāvit ... (Cicero)
- Quintus stayed in Arcanum │ and came to me at Aquinum the next morning │ and told me ...
[ii] ubi; postquam
ubi (when) and postquam (after) both introduce clauses of time known in grammar as temporal clauses. In this type of construction in English, the past perfect (had done something) may be used although that is sometimes a matter of style:
[A] When he finished his homework, the boy went outside to
play. │ [B] When he’d (he had) finished his homework, the boy went outside to
play.
[A] After she bought the book, she left the shop. │ [B] After
she’d (she had) bought the book, she left the shop.
Latin, however, generally uses the perfect tense rather than the pluperfect even if English translates the construction using 'had':
Sed, ubi Sulla Marium Rōmā expulit [perfect],
populus Rōmānus Sullam imperātōrem fēcit.
- But when Sulla (had) expelled Marius from Rome, the Roman people made Sulla the commander.
… postquam Mithridātem superāvit [perfect],
Rōmam pervēnit et erat dictātor.
- …after he (had) conquered Mithridates, he reached Rome and was dictator.
Id ubi dīxit, porcum saxō silice percussit
(Livy)
- When he said this, he struck the piglet with a flintstone.
Ubi omnīs idem sentīre intellēxit, posterum
diem pūgnae cōnstituit. (Caesar)
- When he understood that everybody thought the same, he appointed the next day for the battle.
postquam cōnspexit anguēs ille alter puer, citus ē cūnīs
exilit, ... (Plautus)
- After one of the children (had) caught sight of the serpents, he quickly leapt from the cradle, ...
Complete
the sentences with the appropriate perfect or pluperfect verb from the box
below; the English translations make it clear which verbs are perfect and which
are pluperfect.
[i] Athēniēnsēs tē, Sōcratēs ______ │ quī nēminī ____.
- The Athenians condemned you, Socrates, │ (you) who had harmed nobody.
[ii] Rōmulus et Remus, │ quōs pāstōrēs ______, │ ______
conditōrēs Rōmae.
- Romulus and Remus, │ whom shepherds had brought up │ were the founders of Rome.
[iii] Croese, magnae dīvitiae, │ quās tibi ______, │ tē nōn
______!
- Croesus, the great wealth │ which you had procured for yourself │ did not save you!
[iv] Alexander Thēbās, │ quae diū ______, │ ______.
- Alexander destroyed Thebes │ which had flourished for a long time.
[v] Simul et dē illō vulnere │ quod ille in capite ab
hostium duce ______ │ multa ______. (Cicero)
- At the same time he also said many things about that wound │ which he had received on his head from the leader of his enemies.
accēperat; comparāverās; damnāvērunt; dēlēvit; dīxit; ēducāverant; flōruerant; fuērunt; nocuerās; servāvērunt
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