[1] The term absolute means that the phrase is grammatically set apart from the main clause; in other words, the participle does not modify any noun in the main clause. The rather unwieldy literal translation is “with something having been done” e.g. “with the city having been captured” and this is the standard way in grammar books of translating it. However, it is often preferable to refine the construction into an English clause. Various translations are possible:
urbe captā
- time: When / after the city had been captured ..
- cause: Since / because the city had been captured ..
- concessive: Although the city had been captured ..
- condition: If the city had been captured ..
Equally, the sentence could be restructured to include a
compound sentence:
- Urbe captā, cīvēs fūgērunt. │ The city had been captured and the citizens fled.
Context will determine the most appropriate translation.
[2] Watch out for deponent verbs when translating the
ablative absolute; remember that the deponents are passive in form but active
in meaning:
loquor, loquī, locūtus sum [3/deponent]: speak
proficīscor, proficīscī, profectus sum [3/deponent]:
set out
i.e. profectus and locūtus are not passive but
active and so they are translated as:
locūtus: having spoken
profectus: having set out
ōrātōre locūtō, cīvēs inter sē loquēbantur │ With
the orator having spoken = After the orator had spoken, the
citizens began talking among themselves.
poētā sīc locūtō, cīvēs magnopere timēbant. │
After the orator had spoken in this way, the citizens were greatly
afraid.
Omnibus profectīs, tamen ego tē exspectāvī. │
Although everybody had set out, I neverthless waited for you.
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