[i] In English, the perfect passive participle can act like an adjective
rogābat dux vulnerātus
│ the injured commander was asking (kept on* asking)
*the imperfect
tense in Latin can sometimes suggest an action that was repeated over a period
of time
inquit dux vulnerātus
│ the injured commander said
Amīcī meī
parātī esse auxilium dare dēbent │ My friends have to be
ready / prepared to give help
However, Latin’s
use of the same construction may need to be expanded a little; style will
dictate whether a word for word translation will work, or a phrase is required
to avoid the translation sounding clumsy
quod ego sum dux, ¦
paene necātus │ because I am the commander, ¦ who has almost been
killed, or: … ¦ and I have almost been killed
[ii] Remember that
the present tense of esse + the perfect passive participle = was
/ has been done
Mox ē perīculō portātus
est │ He was soon carried out of danger
Herī multī Italī vulnerātī
sunt │ Yesterday many Italians were injured
[iii]
[a] The person by
whom the action was performed is expressed by ā / ab + the
ablative case:
Dē perīculō ¦ ab
amīcīs ¦ monitus est │ He was warned about the danger ¦ by
(his) friends
[b] the ‘tool’
with which the action was performed is expressed by the ablative case without a
preposition:
Dux Italus… ¦
sagittā hostis ¦ paene necātus est │ the Italian commander was
almost injured ¦ by an arrow of the enemy [ = by an enemy sword]
Oculī ¦ gladiō
hostis ¦ vulnerātī sunt │ (his) eyes were injured ¦ by a sword
of the enemy [ = by an enemy sword]
[iv] The imperfect
tense of esse + the perfect passive
participle = had been done although, depending on context, it may be
possible to translate the construction literally:
ille dux … erat vulnerātus │ that commander had been injured [or: was injured]
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