06.08.26; Level 3+; Subjunctive [81] dependent uses [10] antequam / priusquam (1)

antequam; priusquam

[1] Both are conjunctions meaning ‘before’ and introduce a subordinate clause of time.

[2] Both consist of two parts:

ante (before) + quam (than)

prius (sooner) + quam (than)

[3] Both can be written as:

• one word: antequam / priusquam
• two words: ante quam / prius quam
• two words separated by other words: ante … quam / prius … quam

[4] Both can be followed by a verb  in either [A] the indicative or [B] the subjunctive.

Compare these two sentences in English:

[A] Before the train arrived, I had breakfast.

• The arrival of the train is presented as a past fact; “I had breakfast and then the train arrived.”

[B] I decided to have breakfast before the train arrived; “I had breakfast, but the train had not yet arrived.”

• The arrival of the train was still expected.

English does not necessarily change its verb form to convey the two different ideas. However, look at the second pair of examples:

[A] Before he spoke, he thought about his answer carefully;

• Implication: he thought and then he spoke (factual).

[B] I gave him the answer before he could (even) speak.

• Implication: the action is not simply expected, but rather it did not happen at all. This is emphsised by the use of ‘could’.

Latin uses:

[A] the indicative when a point in time in the past is presented as factual

[B] the subjunctive when the point in time in the past had not yet taken place. In grammar, this can be described as prospective, for example the speaker intended to do something, or expected something to happen – but it had not yet happened, and may, in fact, never have happened.

[A] Antequam tuās lēgī [indicative] litterās, hominem īre cupiēbam (Cicero)

• Before I read your letter, I wanted the man to go.

i.e. Cicero refers to a factual point in time in the past.

Priusquam tuās lēgī hās proximās litterās, quaesīvī dē meā Tulliā (Cicero)

• Before I read this letter of yours, I asked about my Tullia

Antequam ā tē proximē discessī, numquam mihi venit in mentem … (Cicero)

• It never occurred to me before I left you the other day …

Caesar priusquam eōdem est profectus, lūna hōrā circiter sextā vīsa est (Bellum Hispāniēnse)

• Before Caesar set out for the same place, the moon was seen at about the sixth hour.

[B]

Subitō cōnsilium cēpī, ut, antequam lūcēret [subjunctive], exīrem (Cicero)

• I suddenly decided to leave town before it got light.

Quam priusquam aperuissem, dīxī eī tē ad mē dē eō scrīpsisse anteā (Cicero)

• Before I opened it, I told him that you had written to me about him before.

In this example, the point in time is not expected, but simply did not happen; note the translator’s use of ‘could’ to make that clear:

Priusquam tū suum sibi vēnderēs, ipse possēdit (Cicero)

• Before you could sell him his own property, he himself took possession of it.

Note this example from Caesar:

… priusquam id efficī posset, adesse Rōmānōs nūntiātur [present] (Caesar)

• … before this could be accomplished, it was announced that the Romans were present. 

i.e. Caesar uses a present tense in the main clause – known as the historical present – to make the action appear more immediate. However, the entire event was in the past and so the imperfect subjunctive verb with priusquam still indicates that the action was still not completed at the time.

[3] When antequam and priusquam are referring to future actions, the indicative is generally used:

Litterās dēs, antequam discēdimus (Cicero)

• You should give (me) a letter before I [Cicero: “we”] leave.

Priusquam dē cēterīs rēbus respondeō, dē amīcitiā pauca dīcam (Cicero)

• Before I reply concerning the rest of the matters, I shall say a few things about friendship.

Antequam aliquō locō cōnsēderō, neque longās ā mē neque semper meā manū litterās exspectābis

• Nor will you expect long letters from me nor always letters in my own handwriting, before I have settled [literally: shall have settled] down somewhere.

[4] Examples of antequam and priusquam written as two words and separated by other words:

Neque prius fugere dēstitērunt quam ad flūmen pervēnērunt (Caesar)

• And they did not stop running before they reached the river.

Ante pūgnārī coeptum est quam satis īnstruerētur aciēs (Livy)

• The fight was begun before the line could be properly formed.

prius ad hostium castra pervēnit quam quid agerētur Germānī sentīre possent (Caesar) 

• he arrived at the enemy's camp before the Germans could perceive what was happening.