06.09.26: Level 3+; Conditional clauses [6]: unreal conditions (1) introduction; future less vivid

Unreal conditions refer to :

[1] hypothetical or ideal situations i.e. imagining a scenario that, in the speaker’s mind, is unlikely to happen. They are sometimes referred to as improbable conditions:

(Psycho)

Wouldn't it be better if you put her in... someplace...?

Sam, if you owned a useless business like this motel... what would you need to get away?

It might save me a lot of leg-work if I could just talk to your mother.

(Wizard of Oz)

SCARECROW

Oh, I'm a failure, because I haven't got a brain.

DOROTHY

Well, what would you do with a brain if you had one?

(Fiddler on the Roof)

Would it spoil some vast eternal plan
If I were a wealthy man?

(Cabaret)

Go on, tell me
I will listen

What would you do
If you were me?

All of the conditions quoted above refer to an imagined or ideal future scenario.

Equally, unreal conditions can refer to the present or to the past:

If he were here now, we would be drinking wine together.

If he had arrived sooner, we could have gone to the cinema.

Latin conveys all these ideas using the subjunctive. We will look at them separately:

future less vivid

[1] In the previous posts, the term future more vivid was discussed. The terms future more vivid and future less vivid, although rather clumsy, are the ones commonly used in Latin grammar books.

Compare:

[i] Future more vivid: If you give me the money, I’ll buy a cake; Latin: indicative mood

[ii] Future less vivid: If you gave me the money, I would buy a cake; Latin: subjunctive mood

Even if English does not use a subjunctive form, it changes tense forms to convey the different perspectives of the speaker.

Both sentences describe a possible result, but the shift in verb forms shows that the speaker sees the situation in [i] as more likely than [ii].

[i] the speaker treats the scenario as open / likely = real condition

[ii] the speaker conveys an ideal scenario that is underpinned by doubt = unreal condition

In other words, as soon as doubt creeps in, so does the subjunctive!

[2] The future less vivid conditional is expressed by the present subjunctive:

Sī vīcīnus tuus equum meliorem habeat [present subjunctive] quam tuus est, tuumne equum mālīs [present subjunctive] an illīus? (Cicero)

• If / supposing your neighbour had a better horse than yours, would you prefer your horse or his?

i.e. this is a hypothetical scenario, Cicero supposing a situation that may occur in the future, but which he considers is unlikely to happen.

If your neighbour had a better horse …

In English, the simple past (‘had’) can often be replaced by were to (do something) or should (do something). Although it can sound rather formal or archaic, it is useful to remember that as a way of “testing” what type of conditional is being used:

If you gave / were to give / should give me the money, I would buy a cake.

Sī nunc mē suspendam [present subjunctive], meīs inimīcīs voluptātem creāverim [perfect subjunctive] (Plautus)

• If I were to hang myself now, I would simply have created pleasure for my enemies.

i.e. the character in the play refers to an action in the future – even if it is imminent – but his use of the subjunctive shows that he has no real intentions of doing it!

Examples

Note that translations may convey the subjunctive idea in different ways.

Sī crās adsit, hanc rogātiōnem suādeat

• If he were / should be present tomorrow, he would speak for this bill.

Sī quis eum cōnspiciat, comprehendātur.

• If anyone caught sight / should catch sight / were to catch sight of him, he would be arrested.

Sī auxilium Poenīs submittāmus odium Rōmānōrum subeāmus.

• If we were to send help to the Carthaginians we would incur the hatred of the Romans.

 Sī ille eō dēscendat, contrā dīcī nihil possit (Cicero)

• If he were to condescend, nothing could be said against it.

Quod ille sī faciat, iam iam ā bonīs omnibus summam ineat grātiam (Cicero)

• And if he were to do that, he would win the highest favour from all the best men.

Sī illinc beneficium nōn sit, rēctius putem quidvīs domī perpetī (Cicero)

• If there should be no favour from that side, I should think it better to endure whatever comes at home.

06.09.26: Level 3+; Conditional clauses [5]: real conditions (3) practice

[1]

Complete the Latin sentences with verbs from the list below.

(1) [A] If you do this, [B] you are wrong.

[A] Sī hoc __________ [B] __________

(2) [A] If you did this, [B] you were wrong.

[A] Sī hoc __________ [B] __________

(3) [A] If you (will) do this, [B] you will be wrong.

[A] Sī hoc __________ , [B] __________

(4) [A] If they were asked for help, [B] they gave it willingly.

[A] Sī auxilium __________ , [B] libenter id __________.

(5) [A] Unless you (will) give me the money, [B] I won’t be able to buy the horse.

[A] Nisi mihi pecūniam __________, [B] equum emere __________.

(6) [A] If you have not sent the letter, [B] he won’t know what has happened.

[A] Sī litterās __________, [B] __________ quid acciderit.

(7) [A] If we reach [will have reached] the camp, [B] we will be safe.

[A] Sī ad castra __________, [B] tūtī __________.

(8) [A] If they (will) take up arms against the country, [B] they will all be killed.

[A] Sī arma __________ contrā patriam, [B] omnēs __________.

(9) [A] If he saw a poor man, [B] he always tried to help him.

[A] Sī pauperem __________, [B] semper eum adiuvāre __________.

(10) [A] If we head straight for Rome, [B] we will dine on the Capitol tonight.

[A] Sī rēctō cursū Rōmam __________, [B] hāc nocte in Capitōliō __________.

[A]

dabis; faciēs; facis; fēcistī; nōn mīseris; pervēnerimus; petēmus; rogābantur; sument; vidēbat

[B]

cēnābimus; cōnābātur; dabant; erimus; errābis; errās; errāvistī; interficientur; nesciet; nōn poterō

[2]

In this exercise, look out for:

sī quandō: if ever

sī / nisi quis (nom.) / quem (acc.): if / unless anybody

sī quid: if anything

sī modo: if only; provided that; as long as …

(1) I never make a promise unless I can keep my word.

Numquam  __________ __________ fidem praestāre __________

(2) Do not leave the house unless I tell you to.

__________ domum __________ __________ __________

(3) They always gave money to the poor, if they seemed to need it.

Pauperibus, __________ indigēre __________, semper pecūniam __________.

(4) If anyone has wronged me, I take my revenge on him by law.

__________ mihi iniūriam __________, lēgibus poenās dē eō __________.

(5) Neverthless, I would like you to write to me, if there is anything, about Antony’s arrival.

__________ tamen, __________ est, dē Antōnī adventū … __________ ad mē

(6) If only [ = as long as / provided that] we have entered Italy, I will lead you straight to Rome.

__________ Ītaliam __________, rēctō itinere Rōmam vōs __________.

(7) Unless someone studies carefully, he understands nothing.

__________ dīligenter __________, nihil __________.

(8) If he saw anyone enduring wrongs, he always wanted to help him.

__________ indigna patientem vidēbat, eum semper adiuvāre volēbat.

(9) If ever I am reciting, she sits nearby separated by a curtain.

Eadem, __________ __________, in proximō discrēta vēlō __________ (Pliny)

(10) If ever our men … had tied up a ship, from every side (the enemy) ran to the aid of their struggling comrades.

__________ nostrī... nāvem __________, undique suīs labōrantibus __________ (Caesar)

nisi; nisi; nisi quis; sī; sī modo; sī quandō; sī quandō; sī quem; sī quid; sī quis

dedērunt; discit; dūcam; fēcit; intellegit; intrāverimus; iusserō; nōlī … relinquere; possum; prōmittō; recitō; religāverant; scrībās; sedet; succurrēbant; sūmō; velim; vidēbantur; vidēbat; volēbat

____________________

[1]

(1) [A] facis [B] errās

(2) [A] fēcistī [B] errāvistī

(3) [A] faciēs [B] errābis

(4) [A] rogābantur [B] dabant

(5) [A] dabis [B] nōn poterō

(6) [A] nōn mīseris [B] nesciet

(7) [A] pervēnerimus [B] erimus

(8) [A] sument [B] interficientur

(9) [A] vidēbat [B] cōnābātur

(10) [A] petēmus [B] cēnābimus

[2]

(1) Numquam prōmittō nisi fidem praestāre possum.

(2) Nōlī domum relinquere nisi iusserō.

(3) Pauperibus, sī indigēre vidēbantur, semper pecūniam dedērunt.

(4) Sī quis mihi iniūriam fēcit, lēgibus poenās dē eō sūmō.

(5) Velim tamen, sī quid est, dē Antōnī adventū … scrībās ad mē.

(6) Sī modo Ītaliam intrāverimus, rēctō itinere Rōmam vōs dūcam.

(7) Nisi quis dīligenter discit, nihil intellegit.

(8) Sī quem indigna patientem vidēbat, eum semper adiuvāre volēbat.

(9) Eadem, sī quandō recitō, in proximō discrēta vēlō sedet (Pliny)

(10) Sī quandō nostrī... nāvem religāverant, undique suīs labōrantibus succurrēbant.

05.09.26: Level 3; Reading (review); [34] [1] Scipio’s triumph

Scipio had managed to beat Rome’s most dangerous enemy, the Carthaginian Hannibal, in Africa. This is a description of his arrival in Rome afterwards:

Iam nōnnūllās hōrās magna multitūdō hominum victōrem legiōnēsque eius exspectat. Subitō ūnus ex multitūdine:

“Vidētisne agmen prīmum? Iam tubae, iam carmina mīlitum sonant! Āfricāne! Āfricāne!”

“Quid clāmant hominēs? Num Scīpiōnī novum nōmen datum est?”

“Certē! Victor Āfricānī bellī ā senātōribus nōmine Āfricānī honōrātus est, quod Poenōs foedere coercuit.”

“Spectā corpora elephantōrum! Quanta quamque firma sunt! Nōnne tū quoque terrēris?”

“Utrum mīlitēs nostrī magis rōbore eōrum an strīdōre territī sunt?”

“Ignōrō. Equidem et magnitūdine corporum et strīdōre terreor.”

“Ecce! Scīpiō ipse adest! Macte, Āfricāne! Ē summō discrīmine Rōmam servāvistī! Lūmen et decus populī Rōmānī es!”

“Bonīs cum ōminibus Rōmam intrās! Nunc tempora laeta erunt, nunc bellō et operibus Mārtis līberātī erimus!”

coerceō, -ēre, -uī, coercitus [2] (here) restrain; control; as in the English derivative coerce, /oe/ in the Latin verb are pronounced as separate vowels i.e. co-er-ceō

decus, -oris [3/n]: honour; glory

discrīmen, -inis [3/n]: (here) crisis; danger; risk

foedus, -eris [3/n]: treaty; alliance; agreement

rōbur, -oris [3/n]: [i] oak tree [ii] (here) strength; compare the English phrase “hearts of oak”

strīdor, -ōris [3/m]: harsh or shrill noise; (here) trumpeting (of the elephants)

macte: bravo! well done!

Careful reading needed:

Bonīs cum ōminibus Rōmam intrās!

Not a form of omnis, -e (all; every) but of ōmen, -inis [3/n]: omen

Notes:

[1] Iam nōnnūllās hōrās magna multitūdō hominum victōrem legiōnēsque eius exspectat.

Latin: expression of duration of time + present tense is conveyed by English present perfect continuous tense [has / have been doing something for a period of time]

For several hours now, a great crowd of people has been waiting.

[2] [i] Quanta [ii] quamque firma sunt!

quantus, -a, -um: how much, (pl.) how many; (here) how big i.e. quantus functions alone as an adjective specifically referring to size

quam (indeclinable) + other adjectives i.e. quam firma … sunt │ how strong they are

Both have an exclamatory function here, expressing a feeling e.g. wonderment in this context:

Spectā corpora elephantōrum! Quanta quamque firma sunt! │ Look at the bodies of the elephants! How big and (how) strong they are!

[3] bellō et operibus Mārtis līberātī erimus

The ablative – sometimes with prepositions – is used when x is “separated” from y, that separation being physical or abstract, positive or negative.

We will be free / will have been freed from war and (from) the works of Mars!

17.06.25: Level 3; summary of the uses of the ablative case [15]: the ablative of separation

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/170625-level-3-summary-of-of-uses-of.html

[4] Review: asking questions

[i] Nōnne tū quoque terrēris?

nōnne: surely …?; the question expects a positive reply

Surely, you’re frightened too? / You’re frightened too, aren’t you?

[ii] Num Scīpiōnī novum nōmen datum est?

num: surely …not?; the question expects a negative reply

Surely a new name hasn’t been given to Scipio? / A new name hasn’t been given to Scipio, has it?

Bear in mind, however, that translations may not distinguish these so precisely, and that, even if a question expects  either a positive or negative reply, it does not necessarily receive one.

Num Scīpiōnī novum nōmen datum est?│ A new name hasn’t been given to Scipio, has it?

Certē! Victor Āfricānī bellī ā senātōribus nōmine Āfricānī honōrātus est …”│“Certainly / of course (it has)! The victor of the African war has been honoured by the senators with the name ‘Africanus’”

[iii] Utrum mīlitēs nostrī magis rōbore eōrum an strīdōre territī sunt?”

utrum … an …: introduces an alternative or double question e.g. Is it X or Y? Do you have A or B? In this type of question utrum is not translated into English.

Were our soldiers more frightened [X] by their strength or [Y] by their trumpeting?”

25.07.25: Level 3; pronominal adjectives [6](2); utrum … an …; double questions

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/04/250725-level-3-pronominal-adjectives-62.html

[5] review: 3^rd declension neuter nouns; patterns

Remember that the term pattern does not imply that every noun is declined in the same way,  but note the common features of certain types of neuter nouns which do have consistent stem changes: there may be exceptions, but they are rare.

(a) -en > -inis

agmen, agminis

carmen, carminis

discrīmen, discrīminis

lūmen, lūminis

nōmen, nōminis

ōmen, ōminis

(b)   -us > -eris / -oris

corpus, corporis

decus, decoris

tempus, temporis

foedus, foederis

opus, operis

____________________

For several hours now, a great crowd of people has been waiting for the victorious general and his legions. Suddenly, one man from the crowd says:

“Do you see the first column? Already the trumpets, already the songs of the soldiers are sounding! Africanus! Africanus!”

“What are the people shouting? A new name hasn’t been given to Scipio, has it?”

“Certainly (it has)! The victor of the African war has been honoured by the senators with the name ‘Africanus,’ because he subdued the Carthaginians by a treaty.”

“Look at the bodies of the elephants! How large and how strong they are! Surely, you’re frightened too?”

“Were our soldiers more frightened by their strength or by their trumpeting?”

“I don’t know. I myself am frightened both by the size of their bodies and by their noise.”

“Look! Scipio himself is here! Well done, Africanus! You have saved Rome from the greatest danger! You are the light and glory of the Roman people!”

“With good omens you enter Rome! Now there will be happy times; now we will be free from war and the works of Mars!

04.09.26: Level 2 (review); Carolus et Maria [33] (3) comprehension [3]

Paragraph #1

Tandem “Valēte” Iūlia et amīca eius dīcunt, et Iūlia domum prōcēdit. Magnā cum laetitiā puer puellaque mātrem in oppidō accipiunt. Ubi omnēs casae appropinquant, Maria, “Aliquis ante iānuam nostram stat!” inquit. Omnēs ad casam currunt.

Paragraph #2

“Claudius sum,” inquit vir; “casam tuam, Iūlia, dēfendō. Herī nocte in viā ambulābam. Subitō lūcem in casā vīdī et aliquem ibi esse scīvī. Quod latrōnēs timēbam, fīnitimōs celeriter vocāvī. Ego et paucī fīnitimī latrōnēs ē casā expulimus. Quīdam ē latrōnibus vulnerātī sed nōn interfectī sunt. Posteā paucī captī sunt. Per reliquam noctem hīc mānsimus, quod iānua claudī nōn potest. Heu! Paucae rēs ē casā portātae sunt.”

Paragraph #3

Iūlia Claudiō grātiās agit ubi ille ā casā discēdit. Pecūnia quae erat in mēnsā reperīrī nōn potest. Latrōnēs hanc habent, sed parva est et māter nōn est maesta. Iterum omnēs sunt laetī quod nunc omnēs domī sunt.

[1] Which paragraph refers to:

approaching the house

being thankful

calling neighbours

defending the house

feeling very happy

money missing

not feeling sad

running to the house

seeing a light

someone at the door

staying for the rest of the night

thieves being driven out

walking on the road

[2] Which is the correct translation of each of the following extracts from the text?

[i] Ubi omnēs casae appropinquant, …

[A] When we approach all the houses, …

[B] When they all approach the house, …

[C] When all the houses are getting closer, …

[ii] aliquem ibi esse scīvī

[A] I knew someone who was there.

[B] Somebody knew I was there.

[C] I knew that someone was there.

[iii] Quod latrōnēs timēbam, fīnitimōs celeriter vocāvī.

[A] Because I quickly called the neighbours, the thieves were afraid.

[B] Because I feared the thieves, I quickly called the neighbours.

[C] I quickly called the neighbours because they feared the thieves.

[iv] Quīdam ē latrōnibus vulnerātī sed nōn interfectī sunt.

[A] Some of the thieves were wounded but not killed.

[B] Some of the thieves were wounded and killed.

[C] All of the thieves were wounded or killed.

[v] Posteā paucī captī sunt.

[A] Afterwards, they captured a few.

[B] After a few were captured, …

[C] Afterwards, a few were captured.

[vi] quod iānua claudī nōn potest

[A] the door which cannot be locked

[B] because the door cannot be locked

[C] because he cannot close the door

[vii] Paucae rēs ē casā portātae sunt.

[A] A few people carried things from the house.

[B] Small things were carried out of the house.

[C] A few things were carried out of the house.

[viii] Pecūnia quae erat in mēnsā reperīrī nōn potest.

[A] The money which was on the table cannot be found.

[B] What money cannot be found on the table?

[C] He cannot find the money which was on the table.
____________________

[1]

approaching the house [#1]

being thankful [#3]

calling neighbours [#2]

defending the house [#2]

feeling very happy [#1]

money missing [#3]

not feeling sad [#3]

running to the house [#1]

seeing a light [#2]

someone at the door [#1]

staying for the rest of the night [#2]

thieves being driven out [#2]

walking on the road [#2]

[2]

[i] B; [ii] C; [iii] B; [iv] A; [v] C; [vi] B; [vii] C; [viii] A

03.09.26: Level 1 (review); vocabulary [12]: actions (3)

Label the images; note: at this stage, do not be concerned with the terms “deponent” and “semi-deponent”* Those verbs work in a different way from the other verbs in the list. Simply be able to recognise their meanings.

amō, -āre [1]

auscultō, -āre [1]

clāmō, -āre [1]

cōgitō, -āre [1]

gustō, -āre [1]

lacrimō, -āre [1]

pōtō, -āre [1]

spectō, -āre [1]

____________________

doleō, -ēre [2]

fleō, -ēre [2]

gaudeō, -ēre [2 / semi-deponent]*

rīdeō, -ēre [2]

subrīdeō, -ēre [2]

timeō, -ēre [2]

videō, -ēre [2]

____________________

bibō, -ere [3]

dīcō, dīcere [3]

edō, edere [3]

loquor, loquī [3 / deponent]*

metuō, -ere [3]

tangō, -ere [3]

olfaciō, -ere [3-iō]

sapiō, -ere [3-iō]

____________________

audiō, -īre [4]

____________________