Subjunctive Review 4: Uses in subordinate clauses

The key to understanding the subjunctive is doubt or unreality.

1. Purpose clauses: take present or imperfect subjunctive and are introduced by ut (uti), ne, quo (if there is a comparative in the main clause), or a relative pronoun or adverb.

C. II.6.27 ut etiam pro Scipione pollicear...

V. 1.412-14 et multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu, / cernere ne quis eos neu quis contingere posset / molirive moram aut veniendi poscere causas.

V. 1.554 ut Italiam laeti Latiumque petamus.

V. 1.643-5 Aeneas ... rapidum ad navis praemittit Acharen, / Ascanio ferat haec ipsumque ad moenia ducat.

V. 1. 659-60; 1.674; 1.682

Jussive noun clauses with ut, ne follow verbs like moneo, rogo, oro, peto, postulo, precor, mando, impero, praecipio, persuadeo, hortor, permitto, concedo, non patior

V. 4.16

C. II.4.6 quam ut adipiscantur omnes optant...

Verbs of hindering, preventing with quin, quominus [prohibeo, impedio, deterreo]

dum can be used to introduce purpose clauses: V. 1.5-6 dum conderet urbem inferretque deos Latio...

Purpose clauses can be introduced by relative pronouns:

C. I.2.3 quo uterque nostrum communiter uteretur...

C. 1.2.13 quo [=ut eo] maiorem auctoritatem haberet oratio ...

V. 1.20 Tyrias olim quae verteret arces.

V. 1.705-6 pares aetate ministri, qui dapibus mensis onerent et pocula ponant.

2. Result clauses: are introduced by ut, ut non or a relative. A word like tantus, talis, sic, ita, tam, adeo, tot, forms of is ea id, often serves as a clue in the main clause.

C. I.2.5 Mihi quidem ita iucunda huius libri confection fuit, ut non modo absterserit senectutus molestias, sed effecerit mollem etiam et iucundam senestutem.

C. II. 4.27 ... sic odiosa est, ut onus se Aetna gravius dicant sustinere.

Substantive clauses of result, after verbs like facio, efficio, and the impersonals, fit, evenit, fieri potest, accedit, relinquitur.

C. VI.16.18 Ad Appi Claudi senectutem accedebat etiam ut caecus esset.

V. 1.73-5 [result or purpose] ... propriam dicabo / omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos / exigat et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.

3. Relative clauses of characteristic express a quality of a general or indefinite antecedent. They are often introduced by such expressions as sunt qui, nemo est qui, quis est qui, etc.

C. II.4.4 quod naturae necessitas afferat...

C. VI.15.11-13 Nullae ne igitur res sunt seniles quae vel infirmis corporibus animo tamen administrentur?

4. Causal clauses introduced by cum go into the subjunctive. Those introduced by quod and quia take the indicative unless they are giving a reason that is not the speaker's own, in which case they go into the subjunctive.

C. II.5.20 cum ceterae partes aetatis bene discripae sint

C. III.7.15 quod spernerentur

C. V.15.2- quod avocet ... quod corpus faciat infirmius ... quod privet ... quod haud procul absit a morte...

5. Temporal clauses usually go into the indicative. But cum when it introduces a clause that gives the general situation or circumstances takes the subjunctive. Priusquam takes the subjunctive when the action is anticipated or designed (Pharr 376a).

C. IV.11.16 augurque cum esset...

V. 1.193-4 nec prius absistit quam septem ingentia victor / corpora fundat humi et numerum cum navibus aequet.

V. 1.471-3 Tydides ... ardentisque avertit equos in castra prius quam / pabula gustassent Trojae Xanthumque bibissent.

6. Subordinate clauses in indirect statement take the indicative if they are true independently of the indirect quotation; otherwise they take the subjunctive.

C. IV.11. 16- dicere ausus est optimis auspiciis ea geri quae pro rei publicae salute gererentur...

V. 2.176-179

 

7. Indirect questions are introduced by verbs of asking, telling, wondering.

C. II.6.8 videre quale sit...

C. V.13.14 cur tam diu vellet esse in vitam...

C. V.15.2 quattuor reperio causas cur senectus misera videatur...

V. 1.8-11 mihi causas memora ... quidve dolen regina deum ... impulerit.

V. 1.218-19 spemque metumque inter dubii, seu vivere credant / sive extrema pati nec jam exaudire vocatos.

V. 1.307-9 quas vento accesserit oras / qui teneant (nam inculta videt), hominesne feraene, / quaerere constituit...

V. 1.331-2 quibus in oris jactemur doceas...

V. 1.454 dum quae fortuna sit urbi ... miratur

8. Concessive clauses: after cum, quamvis, licet take the subjunctive.

9. Proviso clauses with dum, dummodo, modo take the subjunctive.

C. VII.22.24 modo permaneat studium et industria...

10. Conditions

Future less vivid: "should-would" present subjunctive in both clauses

C. nisi eam exerceas aut etiam sis natura tardior...

V. 1.18 si qua fata sinant ...

V. 1.372-3 O dea, si prima repetens ab origine pergam / et vacet annalis nostrorum audire laborum, / ante diem clauso componet Vesper Olympo.

Contrary to fact: in present time, imperfect subjunctive in both clauses; past time, pluperfect subjunctive in both clauses. They can also be in mixed time (one clause in present, the other in past).

C. II.4.11-12 qui minus gravis esset eis senectus si octagenesimum annum agerent quam si octogesimum?

C. IV.11.11 nisi tu amississes numquam recepissem...

V. 4.15  Pharr, 282 c "In poetry the present subjunctive is often used in both clauses of an unreal condition." See A&G 517e.

V. 1. 58-8 ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum / quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.

General Conditions [A&G 514 D]

Conditions in Pliny

Future More Vivid Conditions: future (or future perfect) in both clauses.

English uses the present in the "IF" clause, but Latin uses the future or future perfect. If you DO this, you WILL do well.

Si id facies bene facies.

Pliny 1.1 Si quas addidero, non supprimam. If I add any I will not hold them back.

Pliny 1.3 hoc numquam tuum desinet esse, si semel coeperit.

Pliny 1.5 respondebo si de hoc centumviri iudicaturi sunt.

Future less vivid: "should-would" present subjunctive in both clauses

Pliny 1.9 Nam si quem interroges "hodie quid egisti?", respondeat "officio togae virilis interfui...

Contrary to fact: in present time, imperfect subjunctive in both clauses [WERE...WOULD]; past time, pluperfect subjunctive in both clauses [HAD...WOULD HAVE]. They can also be in mixed time (one clause in present, the other in past) and they are not always complete "textbook" examples.

Pliny 1.5 si respondissem "bene" If I had answered "well"

Pliny 4.13 totum etiam pollicerer, nisi timerem ne ... I would even promise the whole sum, if I were not afraid that...

Pliny 6.20 surgebam, invicem, si quiesceret, excitaturus "I was getting up, if she were sleeping [I was going] to awaken her"

Conditions can be mixed:

Tacitus G2 quis ... Germaniam peteret ... nisi si patria sit?