172 THE ABLATIVE OF SPECIFICATION
b. On the other hand, when the cum clause describes the circumstances under which the main act took place, the subjunctive mood is used. So, in the second example, the principal clause states that Cæsar made an attack, and the cum clause describes the circumstances under which this act occurred. The idea of time is also present, but it is subordinate to the idea of description. Sometimes the descriptive clause is one of cause and we translate cum by since; sometimes it denotes concession and cum is translated although.
396. Rule. Constructions with Cum. The conjunction cum means when, since, or although. It is followed by the subjunctive unless it means when and its clause fixes the time at which the main action took place.
Note. Cum in clauses of description with the subjunctive is much more common than its use with the indicative.
397. Note the following sentences:
- Oppidum erat parvum magnitūdine sed magnum multitūdine hominum, the town was small in size but great in population.
- Homō erat corpore īnfīrmus sed validus animō, the man was weak in body but strong in courage.
a. Observe that magnitūdine, multitūdine, corpore, and animō tell in what respect something is true. The relation is one covered by the ablative case, and the construction is called the ablative of specification.
398. Rule. Ablative of Specification. The ablative is used to denote in what respect something is true.
399.
IDIOMS
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aliquem certiōrem facere, to inform some one (lit. to make some one more certain) certior fierī, to be informed (lit. to be made more certain) iter dare, to give a right of way, allow to pass obsidēs inter sē dare, to give hostages to each other |
400.
EXERCISES
I.
- Helvētiī cum patrum nostrōrum tempore domō prefectī essent, cōnsulis exercitum in fugam dederant.
- Cum Caesar in Galliam vēnit, Helvētiī aliōs agrōs petēbant.
- Caesar cum in citeriōre Gallia esset, tamen dē Helvētiōrum cōnsiliīs certior fīēbat.
