What do I most need to know about ablative absolutes?
Show me some examples of English equivalents.
Show me some Latin ablative absolutes with translations.
Give me some exercises on ablative absolutes.
Remember:
The Latin word absolutus means detached, set off, or loosened.
Ablative absolutes are Latin phrases based on a word in the ablative case and in a way detached or set off or loosened from the rest of the sentence. (This means that they do not grammatically interrelate very closely with the other words of the sentence. They have a certain independence.)
Ablative absolutes usually consist of a noun and an adjective. The adjective is often a participle (present like running, or past like done).
The noun is usually not mentioned at all in the sentence's main clause.
This structure is best learned by examples. First consider some phrases in English that are used absolutely. Notice the nouns in green and adjectives in red.
Absolute Construction |
Main Clause |
|
1. Weather permitting, |
we will have the picnic there. |
|
2. God willing, |
their freedom will be preserved. |
|
3. All things considered, |
you are not a bad Latinist. |
|
> > |
4. You owe me ten dollars, |
|
5. Dishes done, |
she prepared to leave for her engagement that night. |
|
> > |
6. They broke through the swinging doors of the saloon, |
|
> > |
7. He stood there, |
|
8. Time permitting, |
we will have a contest at the end of class. |
|
> > |
9. They had an all-out fight, |
|
10. Tears running down her cheeks, |
she finally admitted to herself that she could never abandon the study of Latin grammar if she wanted to achieve true happiness. |
|
> > |
11. The replacement will be sent next week, |
|
> > |
12. Your money will be refunded, |
Nota Bene: The following sentence does not include an absolute phrase:
Run ragged by the heavy schedule, they dropped out.
Run ragged modifies they. Adjectival phrases modifying a word in the sentence are not "absolute."
Compare:
Fully loaded, the plane took off.
Loaded describes the plane. The phrase is not absolute, but in Latin, it would have to interact with the syntax of the main clause: the adjective loaded would have to take the same gender, number, and case as the word plane.
The cargo fully loaded, the plane took off.
Cargo loaded is "detached" and loaded modifies only a word within its own phrase. This phrase is therefore an absolute.
Famous Latin Ablative Absolutes
mutatis mutandis
with the things that need to be changed (mutandis) having been changed (mutatis)
ceteris paribus
with the other things being equal
his dictis
these things having been said (after these things had been said)
vice versa
with the alternation turned around to its opposite, reversely
lite pendente
with the lawsuit pending
Cn. Pompeio et M. Crasso consulibus
[or the names of any two consuls, to designate a particular year in Roman history]: in the year of the consulate of Gnaeus Pompeius and Marcus Crassus (with Gnaeus Pompeius and Marcus Crassus being the consuls) — N.B.: Here two nouns are enough to fashion an ablative absolute: the idea of being is understood.
Further Latin Examples of the Ablative Absolute with Translations
|
porro autem anxius erat dubitans, in maximo scelere, tantis ciuibus deprehensis, quid facto opus esset: |
Yet still he was distressed, in doubt about what needed to be done about such an awful crime, which involved the arrest of such important citizens [lit: with such important citizens arrested]. |
|
At Fulvia, insolentiae Curi causâ cognitâ, tale periculum rei publicae haud occultum habuit, |
But Fulvia, when the reason for Curius's arrogant behavior became known, did not keep quiet about such a great threat to the republic. [Or: But Fulvia, when she had discovered the reason for Curius's impertinence,...] |
|
quid intra moenia deprensis hostibus faciatis? |
What would you do after catching the enemy inside the walls? |
|
in pace uero quod beneficiis magis quam metu imperium agitabant et acceptâ iniuriâ ignoscere quam persequi malebant. |
But in peace, because they conducted their administration on the basis of benefits rather than fear, when they suffered an injury, they preferred to pardon rather than avenge it. |
|
sed civitas incredibile memoratu est adeptâ libertate quantum brevi creverit. |
But it is hard to imagine how much the state grew in a short time, once it had acquired its freedom, |
|
contione habitâ |
when an assembly was held or after holding an assembly |
|
Catilina demisso vultu voce supplici postulare a patribus coepit ne quid de se temere crederent: |
Catiline, turning his gaze downward [lit: with downturned face], began to beg the senators in a suppliant tone that they not be too quick to believe anything about himself. |
|
necato filio |
after his son had been killed |
|
obsidibusque datis |
after hostages had been given |
|
impedimentis relictis |
leaving their baggage behind [lit: their baggage abandoned] |
|
his rebus ita actis |
when these things had been carried out in this way |
|
prope iam desperata salute |
when all hope of rescue had now almost been given up |
|
signo dato |
when the signal had been given |
|
eo absente |
since he was absent |
|
compluribus expugnatis oppidis |
when several towns had been captured |
|
inîta hieme |
since winter had begun |
|
pace facta |
after peace had been made |
Further Exercises on the Ablative Absolute
authentic examples from Sallust and Caesar
1. per dedecora patrimoniis amissis
2. per Sangam consilio cognito
3. sine tumultu praesidiis collocatis
4. abdicato magistratu
5. aduersis uulneribus
6. Aenea duce
7. amissâ animâ
8. amissis bonis
9. amisso patrimonio
10. annitente Crasso
11. appellato Crasso
12. armis receptâ re publicâ
13. bello confecto
14. captâ urbe
15. causâ cognitâ
16. cito cognito consilio
17. cognito indicio
18. comitiis habitis
19. confecto proelio
20. confirmato animo
21. coniuratione patefacta
22. consilio communicato
23. constitutâ nocte qua proficiscerentur
24. consulente Cicerone
25. contione aduocatâ
26. conuocato senatu
27. corruptis moribus
28. cum Catilina data atque accepta fide
29. demisso uultu
30. deuictis Atheniensibus
31. dispositis praesidiis ut res atque tempus monebat
32. eâ re cognitâ
33. eo praesente
34. exaequato periculo
35. fascibus correptis
36. grege facto
37. his rebus comparatis
38. immutato more
39. L.Caesare et C.Figulo consulibus
40. L.Tullo et M'.Lepido consulibus
41. languentibus aliis
42. mutatâ mente
43. obstinatis animis
44. omnibus arbitris procul amotis
45. omnibus rebus exploratis
46. paratis magnis copiis
47. perlectis litteris
48. perterritis ac dubitantibus ceteris
49. praesidiis additis
50. praesidiis dispositis
51. quibus rebus confectis
52. re cognita
53. remotis omnium equis
54. simul caede et incendio perculsis omnibus
55. sublato auctore
56. superbiâ atque deliciis omissis
57. uolentibus omnibus bonis
58. secundis aliquot proeliis factis
59. castellisque compluribus eorum expugnatis
60. missis ad eum undique legatis
61. non magna adiecta planitie
62. detractis cohortibus duabus
63. compluribus singillatim, qui commeatûs petendi causa missi erant, absentibus
64. his nuntiis acceptis
65. deditione facta
66. obsidibusque acceptis
67. consilio celeriter convocato
68. interclusis itineribus
69. hoc reservato ad extremum consilio
70. brevi spatio interiecto
71. languidioribusque nostris
72. eruptione factâ
73. convocatis centurionibus
74. dato signo
75. omnibus portis eruptione facta
76. commutata fortuna
77. plus tertia parte interfecta
78. omnibus hostium copiis fusis
79. armisque exutis
80. Quo proelio facto
81. omnibus eius vici aedificiis incensis
82. nullo hoste prohibente aut iter demorante
83. His rebus gestis
84. expulsis Germanis
85. victis in Alpibus Sedunis
86. paucis portibus interiectis
87. celeriter missis legatis per suos principes
88. His rebus celeriter administratis
89. cognito Caesaris adventu
90. His inîtis consiliis
91. datis obsidibus
92. hac parte neglecta
93. rursus minuente aestu
94. extruso mari aggere ac molibus
95. his oppidi moenibus adaequatis
96. magno numero navium adpulso
97. magnis aestibus,
98. raris ac prope nullis portibus
99. captis oppidis
100. turribus autem excitatis
101. navigio remis incitato
102. quibus abscisis
103. his ereptis
104. deiectis, ut diximus, antemnis,
105. expugnatis compluribus navibus
106. conversis in eam partem navibus
107. quibus amissis
108. omni senatu necato
109. productis copiis
110. oportunitate aliqua data
111. hâc confirmatâ opinione timoris
112. qua re concessa
113. explorata victoria
114. sarmentis virgultisque collectis
115. Impeditis hostibus propter ea quae ferebant onera
116. exercitu pulso
117. impedimentis amissis
118. re frumentaria provisa
119. auxiliis equitatuque comparato
120. multis praeterea viris fortibus Tolosa et Carcasone et Narbone, quae sunt civitates Galliae provinciae finitimae his regionibus, nominatim evocatis
121. cuius adventu cognito
122. magnis copiis coactis, equitatuque, quo plurimum valebant,
123. equitatu suo pulso
124. insequentibus nostris
125. adulescentulo duce
126. quorum magno numero interfecto
127. quibus fortiter resistentibus
128. eruptione temptata
129. cuniculis ad aggerem vineasque actis
130. qua re impetrata
131. in eam rem omnium nostrorum intentis animis
132. eo interfecto
133. clamore ab ea parte munitionis sublato
134. armis obsidibusque acceptis
135. hâc rê ad consilium delatâ
136. productis omnibus copiis
137. duplici acie instituta
138. auxiliis in mediam aciem coniectis
139. obsessis viis
140. commeatu intercluso
141. hoc consilio probato ab ducibus,
142. productis Romanorum copiis
143. hac re perspecta
144. omnibus cupientibus
145. multis telis coniectis
146. lapidibus telisque subministrandis
147. ad aggerem caespitibus comportandis
148. circumitis hostium castris
149. eductis iis cohortibus quae praesidio castris relictae intritae ab labore erant,
150. longiore itinere circumductis,
151. omnium oculis mentibusque ad pugnam intentis
152. his prorutis
153. clamore ab ea parte audito
154. redintegratis viribus
155. desperatis omnibus rebus
156. ex milium L numero, quae ex Aquitania Cantabrisque convenisse constabat, vix quartâ parte relictâ
157. hâc auditâ pugnâ
158. omni Gallia pacatâ
159. dispersis in opere nostris
160. compluribus interfectis
161. magno spatio paucis diebus confecto
162. vastatis omnibus eorum agris
163. vicis aedificiisque incensis
Latin Teaching Materials at Saint Louis University: © Claude Pavur 1997 - 2009. This material is being made freely available for non-commercial educational use.
