39.13 You have now seen how Greek often links depictions of actions together by making one or more of the verbs participles. We also know that a participle always modifies its ANTECEDENT (i.e., the noun or pronoun that it describes). If the antecedent is not part of the main sentence, however, a problem arises: what should be the case of the noun/pronoun and participle pair, if they are not connected grammatically with the rest of the sentence?
In this situation, there is sort of a default setting. If the antecedent of the participle is not part of the main sentence, then both this noun and the participle go into the GENITIVE case. This construction is called the GENITIVE ABSOLUTE (< Latin absolutus, i.e., “cast off” or “freed” from the rest of the sentence).
The genitive case has no particular meaning other than to mark the phrase as a DEPENDENT CLAUSE consisting of a CIRCUMSTANTIAL PARTICIPLE and its ANTECEDENT. As such, a genitive absolute is translated like any other circumstantial participle.
For example, consider the following sentence, which does not have a genitive absolute:
- ἀφίκοντο μὲν οἱ πολέμιοι, ἐκ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐλείπομεν.
- The enemy arrived, but we were leaving the city.
Greeks often preferred to express such sentences by converting one of the clauses into a genitive absolute construction:
- ἀφικομένων τῶν πολεμίων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐλείπομεν.
- When the enemy arrived, we were (already) leaving the city.
39.14 Context within a passage will help determine the most appropriate translation of a genitive absolute.
- τῶν πολεμίων ταῦτα ποιησάντων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐλίπομεν.
- When the enemy had done these things, we left the city.
- Because the enemy had done these things, we left the city.
- Although the enemy had done these things, we left the city.
- After the enemy had done these things, we left the city.
- Since the enemy had done these things, we left the city.
- τῶν βασιλέων καταλυθέντων οἱ στρατηγοὶ τὴν πόλιν κατέσχον.
- When the kings had been deposed, the generals occupied the city.
- Because the kings had been deposed, the generals occupied the city.
- Although the kings had been deposed, the generals occupied the city.
- After the kings had been deposed, the generals occupied the city.
- Since the kings had been deposed, the generals occupied the city.