Chapter 521 Allen and Greenough's Latin Grammar Dickinson College Christopher Francese

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In many sentences properly conditional, the Protasis is not expressed by a conditional clause, but is stated in some other form of words or implied in the nature of the thought.

The condition may be implied in a Clause, or in a Participle, Noun, Adverb, or some other word or phrase:— facile mē paterer—illō ipsō iūdice quaerente —prō Sex. Rōsciō dīcere (Rosc. Am. 85) , I should readily allow myself to speak for Roscius if that very judge were conducting the trial. [Present contrary to fact: sī quaereret , paterer .] nōn mihi, nisi admonitō , vēnisset in mentem (De Or. 2.180) , it would not have come into my mind unless [I had been] reminded. [Past contrary to fact: nisi admonitus essem .] nūlla alia gēns tantā mōle clādis nōn obruta esset (Liv. 22.54) , there is no other people that would not have been crushed by such a weight of disaster. [Past contrary to fact: sī alia fuisset .] nēmō umquam sine māgnā spē immortālitātis sē prō patriā offerret ad mortem (Tusc. 1.32) , no one, without great hope of immortality, would ever expose himself to death for his country. [Present contrary to fact: nisi māgnam spem habēret .] quid hunc paucōrum annōrum accessiō iuvāre potuisset (Lael. 11) , what good could the addition of a few years have done him (if they had been added)? [Past contrary to fact: sī accessissent .] quid igitur mihi ferārum laniātus oberit nihil sentientī (Tusc. 1.104) , what harm will the mangling by wild beasts do me if I don't feel anything (feeling nothing)? [Future more vivid: sī nihil sentiam .] incitāta semel prōclīvī lābuntur sustinērīque nūllō modō possunt ( id . 4.42), if once given a push, they slide down rapidly and can in no way be checked. [Present General: sī incitāta sunt .] In several phrases denoting necessity , propriety , or the like, the Imperfect, Perfect, or Pluperfect Indicative of esse is used in the apodosis of a condition contrary to fact, the protasis being implied in a subject infinitive (cf. 517. c ):— quantō melius fuerat prōmissum nōn esse servātum (Off. 3.94) , how much better would it have been if the promise had not been kept! [ prōmissum ... servātum = sī prōmissum nōn esset servātum .] morī praeclārum fuit (Att. 8.2.2) , it would have been honorable to die. sed erat aequius Triārium aliquid dē dissēnsiōne nostrā iūdicāre (Fin. 2.119) , but it would be more equitable if Triarius passed judgment on our dispute. [ Triārium iūdicāre = sī Triārius iūdicāret .] satius fuit āmittere mīlitēs (Inv. 2.73) , it would have been better to lose the soldiers. [ āmittere = sī āmīsisset .]

The condition may be contained in a wish ( Optative Subjunctive ), or expressed as an exhortation or command ( Hortatory Subjunctive or Imperative ):— utinam quidem fuissem ! molestus nōbīs nōn esset (Fam. 12.3) , I wish I had been [chief]: he would not now be troubling us (i.e. if I had been). [Optative Subjunctive.] nātūram expellās furcā, tamen ūsque recurret (Hor. Ep. 1.10.24) , drive out nature with a pitchfork, still she will ever return. [Hortatory.] rogēs enim Aristōnem, neget (Fin. 4.69) , for ask Aristo , he would deny. manent ingenia senibus, modo permaneat studium et industria (Cat. M. 22) , old men keep their mental powers, only let them keep their zeal and diligence (§ 528 . N.). [Hortatory.] tolle hanc opīniōnem, lūctum sustuleris (Tusc. 1.30) , remove this notion, and you will have done away with grief. [Imperative.] The so-called Concessive Subjunctive with ut and nē often has the force of protasis (§ 527 . a. N.): as, ut enim ratiōnem Platō nūllam adferret , ipsā auctōritāte mē frangeret (Tusc. 1.49) , even if Plato gave no reasons , [still] he would overpower me by his mere authority.

Rarely the condition takes the form of an independent clause: rīdēs : mâiōre cachinnō concutitur (Iuv. 3.100) , you laugh; he shakes with louder laughter (=if you laugh, he shakes). commovē : sentiēs (Tusc. 4.54) , stir him up , [and] you'll find , etc. dē paupertāte agitur : multī patientēs pauperēs commemorantur ( id . 3.57), we speak of poverty; many patient poor are mentioned.

For Conditional Relative Clauses, see §§ 519 , 520.

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