The Subjunctive for the Indicative.
2069.The indicative in the protasis is occasionally replaced by the subjunctive, as follows:
2070.(1.) The present or perfect subjunctive is sometimes used in general present suppositions, regularly in the indefinite second person singular, rarely with other persons (1730): as,
(a.)nam dolī nōn dolī sunt nisi astū colās, sed malum maxumum, sī id palam prōvenit, Pl.Cap.221,for tricks are never tricks, unless you handle them with craft, but damage dire, in case the thing gets out; here the indicativeprōvenitshows thatcolāsis due to the person.nec calidae citius dēcēdunt corpore febrēs, textilibus sī in pīctūrīs ostrōque rubentī iactēris, quam sī in plēbēiā veste cubandum est, Lucr. 2, 34,nor sooner will hot fevers leave the limbs, if on gay tapestries and blushing purple you should toss, than if perforce your bed you make on pallet rude.quod est difficile, nisi speciem prae tē bonī virī ferās,Off.2, 39,and this is a hard thing, unless you have the exterior of a good man.nec habēre virtūtem satis est nisi ūtāre,RP.1, 2,and to have virtue is not enough, unless one use it.sīquoi mūtuom quid dederīs, fit prō propriō perditum, Pl.Tri.1051,if aught you’ve lent to anyone, ’tis not your own, but lost.nam nūllae magis rēs duae plūs negōtī habent, sī occēperīs exōrnāre, Pl.Poen.212,for no two things give more trouble if you once begin to fit them out.nūlla est excūsātiō peccātī, sī amīcī causā peccāverīs,L.37,it is no excuse for a sin if you have sinned from friendship.
(b.)suōs quisque opprimī nōn patitur, neque, aliter sī faciat, ūllam inter suōs habet auctōritātem, 6, 11, 4,nobody suffers his vassals to be put down, and if he ever act otherwise, he has no influence among his people.laeduntur artēriae, sī ācrī clāmōre compleantur, Cornif. 3, 21,it always hurts the windpipe, if it be filled out with a sharp scream.turpis excūsātiō est, sī quis contrā rem pūblicam sē amīcī causā fēcisse fateātur,L.40,it is always a discreditable apology, if a man confess that he has been unpatriotic from motives of friendship.Britannī iniūncta imperiī mūnera impigrē obeunt, sī iniūriae absint, Ta.Agr.13,the Britons are always perfectly ready to perform the duties enjoined on them by the Roman government, if they be not maltreated.
2071.(2.) The imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive is sometimes used in general past suppositions (1730).
This use begins with Catullus and Caesar, the indicative being the regular classical construction (2044,2050).
chommoda dīcēbat, sī quandō commoda vellet dīcere Arrius, Cat. 84, 1,hadvantages said Arrius, if advantages he ever meant to say.sī quis prehenderētur, cōnsēnsū mīlitum ēripiēbātur, Caes.C.3, 110, 4,every time a man was taken up, he was rescued by the joint action of the rank and file.sīn autem locum tenēre vellent, nec virtūtī locus relinquēbātur, neque coniecta tēla vītāre poterant, 5, 35, 4,but if on the other hand they undertook to hold their position, there was never any opening for bravery, nor could they ever dodge the shower of missiles.sīn Numidae propius accessissent, ibī̆ virtūtem ostendere, S.I.58, 3,they showed forth their valour every time the Numidians drew near(1535).
(B.) SUBJUNCTIVE USE.
2072.The present or perfect subjunctive may be used in a conditional protasis of future time.
2073.The apodosis is usually in the present subjunctive, less frequently in the perfect subjunctive. The imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive are rare (2089).
2074.The indicative is sometimes used in the apodosis, especially in expressions of ability, duty, &c. (1495);nōn possumis regularly in the indicative when the protasis is also negative. For the future indicative the periphrastic form is sometimes used.
2075.In the early period, before the imperfect subjunctive had been shifted to denote present time in conditional sentences (2091), the present subjunctive was used to express action non-occurrent in present time. Examples of this use are found in Plautus: as,sī honestē cēnseam tē facere posse, suādeam; vērum nōn potest; cave faxīs, Pl.MG.1371,if I thought that you could do the thing with credit to yourself, I should advise you to; but ’tis impossible; so don’t you do it.vocem tē ad cēnam, nisi egomet cēnem forīs, Pl.St.190,I should ask you home to dine, if I were not dining out myself. Such sentences must not be confused with those in which an action from the nature of things impossible is represented as of possible occurrence.
(1.) Protasis in the Present Subjunctive.
2076.
(a.)Apodosis in the Present Subjunctive.
at pigeat posteā nostrum erum, sī vōs eximat vinculīs, Pl.Cap.203,but it may rue our master by and by, if he should take you out of bonds.quid sī ēveniat dēsubitō prandium, ubī̆ ego tum accumbam?Pl.B.79,suppose a lunch should suddenly come off, where is your humble servant then to lie(1563)?hanc viam sī asperam esse negem, mentiar,Sest.100,if I say that this path is not rough, I should not tell the truth.sī deus tē interroget, quid respondeās?Ac.2, 80,if a god ask you, what would you answer?haec sī tēcum patria loquātur, nōnne impetrāre dēbeat?C.1, 19,if thy country plead with thee thus, ought she not to carry her point?sī existat hodiē ab īnferīs Lycūrgus, sē Spartam antīquam āgnōscere dīcat, L. 39, 37, 3,if Lycurgus rise this day from the dead, he would say that he recognized the Sparta of yore.eōs nōn cūrāre opīnor, quid agat hūmānum genus; nam sī cūrent, bene bonīs sit, male malīs, quod nunc abest, E. inDiv.2, 104,DN.3, 79,but little care the gods, I trow, how fares the race of man; for should they care, the good were blest, the wicked curst; a thing that really cometh not to pass.
2077.
(b.)Apodosis in the Perfect Subjunctive.
sī aequom siet mē plūs sapere quam vōs, dederim vōbīs cōnsilium catum, Pl.E.257,if it becoming be for me to have more wit than ye, sage counsel might I give(1558).aufūgerim potius quam redeam, sī eō mihi redeundum sciam, T.Hec.424,I’d run away sooner than go back, if I should hear I had to(1558).nec satis sciō, nec sī sciam, dīcere ausim, L.praef.1,in the first place I do not know very well, and secondly if I should know, I should not venture to say(1555).iniussū tuō extrā ōrdinem numquam pugnāverim, nōn sī certam victōriam videam, L. 7, 10, 2,without orders from you I never should fight out of ranks, no, not if I saw victory was certain(1558).tum vērō nēquīquam hāc dextrā capitōlium servāverim, si cīvem commīlitōnemque meum in vincula dūcī videam, L. 6, 14, 4,upon my word, in that case I should prove to have saved the capital in vain, if I saw a townsman and brother-in-arms of mine haled to jail.multōs circā ūnam rem ambitūs fēcerim, sī quae variant auctōrēs omnia exequī velim, L. 27, 27, 12,I should make a long story about one subject, if I should undertake to go through all the different versions of the authorities.
2078.
(c.)Apodosis in the Present Indicative.
quī sī decem habeās linguās, mūtum esse addecet, Pl.B.128,if you should have a dozen tongues, ’tis fit you should be dumb(2074).sī prō peccātīs centum dūcat uxōrēs, parumst, Pl.Tri.1186,if he should wed a hundred wives in payment for his sins, ’tis not enough.intrāre, sī possim, castra hostium volō, L. 2, 12, 5,I propose to enter the camp of the enemy, if I be able.tē neque dēbent adiuvāre, sī possint, neque possunt, sī velint,V.4, 20,they ought not to help you, if they could, and cannot, if they would.sī vōcem rērum nātūra repente mittat, quid respondēmus?Lucr. 3, 931,if Nature of a sudden lift her voice, what answer shall we make?sī quaerātur, idemne sit pertinācia et persevērantia, dēfīnītiōnibus iūdicandum est,T.87,if it be asked whether obstinacy and perseverance are the same, it must be settled by definitions(2074).
2079.
(d.)Apodosis in the Future.
quadrīgās sī īnscendās Iovis atque hinc fugiās, ita vix poteris effugere īnfortūnium, Pl.Am.450,Jove’s four-in-hand if you should mount, and try to flee from here, even so you’ll scarce escape a dreadful doom.sīquidem summum Iovem tē dīcās dētinuisse, malam rem effugiēs numquam, Pl.As.414,e’en shouldst thou say imperial Jove detained thee, chastisement thou’lt ne’er avoid.sī frāctus inlābātur orbis, inpavidum ferient ruīnae, H. 3, 3, 7,should heaven’s vault crumbling fall, him all undaunted will its ruin strike.neque tū hoc dīcere audēbis, nec sī cupiās, licēbit,V.2, 167,you will not dare to say this, sir, nor if you wish, will you be allowed.
2080.
(e.)Apodosis in the Future Perfect.
nōn tantum, sī proeliō vincās, glōriae adiēceris, quantum adēmeris, sī quid adversī ēveniat, L. 30, 30, 21,you will not acquire as much glory, if you succeed in battle, as you will lose, if any reverse occur.
2081.
(f.)Apodosis in the Periphrastic Future.
nōn latūrus sum, sī iubeās maxumē, Pl.B.1004,I don’t intend to be the bearer, should you urge me e’er so much.quid, sī hostēs ad urbem veniant, factūrī estis?L. 3, 52, 7,suppose the enemy march on the town, what do you intend to do?
2082.
(g.)Apodosis in the Imperfect Subjunctive.
cantus et Lūnam dēdūcere temptat et faceret, sī nōn aera repulsa sonent, Tib. 1, 8, 21,magic essays to draw Luna down and would succeed if clashing brass should not resound(1560).nē sī nāvigāre quidem velim, ita gubernārem, ut somniāverim; praesēns enim poena sit,Div.2, 122,again, suppose I undertake to go sailing, I should not lay my course as I may have dreamed; for the penalty would be swift(1560).sī hodiē bella sint, quāle Etrūscum fuit, quāle Gallicum; possētisne ferre Sextium cōnsulem esse?L. 6, 40, 17,suppose there be wars to-day like the Etruscan and the Gallic wars: could you bear to see Sextius consul(1565)?
2083.
(h.)Apodosis in the Pluperfect Subjunctive.
carmina nī sint, ex umerō Pelopis nōn nituisset ebur, Tib. 1, 4, 63,suppose there be no verse, from Pelops’ shoulder ne’er had ivory gleamed(1561).
(2.) Protasis in the Perfect Subjunctive.
2084.
(a.)Apodosis in the Present Subjunctive.
dēbeam, crēdō, istī quicquam furciferō, sī id fēcerim, T.Eu.861,I should be, forsooth, responsible to the rogue, if I should do it(1556).sī dē caelō vīlla tācta siet, dē eā rē verba utī fīant, Cato,RR.14, 3,if the villa be struck by lightning, let there be utterances about the case(1547).sī ā corōnā relictus sim, nōn queam dīcere,Br.192,if I should ever be abandoned by my audience, I should not be able to speak.id sī acciderit, sīmus armātī,TD.1, 78,if this have happened, let us be on our guard(1548).cūr ego simulem mē, sī quid in hīs studiīs operae posuerim, perdidisse?Par.33,why should I have the affectation to say that if I have spent any time in these pursuits, I have thrown it away(1563)? See also2090.
2085.
(b.)Apodosis in the Perfect Subjunctive.
sī paululum modo quid tē fūgerīt, ego perierim, T.Hau.316,should you have missed the smallest point, a dead man I should be. See also2090.
2086.
(c.)Apodosis in the Future Indicative.
sī forte līber fierī occēperim, mittam nūntium ad tē, Pl.MG.1362,if haply I should be by way of getting free, I’ll send you word.sī forte morbus amplior factus siet, servom intrō iisse dīcent Sōstratae, T.Hec.330,if her illness should get worse, they’ll say a slave of Sostrata’s went in there.
2087.
(d.)Apodosis in the Periphrastic Future.
sī Vēīs incendium ortum sit, Fĭ̄dēnās inde quaesītūrī sumus?L.5, 54, 1,if a fire break out at Vei, are we going to move from there to Fidenae?
2088.
(e.)Apodosis in the Imperfect Subjunctive.
sīquis hoc gnātō tuō tuos servos faxit, quālem habērēs grātiam?Pl.Cap.711,suppose a slave of yours has done this for a son of yours, how grateful should you have been?
Conversion to Past Time.
2089.An indeterminate subjunctive protasis is rarely thrown into the past, the present and perfect becoming respectively imperfect and pluperfect. In this case the form is the same as that of a protasis of action non-occurrent (2091), and the conversion occurs only when it is evident from the context that past action is supposed, which may or may not have occurred: as,
cūr igitur et Camillus dolēret, sī haec post trecentōs et quīnquāgintā ferē annōs ēventūra putāret, et ego doleam, sī ad decem mīlia annōrum gentem aliquam urbe nostrā potītūram putem?TD.1, 90,why then would Camillus have fretted, if he thought this would occur after a lapse of some three hundred and fifty years, and why should I fret, if I think that some nation may seize Rome some ten thousand years hence?erat sōla illa nāvis cōnstrāta; quae sī in praedōnum pugnā versārētur, urbis īnstar habēre inter illōs pīrāticōs myoparōnēs vidērētur,V.5, 89,this was the only vessel with a deck; and supposing she figured in the engagement with the corsairs, she would have loomed up like a town, surrounded by those pirate cock-boats.Sardus habēbat ille Tigellius hoc; Caesar sī peteret nōn quicquam prōficeret, H.S.1, 3, 4,Tigellius the Sardian had this way; supposing Caesar asked him, naught had he availed.
Periods of Exemplification.
2090.The present subjunctive is particularly common in exemplification. The perfect is sometimes used in the protasis, rarely in the apodosis: as,
sī pater fāna expīlet, indicetne id magistrātibus fīlius?Off.3, 90,if a father should plunder temples, would the son report it to the magistrates?sī quis pater familiās supplicium nōn sūmpserit, utrum is clēmēns an crūdēlissimus esse videātur?C.4, 12,assume for the sake of argument that a householder have not inflicted punishment, would he seem merciful, or a monster of cruelty?sī scierīs aspidem occultē latēre uspiam, et velle aliquem imprūdentem super eam adsīdere, improbē fēcerīs, nisi monuerīs nē adsīdat,Fin.2, 59,suppose a man should know, e.g. that there was a snake hiding somewhere, and that somebody was going to sit down on the snake unawares; he would do wrong, if he did not tell him he must not sit down there. In such periods the future is also used, but less frequently: see2054.
II. PROTASES OF ACTION NON-OCCURRENT.
2091.A conditional period in which the non-occurrence of the action is implied takes the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive both in the protasis and in the apodosis. The imperfect usually denotes present or indefinite time, and the pluperfect denotes past time.
For the present subjunctive in such conditions, see2075.
2093.The imperfect sometimes denotes past time (1559). When future time is referred to, the protasis is usually in the imperfect of the periphrastic future, commonly the subjunctive, but sometimes the indicative (2108).
2093.The apodosis is very rarely in the present subjunctive (2098). The periphrastic future is sometimes used, commonly in the indicative (2097,2100).
(1.) Protasis in the Imperfect Subjunctive.
2094.
(a.)Apodosis in the Imperfect Subjunctive.
(a.) Protasis and apodosis both denoting present action; this is the usual application:sī intus esset, ēvocārem, Pl.Ps.640,I should call him out, if he were in.is iam prīdem est mortuus. sī vīveret, verba eius audīrētis,RC.42,that person has long been dead; if he were alive, you would hear his evidence.adnuere tē videō; prōferrem librōs, sī negārēs,DN.1, 113,I see you nod assent; I should bring out the books, if you maintained the opposite.sī L. Mummius aliquem istōrum vidēret Corinthium cupidissimē trāctantem, utrum illum cīvem excellentem, an ātriēnsem dīligentem putāret?Par.38,if Mummius should see one of your connoisseurs nursing a piece of Corinthian, and going into perfect ecstasies over it, what would he think? that the man was a model citizen or a thoroughly competent indoor-man?quod sī semper optima tenēre possēmus, haud sānē cōnsiliō multum egērēmus,OP.89,now if we could always be in possession of what is best, we should not ever stand in any special need of reasoning.
(b.) Protasis and apodosis both denoting past action:haec sī neque ego neque tū fēcimus, nōn siit egestās facere nōs; nam sī esset unde id fīeret, facerēmus; et tū illum tuom, sī essēs homō, sinerēs nunc facere, T.Ad.103,if neither you nor I have acted thus, ’twas poverty that stinted us; for if we’d had the means, we should have done so too; and you would let that boy of yours, if you were human, do it now. Hereessetrefers to past time,essēsto present.num igitur eum, sī tum essēs, temerārium cīvem putārēs?Ph.8, 14,would you therefore have thought him, if you had lived then, a hotheaded citizen?sī ūniversa prōvincia loquī posset, hāc vōce ūterētur; quoniam id nōn poterat, hārum rērum āctōrem ipsa dēlēgit,Caecil.19,if the collective province could have spoken, she would have used these words; but since she could not, she chose a manager for the case herself.
2095.
(b.)Apodosis in the Pluperfect Subjunctive.
invēnissēmus iam diū, sei vīveret, Pl.Men.241,were he alive, we should have found him long ago.sī mihi secundae rēs dē amōre meō essent, iam dūdum sciō vēnissent, T.Hau.230,if everything were well about my love, I know they would have been here long ago.quae nisi essent in senibus, nōn summum cōnsilium maiōrēs nostrī appellāssent senātum,CM.19,unless the elderly were in general characterized by these qualities, our ancestors would not have called the highest deliberative body the body of elders.
2096.
(c.)Periphrastic Apodosis.
quibus, sī Rōmae esset, facile contentus futūrus erat,Att.12, 32, 2,with which, if he were in Rome, he would readily be satisfied(2093).quōs ego, sī tribūnī mē triumphāre prohibērent, testēs citātūrus fuī rērum ā mē gestārum, L. 38, 47, 4,the very men whom I was to call to bear witness to my deeds, if the tribunes should refuse me a triumph.
(2.) Protasis in the Pluperfect Subjunctive.
2097.
(a.)Apodosis in the Imperfect Subjunctive.
(a.) Protasis denoting past, apodosis present action:sī ante voluissēs, essēs; nunc sērō cupis, Pl.Tri.568,if you had wished it before, you might be; as it is, you long too late.sī nōn mēcum aetātem ēgisset, hodiē stulta vīveret, Pl.MG.1320,if she hadn’t spent her life with me, she’d be a fool to-day.sī tum illī respondēre voluissem, nunc rē̆ī pūblicae cōnsulere nōn possem,Ph.3, 33,if I had chosen to answer the man then, I should not be able to promote the public interest now.quō quidem tempore sī meum cōnsilium valuisset, tū hodiē egērēs, nōs līberī essēmus,Ph.2, 37,if by the way at that time my counsel had been regarded, you, sir, would be a beggar to-day and we should be free.
(b.) Protasis and apodosis both referring to past:ōlim sī advēnissem, magis tū tum istūc dīcerēs, Pl.Cap.871,if I had come before, you’d have said so then all the more.num igitur, sī ad centēsimum annum vīxisset, senectūtis eum suae paenitēret?CM.19,suppose therefore he had lived to be a hundred, would he have regretted his years?Indōs aliāsque sī adiūnxisset gentēs, impedimentum maius quam auxilium traheret, L. 9, 19, 5,if he had added the Indians and other nations, he would have found them a hindrance rather than a help in his train.
2098.
(b.)Apodosis in the Pluperfect Subjunctive.
sī appellāssēs, respondisset nōminī, Pl.Tri.927,if you had called him, he’d have answered to his name.nisi fūgissem, medium praemorsisset, Pl. in Gell. 6, 9, 7,if I hadn’t run away, he’d have bitten me in two.sī vēnissēs ad exercitum, ā tribūnīs vīsus essēs; nōn es autem ab hīs vīsus;nōn es igitur ad exercitum profectus,Inv.1, 87,if you had come to the army, you would have been seen by the tribunes; but you have not been seen by them; therefore you have not been to the army.sī beātus umquam fuisset, beātam vītam usque ad rogum pertulisset,Fin.3, 76,if he had ever been a child of fortune, he would have continued the life of bliss to the funeral pyre.nisi mīlitēs essent dēfessī, omnēs hostium cōpiae dēlērī potuissent, 7, 88, 6,unless the soldiers had been utterly exhausted, the entire force of the enemy might have been exterminated(2101).quod sī Catilīna in urbe remānsisset, dīmicandum nōbīs cum illō fuisset,C.3, 17,but if Catiline had staid in town we should have had to fight with the villain(2101).
2099.
(c.)Apodosis in the Present Subjunctive.
vocem ego tē ad mē ad cēnam, frāter tuos nisi dīxisset mihī̆ tē apud sē cēnātūrum esse hodiē, Pl.St.510,I should like to invite you home to dinner, if my brother hadn’t told me that you were to dine with him to-day.
2100.
(d.)Periphrastic Apodosis.
(a.)sī tacuisset, ego eram dictūrus, Pl.Cist.152,if she had held her peace, I was going to tell(2093).sī P. Sēstius occīsus esset, fuistisne ad arma itūrī?Sest.81,if Sestius had been slain, were you disposed to rush to arms?conclāve illud, ubī̆ erat mānsūrus, sī īre perrēxisset, conruit,Div.1, 26,the suite of rooms where he was going to spend the night, if he had pushed on, tumbled down.Teucrās fuerat mersūra carīnās, nī prius in scopulum trānsfōrmāta foret, O. 14, 72,she had gone on to sink the Trojan barks unless she had been changed into a rock. (b.)quem sī vīcisset, habitūrus esset impūnitātem sempiternam,Mil.84,and if he overcame him, he would be likely to have exemption from punishment forever and ever(2093).aut nōn fātō interiīt exercitus, aut sī fātō, etiam sī obtemperāsset auspiciīs, idem ēventūrum fuisset,Div.2, 21,the destruction of his army was either not due to fate, or if to fate, it would have happened all the same, even if he had conformed to the auspices.
Indicative Apodosis.
2101.(1.) The apodosis of verbs of ability, duty, &c. (1495-1497), including the gerundive withsum, is often in the indicative, the imperfect taking the place of the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive, and the perfect that of the pluperfect subjunctive. But the subjunctive is also found, especiallypossemrather thanpoteram.
2102.
(a.)Apodosis in the Imperfect Indicative.
(a.) Of present action:quod sī Rōmae Cn. Pompēius prīvātus esset, tamen ad tantum bellum is erat mittendus,IP.50,now if Pompey were at Rome, in private station, still he would be the man to send to this important war.quem patris locō, sī ūlla in tē pietās esset, colere dēbēbās,Ph.2, 99,whom you ought to honour as a father, if you had any such thing as affection in you.
(b.) Of past action:quid enim poterat Heius respondēre, sī esset improbus?V.4, 16,for what answer could Hejus have given, if he were an unprincipled man?sī sordidam vestem habuissent, lūgentium Perseī cāsum praebēre speciem poterant, L. 45, 20, 5,if they had worn dark clothing, they might have presented the mien of mourners for the fall of Perseus.
2103.
(b.)Apodosis in the Perfect Indicative.
nōn potuit reperīre, sī ipsī sōlī quaerendās darēs, lepidiōrēs duās, Pl.MG.803,if you assigned the search to Sol himself, he couldn’t have found two jollier girls.quō modo pultāre potuī sī nōn tangerem?Pl.Most.462,how could I have knocked, if I hadn’t touched the door?licitumst, sī vellēs, Pl.Tri.566,you might have been, if you’d wished.sī meum imperium exsequī voluissēs, interemptam oportuit, T.Hau.634,if you had been willing to follow my commands, she should have been dispatched.cōnsul esse quī potuī, nisi eum vītae cursum tenuissem ā pueritiā?RP.1, 10,how could I have been consul unless from boyhood I had taken that line in life?sī eum captīvitās in urbem pertrāxisset, Caesarem ipsum audīre potuit, Ta.D.17,if captivity had carried him to the city, he could have heard Caesar himself.Antōnī gladiōs potuit contemnere, sī sīc omnia dīxisset, J. 10, 123,Antonius’ swords he might have scorned, if all things he had worded so.sī ūnum diem morātī essētis, moriendum omnibus fuit, L. 2, 38, 5,if you had staid one day, you must all have died.
2104.(2.) Other verbs also sometimes have a past indicative apodosis, usually an imperfect or pluperfect, to denote an action very near to actual performance, which is interrupted by the action of the protasis.
Naturally such a protasis generally contains an actual or a virtual negative; but positive protases are found here and there, chiefly in late writers.
2105.
(a.)Apodosis in the Perfect Indicative.
paene in foveam dēcidī, nī hīc adessēs, Pl.Per.594,I had almost fallen into a snare, unless you were here.nec vēnī, nisi fāta locum sēdemque dedissent, V. 11, 112,nor had I come, unless the fates a place and seat had given.pōns sublicius iter paene hostibus dedit, nī ūnus vir fuisset Horātius Cocles, L. 2, 10, 2,the pile-bridge all but gave a path to the enemy, had it not been for one heroic soul, Horatius Cocles.
2106.
(b.)Apodosis in the Imperfect Indicative.
quīn lābēbar longius, nisi mē retinuissem,Leg.1, 52,why, I was going to drift on still further, if I had not checked myself.sī per L. Metellum licitum esset, mātrēs illōrum veniēbant,V.5, 129,if Metellus had not prevented, the mothers of those people were just coming; here the protasis may be held to contain a virtual negative; so in the last example on this page.castra excindere parābant, nī Mūciānus sextam legiōnem opposuisset, Ta.H.3, 46,they were preparing to destroy the camp, had not Mucianus checked them with the sixth legion.sī dēstināta prōvēnissent, rēgnō imminēbat, Ta.H.4, 18,had his schemes succeeded, he was close upon the throne.
2107.
(c.) Apodosis in the Pluperfect Indicative.
quīngentōs simul, nī hebes machaera foret, ūnō ictū occīderās, Pl.MG.52,five hundred, had your glaive not blunted been, at one fell swoop you’d slain.praeclārē vīcerāmus, nisi Lepidus recēpisset Antōnium,Fam.12, 10, 3,we had gained a splendid victory, if Lepidus had not taken Antony under his protection.quod ipsum fortūna ēripuerat, nisi ūnīus amīcī opēs subvēnissent,RabP.48,even this boon fortune had wrenched from him, unless he had been assisted by a single friend.sī gladium nōn strīnxissem, tamen triumphum merueram, L. 38, 49, 12,if I had not drawn my sword, I had still earned my triumph.perierat imperium, sī Fabius tantum ausus esset quantum īra suādēbat, Sen.de Ira, 1, 11, 5,the empire had been lost, if Fabius had ventured as far as passion urged.
2108.
(3.) Periphrastic Protasis.
(a.)ac sī tibī̆ nēmō respōnsūrus esset, tamen causam dēmōnstrāre nōn possēs,Caecil.43,and even supposing that nobody were going to answer you, still you would not be able to make the case good(2092).plūribus vōs, mīlitēs, hortārer, sī cum armātīs dīmicātiō futūra esset, L. 24, 38, 9,I should exhort you at greater length, my men, if there was to be a tug with armed men(2092). (b.)sī domum tuam expugnātūrus eram, nōn temperāssem vīnō in ūnum diem?L. 40, 14, 4,if I intended to capture your house, should I not have abstained from wine for a day(2092)?
Variation of the Protasis.
2109.Instead of a conditional protasis withsīornisi, equivalents are often used.
2110.Thus, the protasis may be coordinated (1701), or be introduced by a relative pronoun (1812), byquod(1843),cum(1859,1860),ubī̆(1932),utornē(1963),dum,dum modo,modo(2003), orquandō(2011). Or the protasis may be intimated bysine,without,cum,with, by a participle or ablative absolute, by a wish, or otherwise: as,
(a.)nēmō umquam sine magnā spē immortālitātis sē prō patriā offerret ad mortem,TD.1, 32,nobody would ever expose himself to death for his country without a well-grounded conviction of immortality.cum hāc dōte poteris vel mendīcō nūbere, Pl.Per.396,with such a dowry you can e’en a beggar wed.Sūlla, crēdō, hunc petentem repudiāsset,Arch.25,Sulla, I suppose, would have turned my client away, if he petitioned him.quae legentem fefellissent, trānsferentem fugere nōn possunt, Plin.Ep.7, 9, 2,what would have escaped a reader can’t escape a translator.vīvere ego Britannicō potiente rērum poteram?Ta. 13, 21,as for me, could I live, if Britannicus were on the throne(2102)?nisi tē salvō salvī esse nōn possumus,Marc.32,without you safe, safe we cannot be.aspicerēs utinam, Sāturnia: mītior essēs, O. 2, 435,would thou couldst see, Saturnia; thou wouldst gentler be.