§521. General Conditions

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.

a. 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.]

• 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.]

b. 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.]

c. 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.

Condition Omitted