§551. Antequam and Priusquam

Antequam and priusquam take sometimes the Indicative sometimes the Subjunctive.

a. With antequam or priusquam the Perfect Indicative states a fact in past time:—

• antequam tuās lēgī litterās, hominem īre cupiēbam (Att. 2.7.2), before I read your letter, I wished the man to go.
• neque ante dīmīsit eum quam fidem dedit adulēscēns (Liv. 39.10), and she did not let the young man go till he pledged his faith.
• neque prius fugere dēstitērunt quam ad flūmen pervēnērunt (B. G. 1.53), nor did they stop running until they reached the river.

b. With antequam or priusquam the Imperfect Subjunctive is common when the subordinate verb implies purpose or expectancy in past time, or when the action that it denotes did not take place:—

• ante pūgnārī coeptum est quam satis īnstruerētur aciēs (Liv. 22.4.7), the fight was begun before the line could be properly formed.
• priusquam tū suum sibi vēnderēs, ipse possēdit (Phil. 2.96), before you could sell him his own property, he took possession of it himself.
• priusquam tēlum abicī posset aut nostrī propius accēderent, omnis Vārī aciēs terga vertit (B. C. 2.34), before a weapon could be thrown or our men approached nearer, the whole line about Varus took flight.

c. Antequam and priusquam, when referring to future time, take the Present or Future Perfect Indicative; rarely the Present Subjunctive:

• priusquam dē cēterīs rēbus respondeō, dē amīcitiā pauca dīcam (Phil. 2.3), before I reply to the rest, I will say a little about friendship.
• nōn dēfatīgābor antequam illōrum ancipitēs viās percēperō (De Or. 3.145), I shall not weary till I have traced out their doubtful ways.
• antequam veniat litterās mittet (Leg. Agr. 2.53), before he comes, he will send a letter.