ce.
If we were to express the thought in English in a similar way, we
should use the nominative independent or absolute. In Latin the
construction is called the Ablative Absolute, or the Ablative with a
Participle. This form of expression is exceedingly common in Latin,
but rather rare in English, so we must not, as a rule, employ the
English absolute construction to translate the ablative abolute. The
attendant circumstance may be one of _time_ (when or after), or one
of _cause_ (since), or one of _concession_ (though), or one of
_condition_ (if). In each case try to discover the precise relation,
and tranlate the ablative and its participle by a clause which will
best express the thought.

_381._ RULE. Ablative Absolute. _The ablative of a noun or pronoun
with a present or perfect participle in agreement is used to express
attendant circumstance._

NOTE 1. The verb /sum\ has no present participle. In consequence we
often find two nouns or a noun and an adjective in the ablative absolute
with no participle expressed; as, /te duce\, _you_ (being) _leader_,
_with you as leader_; /patre infirmo\, _my father_ (being) _weak_.

NOTE 2. Be very careful not to put in the ablative absolute a noun and
participle that form the subject or object of a sentence. Compare

_a._ _The Gauls, having been conquered by Caesar, returned home_

_b._ _The Gauls having been conquered by Caesar, the army returned
home_

In _a_ the subject is _The Gauls having been conquered by Caesar_, and
we translate,

Galli a Caesare victi domum reverterunt

In _b_ the subject is _the army_. _The Gauls having been conquered by
Caesar_ is nominative absolute in English, which requires the ablative
absolute in Latin, and we translate,

Gallis a Caesare victis exercitus domum revertit

NOTE 3. The fact that only deponent verbs have a perfect active
participle (cf. Sec. 375.a) often compels a change of voice when
translating from one language to the other. For example, we can
translate _Caesar having encouraged the legions_ just as it stands,
because /hortor\ is a deponent verb. But if we wish to say _Caesar
having conquered the Gauls_, we have to change the voice of the
participle to the passive because /vinco\ is not deponent, and say,
_the Gauls having been conquered by Caesar_ (see translation above).

_382._ EXERCISES

I. 1. Mavis, non vis, vultis, nolumus. 2. Ut nolit, ut vel