A Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges

by George Martin Lane

(A.) Temporal cum.

WITH THE INDICATIVE.

[1860.] cum, when, whenever, if, of indefinite time, may introduce any tense of the indicative required by the context: as,

facile omnēs, quom valēmus, rēcta cōnsilia aegrōtīs damus, T. Andr. 309, we all, when well, give good advice to sick folk easily. Rōmae videor esse, cum tuās litterās legō, Att. 2, 15, 1, I always fancy myself in Rome, when I am reading a letter from you. cum posuī librum, adsēnsiō omnis ēlābitur, TD. 1, 24, when I drop the book, all assent melts away ([1613]). incenderis cupiditāte lībertātis, cum potestātem gustandī fēceris, RP. 2, 50, you will inspire them with a passion for freedom, when you give them a chance to taste it ([1627]). hīs cum fūnēs comprehēnsī adductīque erant, praerumpēbantur, 3, 14, 6, every time the lines were caught by these and hauled taut, they would part ([1618]). The subjunctive is used, chiefly by late writers, rarely by Cicero and Caesar, to express repeated past action ([1730]): as, cum in convīvium vēnisset, sī quicquam caelātī adspexerat, manūs abstinēre nōn poterat, V. 4, 48, when he went to a dinner party, if he ever caught sight of a bit of chased work, he never could keep his hands off ([2050]).

[1861.] cum, when, of definite time, regularly introduces the indicative in old Latin, even where the subjunctive is required in classical Latin ([1872]): as,

nam illa, quom tē ad sē vocābat, mēmet esse crēdidit, Pl. Men. 1145, for when that lady asked you in, she thought ’twas I. postīculum hoc recēpit, quom aedīs vēndidit, Pl. Tri. 194, this back part he excepted, when he sold the house.

[1862.] cum, when, of definite time, regularly introduces the indicative of any action, not of past time: as,

sed dē hīs etiam rēbus, ōtiōsī cum erimus, loquēmur, Fam. 9, 4, but we will talk of this when we have time. cum ego P. Grānium testem prōdūxerō, refellitō, sī poteris, V. 5, 154, when I put Granius on the witness stand, refute him if you can.

[1863.] With cum, when, the indicative is used of definite past time to date the action of the main clause, as follows: