caedēbātur virgīs in mediō forō Messānae cīvis Rōmānus, cum intereā nūllus gemitus audiēbātur, V. 5, 162, there was flogged with rods in open market place at Messana a citizen of Rome, while all the time not a groan was to be heard. ēvolārat iam ē cōnspectū quadrirēmis, cum etiam tum cēterae nāvēs ūnō in locō mōliēbantur, V. 5, 88, she had already sped out of sight, the four-banker, while the rest of the vessels were still struggling round in one and the same spot. This use is very rare in old Latin. Not in Caesar. With the infinitive of intimation, see [1539].
[1869.] An indicative clause with cum, usually expressing sudden or unexpected action, sometimes contains the main idea, and is put last.
In this case cum is often attended by subitō or repente, suddenly, and the first clause contains iam, already, by this time, vix, aegrē, hardly, vixdum, hardly yet, or nōndum, not yet. The first verb is commonly in the imperfect or pluperfect, and the second in the perfect or present of vivid narration: as,
dīxerat hoc ille, cum puer nūntiāvit venīre Laelium, RP. 1, 18, scarcely had he said this, when a slave announced that Laelius was coming. vix ea fātus eram, gemitū cum tālia reddit, V. 2, 323, scarce had I spoke the words, when with a groan he answers thus. Hannibal iam subībat mūrōs, cum repente in eum patē̆factā portā ērumpunt Rōmānī, L. 29, 7, 8, Hannibal was already moving up to the walls, when all of a sudden the gate flies open and the Romans come pouring out upon him. iamque hoc facere apparābant, cum mātres familiae repente prōcurrērunt, 7, 26, 3, they were already preparing to do it, when suddenly the married women rushed forward. This use is very rare in old Latin. From Sallust on, it is found occasionally with the infinitive of intimation ([1539]).
[1870.] A clause with cum is often used attributively with words denoting time, or with est, fuit, or erit.
The mood is the same as with a relative pronoun, sometimes the indicative, and regularly in old Latin, but usually the subjunctive: as, fuit quoddam tempus cum in agrīs hominēs vagābantur, Inv. 1, 2, there was an age of the world when men roved round in the fields ([1813], [1823]). fuit tempus cum rūra colerent hominēs, Varro, RR. 3, 1, 1, there was a time when men dwelt in the fields ([1818], [1821]). est cum exōrnātiō praetermittenda est, Cornif. 2, 30, sometimes ornamentation should be avoided. fuit anteā tempus, cum Germānōs Gallī virtūte superārent, 6, 24, 1, there was a time when the Gauls outdid the Germans in valour. The subjunctive is also used with audiō cum ([1722]), but with meminī cum the indicative: as, saepe ex socerō meō audīvī, cum is dīceret, DO. 2, 22, I have often heard my father-in-law saying. meminī cum mihī̆ dēsipere vidēbāre, Fam. 7, 28, 1, I remember when I thought you showed bad taste.
[1871.] The indicative present or perfect with cum is used in expressions equivalent to an emphasized accusative or ablative of time, the main verb being est or sunt: as, annī prope quadringentī sunt, cum hoc probātur, O. 171, it is nearly four hundred years that this has been liked. nōndum centum et decem annī sunt, cum lāta lēx est, Off. 2, 75, it is not a hundred and ten years yet since the law was passed. In old Latin, the clause with cum is made the subject of est, and the substantive of time is put in the accusative: as, hanc domum iam multōs annōs est quom possideō, Pl. Aul. 3, ’tis many years now I have occupied this house.
WITH THE SUBJUNCTIVE.