[1894.] (2.) quam, than, is used in the protasis of a comparative period of inequality, with a comparative in the apodosis: as,
meliōrem quam ego sum suppōnō tibī̆, Pl. Cu. 256, I give you in my place a better man than I am. plūra dīxī quam voluī, V. 5, 79, I have said more than I intended. Antōniō quam est, volō peius esse, Att. 15, 3, 2, I hope Antony may be worse off than he is. doctrīna paulō dūrior quam nātūra patitur, Mur. 60, principles somewhat sterner than nature doth support. potius sērō quam numquam, L. 4, 2, 11, better late than never. corpus patiēns algōris suprā quam cuiquam crēdibile est, S. C. 5, 3, a constitution capable of enduring cold beyond what anybody could believe. suprā quam is found in Cicero, Sallust, and often in late writers; īnfrā and ultrā quam in Cicero, Livy, and late writers (īnfrā quam also in Varro); extrā quam in Ennius, Cato, and in legal and official language in Cicero and Livy.
[1895.] quam is also used with some virtual comparatives: thus, nihil aliud, nōn aliud quam, no other than, often as adverb, only; secus quam with a negative, not otherwise than; bis tantō quam, twice as much as; and prae quam in old Latin, in comparison with how; and similar phrases: as,
([a.]) per bīduum nihil aliud quam stetērunt parātī ad pugnandum, L. 34, 46, 7, for two days they merely stood in battle array. This use occurs first in Sallust, then in Nepos, Livy, and later writers. (b.) mihī̆ erit cūrae nē quid fīat secus quam volumus, Att. 6, 2, 2, I will see to it that nothing be done save as we wish. This use occurs in Plautus, Terence, Sallust, Cicero, Livy, and later writers. With both aliud and secus the clause is rarely positive, with aliud not before Livy. For atque (ac) instead of quam when the first clause is negative, see [1654]. (c.) bis tantō valeō quam valuī prius, Pl. Merc. 297, I am twice as capable as I was before. (d.) nīl hōc quidem est trīgintā minae, prae quam aliōs sūmptūs facit, Pl. Most. 981, oh, this is nothing, thirty minae, when you think what other sums he spends. prae quam is found only in Plautus rarely. Similar phrases are: contrā quam, in Cicero, Livy, and later writers; praeter quam, in Plautus, Naevius, and frequently in other writers when followed by quod ([1848]); super quam quod ([1848]) and īnsuper quam in Livy; prō quam in Lucretius; advorsum quam, once in Plautus. prae quam is sometimes followed by a relative clause: as, prae quam quod molestumst, Pl. Am. 634, compared with what is painful. For ante (or prius) and post quam, see [1911], [1923].
With the Subjunctive.
[1896.] The subjunctive is used with quam or quam ut after comparatives denoting disproportion ([1461]): as,
quicquid erat oneris Segestānīs impōnēbat, aliquantō amplius quam ferre possent, V. 4, 76, he would impose every possible burden on the Segestans, far too much for them to bear. quis nōn intellegit Canachī sīgna rigidiōra esse, quam ut imitentur vēritātem? Br. 70, who does not feel that the statues of Canachus are too stiff to be true to nature? clārior rēs erat quam ut dissimulārī posset, L. 26, 51, 11, the thing was too notorious to be hushed up. Instead of ut, quī is also used by Livy and later writers: as, maior sum quam cui possit Fortūna nocēre, O. 6, 195, too strong am I for Fortune to break down, says infatuated Niobe. All these sentences are extensions of the subjunctive of action conceivable ([1554], [1818]).
[1897.] The subjunctive is used in clauses introduced by potius quam, rather than, to denote action merely assumed. citius, ante, or prius, sooner, is sometimes used in the sense of potius: as,
potius quam tē inimīcum habeam, faciam ut iusseris, T. Eu. 174, rather than make you my enemy, I will do as you tell me. dēpugnā potius quam serviās, Att. 7, 7, 7, fight it out rather than be a slave. potius vituperātiōnem incōnstantiae suscipiam, quam in tē sim crūdēlis, V. 5, 105, I will submit to the charge of inconsistency rather than be cruel towards you. animam omittunt prius quam locō dēmigrent, Pl. Am. 240, they lose their lives sooner than yield their ground. Livy has also potius quam ut. All these sentences are extensions of the subjunctive of desire ([1540], [1817]).