Ablative Absolute

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Ablative Absolute

• Latin III
• Stage XXXI
• MarshLatinIII.wordpress.com

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Ablative Absolute

• This construction is used to denote the time or
  circumstances of an action.
• It usually carries an idea of time, cause, or
  condition.
• It is grammatically unconnected to the rest of
  the sentence has no direct connection with
  either the subject or the predicate.
• Equivalent to an English adverbial phrase.

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The Three Ways to Construct an Ablative Absolute

• Noun Noun
• Noun Adjective
• Noun Participle

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Noun Noun

• Two nouns that are both in the ablative case

There is no participle for the verb sum esse, so
insert being with this construction

• Caesare duce, ..
• With Caesar being the commander .
• Since Caesar is the commander.

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Noun Adjective

• A noun and an adjective that are both in the
  ablative case

There is no participle for the verb sum esse, so
insert being with this construction

• Caesare invito, ..
• With Caesar being unwilling .
• Since Caesar is unwilling.

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Noun Participle

• A noun and a participle (usually the perfect
  passive participle) that are both in the ablative
  case

This is the most common construction for the
ablative absolute!

• Caesare tenente imperium, ..
• With Caesar holding the power .
• Since Caesar is holding the power.

? Note the since the participle still retains
some properties of verbs, it can still take a
direct object!
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How to translate?

• The best way to translate the ablative absolute
  is to use some type of adverbial conjunction,
  such as
• with when since as

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For example

• His rebus auditis ..

• With these things having been heard..
• As these things were heard..
• Since these things were heard..

and so on.
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The Ablative Absolute has certain characteristics
that you should look for

• It must contain a noun or pronoun in the ablative
  case
• Most of the time it will also contain a perfect
  passive participle (also in the ablative case!)
• Because these are regularly declined, you already
  know what endings to look for -a, -o, -is
• It often (but not always) begins a Latin
  sentence. In most textbooks,the ablative
  absolutes are set off by commas.