Ablative Absolute Construction

The Ablative Asbolute Construction. The ablative is used as a free case for expressing a state or condition loosely associated with the sentence, but grammatically disassociated from it. In origin it is an instance of the Associative use of the ablative. It consists of a noun or pronoun and a modifying participle, construed as subject and predicate in a verbal construction:

igne vīso,

fēminae fūgērunt.

“With the fire (= subject) having been seen (= predicate),

the women fled.”

The ablative absolute supplements the functions of the missing perfect active and present passive participles. (Latin cannot say, as we do in English, ‘Having seen the fire, the women …’, wherein ‘having seen’ modifies ‘women’.)

[Note that in English the ‘free-case’ construction is the so-called nominative absolute: “A decision having been reached, the meeting was adjourned.”]

Within the grammar of the sentence, the function of the ablative absolute is broadly adverbial, expressing a circumstance attendant to the action of the principal verb. The adverbial nature of this function may be made more precise by the use of adverbs and other contexual cues, so that the ablative absolute may express a number of adverbial modes:

time: patre interfectō, domō aberat.

“When his father was killed, he was not at home.”

cause: pāce dēspērātā, bellum parābant.

“Because they lost hope of peace, they began preparing for war.”

concession: castrīs captīs, tamen fortiter pugnābant.

“Although their camp was captured, they fought on bravely.””

condition: hōc factō, vōs adiūvābimus.

“If this is done, we will help you.”

circumstance: haec agēbantur, dominō nec praesente nec sciente..

“These things were done without their master either being

present or knowing of it.”