Conditional clauses in Latin are clauses which start with the conjunction 'if' or the equivalent.Kennedy (1962), p. 189; Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 379. The 'if'-clause in a conditional sentence is known as the protasis, and the consequence is called the apodosis.Kennedy (1962), p. 187; Woodcock (1958), p. 147.
Conditional clauses are generally divided into three types: open conditions,Woodcock (1958), p. 147. when the truth of the condition is unknown ('if it is true that...'); ideal conditions, in which the speaker imagines a situation or event which might occur in the future ('if this were to happen...'); and unreal conditions, referring to an event or situation in the present or past known to be contrary to fact ('if it were true that...'). These three are also sometimes referred to as Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 respectively.Kennedy (1962), pp. 187–8. Open conditional clauses in turn can be divided into particular and general.Allen & Greenough (1903), p. 323.
Open conditional sentences generally use the indicative mood in both protasis and apodosis, although in some general conditions the subjunctive mood is used in the protasis. Ideal and unreal conditionals use the subjunctive in the protasis, and usually they also use the subjunctive in the apodosis, though sometimes the indicative may be used. Conditional clauses of comparison ('as if') also use the subjunctive mood in the protasis.
Conditional clauses sometimes overlap in meaning with other types of clause, such as concessive ('although'), causal ('in view of the fact that'), or temporal ('whenever').
The conjunction is only rarely used in classical Latin to introduce indirect questions, although this usage is found in medieval Latin and is common in Greek and in modern Romance languages such as French and Italian. The use of 'if' to make a wish, found in ancient Greek, is not usual in Latin, except sometimes in poetry.
Main types of conditional clause A summary of the main types of conditional clause is given in the table below.Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), pp. 380, 382, 385; Woodcock (1959), pp. 148–9; Allen (1903), pp. 323–5. The subjunctive is used in the protasis of ideal and unreal conditions, and also in some types of general conditions. In the apodosis of ideal and unreal conditions, the verb is usually subjunctive, but sometimes the indicative is used.
A difference from English grammar is that in open future conditions, it is usual in Latin to use one of the future tenses, when English has the present tense.Allen (1903), p. 326.
Apart from the types mentioned below it is also possible to have mixed conditionals, for example with different tenses in protasis and apodosis.Allen (1903), p. 325.
Type Example Protasis ApodosisReal situations Open (present) If it is true present or perfect indicative present indicative or imperative Open (past) If it happened perfect or imperfect indicative perfect or imperfect indicative Open (future) If it happens (in future) future or future perfect indicative future indicative or future imperative General (present) If ever it happens present or perfect indicative(or subjunctive) present indicative General (past) If ever it used to happen imperfect or pluperfect indicative(or subjunctive) imperfect indicativeImaginary situations Ideal (future) If it were to happen present or perfect subjunctive present subjunctive(or indicative) Ideal (past) If it were to have happened imperfect subjunctive imperfect subjunctive(or indicative) Unreal (present) If it were true now imperfect subjunctive imperfect subjunctive(or indicative) Unreal (past) If it had happened then pluperfect or imperfect subjunctive pluperfect or imperfect subjunctive(or indicative)
Conditional conjunctions Positive conjunctions The usual conjunction in a conditional clause is , for which see the examples below.
The conjunction 'but if', 'if on the other hand' is used for the second of two opposite conditions: (Cicero) 'so this is how it is, if you are at Rome; but if you are away or even if you are there, the business is as I say'
The pair (or Livy's preferred form ) 'whether ... or' often does not introduce a full conditional clause and an appropriate verb has to be supplied by the reader: (Caesar)Caesar, B. G. 1.12.6. 'whether (it happened) by chance or by some plan of the immortal gods'
Sometimes, however, a verb is added: (Livy)Livy, 4.5.5. 'those wars of yours, whether they are imaginary or real'
Sometimes the two words can introduce two alternative apodoses, in the same way as : (Ovid)Ovid, Met. 4.321–2. 'if you are a god, you may be Cupid; or if you are mortal, blessed are those who bore you'
The combination 'but if' or 'if, however' can also introduce an alternative: (Celsus)Celsus, Med. 6.13.3. 'if, however, the tumor is a large one, it is better for it to be completely cut out'
The combination means 'although', and it is often followed in the apodosis by 'nonetheless': (Nepos)Nepos, Dat. 4.3. 'although Datames was a long way away from that region, yet he thought it best to humour the king's wish'
Another frequent combination, slightly more emphatic, is (or ) 'even if', 'even though': (Petronius)Petronius, Sat. 117. 'and I am just no less free than you, even though my father left me poor'
The conjunction or means 'if indeed' or 'if it's true that':
(Plautus)Plautus, Aul. 688. 'and the cause is a good one, if indeed it is as you claim'
(Plautus)Plautus, Merc. 872. 'if you want to talk to me, follow me'
(Plautus)Plautus, Mos. 1073. 'if you're looking for me, here I am, present in your presence'
It also can have a causal meaning, 'in view of the fact that': (Cicero)Cicero, Rep. 2.33. 'Roman history is obscure, in view of the fact that we know that king's mother, but have no idea who his father was'
Another combination, 'if indeed', expresses doubt that the situation mentioned is in fact true: (Cicero)Cicero, Att. 4.8A.3. 'what has caused him to keep away from me, if indeed he has done so, I have no idea'
In other sentences it has the meaning similar to 'provided that':Bertocchi & Maraldi (2011), pp. 127–129.
(Caesar)Caesar, B.G. 5.31.2. '(he said) there was no difficulty, whether they stayed or marched, provided that they all shared and approved one plan'
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 4.16.2. 'Varro ... will be fitted in somewhere provided there is room'
Indefinite conditional clauses often use the combinations 'if anyone', 'if anything', 'if any', 'if anyone at all', 'if anything at all', 'if at any time', 'if ever', 'if in any way':
(Terence)Terence, Phorm. 55. 'if anyone gives anything back, one should be very grateful'
(Virgil)Virgil, Aen. 6.367–70. 'or, if there is any way, if your divine mother has shown you any, take me with you across the waves'
(Pliny)Pliny, Ep. 4.19.3. 'if ever I am reciting, she sits nearby separated by a curtain'
However, it is also possible to use alternative words such as 'if someone', 'if ever', and 'if any', which tend to be more emphatic:Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 200.
(Cicero) 'whom, if in any way it's possible, I'd love to see'
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 13.25.3. 'I'll be damned if ever I take so much trouble over anything again!'
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 12.47.1. 'about which, it won't do any harm if you say something to Balbus'
Negative conditions When the conditional clause is negative, there are various possibilities: 'if not', 'unless', 'if not', 'were it not that' and 'otherwise'.
means 'unless' or 'if not' or 'except': (Livy)Livy, 2.40.4. 'unless my eyes are deceiving me,' he said, 'your mother and wife and children are here'
Sometimes and are combined: (Cicero)Cicero, Fam. 14.2.1. 'don't think that I write longer letters to anyone, except if someone has written more to me'
(Cicero)Cicero, 2 Cat. 6. 'unless indeed if there is anyone who doesn't think that people like Catiline have the same views as Catiline'
The above kind of -clause, called 'exceptive ',Bertocchi & Maraldi (2011), pp. 114–17. leaves open the possibility that the condition is not met; each of the above examples could be translated 'unless perhaps' or 'unless by chance'. There is another usage of , called 'exclusive ', which combined with a negative apodosis gives the logical sense of 'only if':
(Cicero)Cicero, Phil. 2.2. 'he did not think he could prove himself to his peers as an enemy of his fatherland unless he were unfriendly to me'
The combination of and is also commonly used: (Cicero)Cicero, Fam. 13.73.2. 'I would be grateful, if it's no bother to you, if you would let me know'
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 2.11.2. 'if you can't get there before that date, perhaps I'll see you in Rome'
The combination is preferred when a particular word is made negative:Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 376. (Cicero)Cicero, Fam. 5.19. 'if you do it, I will be most grateful; but if you don't, I will forgive you'
The conjunction is less commonly used, except in Livy and the poets. It is not used by Caesar, and only occasionally in Cicero. In the classical writers it is most often used in unreal conditions:
(Livy)Livy, 2.48.5. 'and it would all have been over for the army, if Caeso Fabius had not come just in time to help'
(Livy)Livy, 2.10.2. 'the bridge on wooden piles almost gave an entrance to the enemy, had it not been for one man, Horatius Cocles'
Less often is used in open conditions:
(Plautus)Plautus, Am. 437. 'you'll get a flogging, if you don't go away from here'
Another way of expressing the negative is with : (Cicero)Cicero, Att. 13.22.4. 'I have sent you Caesar's letter, in case you had not read it'
rather than is also used if the verb has to be supplied from the context:Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 378. (Cicero)Cicero, 1 Cat. 10. 'take out with you all your friends; failing that, as many as possible'
Open conditions Present or past A present open conditional normally has the indicative in both halves. Various tenses are possible, but the present or perfect are common: (Cicero)Cicero, Att. 4.14.1. 'if you are in better health now, I am very glad'
(Terence)Terence, H. T. 631. 'if I did wrong, I did so unwittingly'
(Catullus)Catullus, 30.11. 'even if you have forgotten, yet the gods remember; Faithfulness remembers'
The following combines an imperfect tense in the protasis and future in the apodosis:Woodcock (1959), p. 150. (Cicero)Cicero, Att. 14.1.1. 'if he was not able to find any way out, who will find one now?'
A conditional clause is often found after 'what is surprising?' (Cicero)Cicero, de Sen. 35. 'why is it surprising, therefore, if old men are sometimes ill?'
Usually the verb of the apodosis is also indicative, but other moods are possible, such as the imperative below: (Caesar)Caesar, B. G, 4.25.3. jump down, soldiers," he said, "unless you wish to betray the eagle to the enemies
Future In a future conditional, the protasis usually has one of the future tenses, where English has the simple present. In the following, the simple future tense is used:
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 7.26.3. 'if there is (lit. will be) a war, I have decided to be with Pompey'
(Cicero)Cicero, dē Ōrāt. 1.1.87. 'I shall try and explain more clearly, if I can (lit. if I will be able)'
Often, however, a future conditional uses the future perfect indicative, to refer to an event that must take place first before the consequence happens:
(Catullus) 'if you bring (lit. will have brought) these things, you will dine well'
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 11 24.5. 'if I hear (lit. will have heard) anything sooner, I will write to you'
(Cicero)Cicero, Att. 11.23.3. 'if I can (lit. will have been able) in any way, even if it means travelling at night, I will try to see you'
(Livy)Livy, 1.58.3. 'there is a sword in my hand; you will die, if you utter (lit. will have uttered) a word!'
Sometimes both halves of the conditional can have the future perfect tense, though this is rare:Bertocchi & Maraldi (2011), p. 102.
(Plautus)Plautus, Amph. 198.