Chapter 15: The Pluperfect Tense

Illa patrem meum occīderat. — Quintilian, The Orator’s Education 3.11.11
Translation

She had killed my father.

Details

Ille/ illa /illud (pron.): that; he, she it. Patrem is the accusative singular form of pater, patris (3m): father. Meum is the m/n accusative singular form of meus/mea/meum (1/2): my, mine. Occīderat is the third person singular pluperfect form of occīdō, occīdere, occīdī, occīsum (3): to kill.


Maximum adhuc solacium tuum tacueram. — Seneca, Consolation to Helvia 19.1
Translation

Of your greatest source of comfort I have thus far said nothing.

More literally: So far I had made no mention of your greatest comfort.

Details

Maximum is the m/n accusative singular form of maximus/maxima/maximum (1/2), the superlative form of magnus/magna/magnum (1/2): great, large. Adhūc (adv.): still, yet; so far. Sōlācium is the accusative singular form of sōlācium, sōlāciī (2n): comfort, solace, consolation. Tuum is the m/n accusative singular form of tuus/tua/tuum (1/2): your, yours. Tacueram is the first person singular pluperfect form of taceō, tacēre, tacuī, tacitum (2): to be silent; pass over, make no mention of.


Dēscīverāmus (or dēscierāmus) a consuetudine parentum. — Pliny the Younger, Letters 3.20.4
Translation

We had departed from our parents’procedure.

Details

Dēscīverāmus (or dēscierāmus) is the first person plural pluperfect form of dēscīscō, dēscīscere, dēscīvī/dēsciī, dēscītum (3): to defect, revolt, turn away (from). # we had turned away%Ab/ ā (prep.): (away) from; by (takes the ablative). # from% Cōnsuētūdine is the ablative singular form of cōnsuētūdō, cōnsuētūdinis (3f): habituation, custom, experience, familiarity. Parentum is the genitive plural form of parēns, parentis (3m/f): parent.


Male de nobis āctum erat. — Seneca, Epistles 97.16
Translation

It had gone ill with us.

More literally: It had been acted badly about us.

Details

Male (adv.): badly. (prep.): from, down from; about, concerning (takes the ablative). Nōbīs is the ablative form of nōs: we. Āctum erat is the third person neuter singular pluperfect passive form of agō, agere, ēgī, āctum (3): to drive, put in motion; do; act (an impersonal passive).


Idem erant qui fuerant. — Cicero, Letters to Atticus 4.5.1
Translation

They proved to be what they had always been.

More literally: They were the same who they had been.

Details

Īdem is the masculine nominative plural form of īdem/eadem/idem (pron. or adj.): the same. Erant is the third person plural imperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg): to be. Quī is the masculine nominative plural form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Fuerant is the third person plural pluperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg): to be.


Persolvi quod exēgerās. — Seneca, Epistles 109.17
Translation

I have thus answered your demand.

More literally: I have fulfilled what you (sg.) had demanded.

Details

Persolvō, persolvere, persolvī, persolūtum (3): to pay off; fulfill. Quod is the neuter accusative singular form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Exēgerās is the second person singular pluperfect form of exigō, exigere, exēgī, exāctum (3): to demand, require.


Salvusne est pater vester senex, de quo dīxerātis mihi? — Gen. 43:27
Translation

Is the old man your father in health, of whom you (pl.) told me?

Details

Salvusne /salva/salvum (1/2): safe; well, in good health; the enclitic particle –ne makes the word part of a question. Est: is. Pater, patris (3m): father. Vester /vestra/vestrum (1/2): your, yours (pl.). Senex, senis (3, adj. or noun): old; old man. (prep.): from, down from; about, concerning (takes the ablative). Quō is the m/n ablative singular form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Dīxerātis is the second person plural pluperfect form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say, speak, tell. Mihi is the dative form of ego.


Locūtus erat liberius de istius improbitate. — Cicero, Against Verres 2. 5. 141
Translation

He had talked rather freely about Verres’wickedness.

More literally: . . . about the wickedness of that one.

Details

Locūtus erat is the third person masculine singular pluperfect form of loquor, loquī, locūtus sum (3, deponent): to speak, talk. Līberius (adv.) is the comparative form of līberē (adv.): freely. (prep.): from, down from; about, concerning (takes the ablative). Istīus is the m/f/n (here m) genitive singular form of iste/ista/istud (pron.): that (of yours); he, she, it. Improbitāte is the ablative singular form of improbitās, improbitātis (3f): wickedness.


Sic regii cōnstiterant. — Livy, History of Rome 42.58.10
Translation

In this way the king’s men were arrayed.

More literally: The royal (men) had taken up position thus.

Details

Sīc (adv.): thus, so, in such manner. # thus% Rēgiī is the masculine nominative plural form of rēgius/rēgia/rēgium (1/2): royal, of or belonging to a king (used substantively—the king’s men). Cōnstiterant is the third person plural pluperfect form of cōnsistō, cōnsistere, cōnstitī, — (3): to stop, come to a halt; take up position, stand.


Contigerat nostras infamia temporis aures. — Ovid, Metamorphoses 1. 211
Translation

The infamy of the time had reached our ears.

Details

Contigerat is the third person singular pluperfect form of contingō, contingere, contigī, contāctum (3): to touch; reach. Nostrās is the feminine accusative plural form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): ours, ours. Īnfāmia, īnfāmiae (1f): infamy, dishonor, bad reputation. Tempus, temporis (3n): time. Aurēs is the accusative plural form of auris, auris (3f): ear.


Numquam puer aut adulescens inter cocos fuerās? — Cicero, Against Vatinius 32
Translation

Had you never, boy or young man, been among the cooks?

Details

Numquam (adv.): never. Puer, puerī (2m): boy; child. Aut (conj.): or. Adulēscēns, adulēscentis (3m/f): youth; young man or woman. Inter (prep.): between; among (takes the accusative). Cocōs is the accusative plural form of cocus, cocī (2m—also coquus): cook. Fuerās is the second person singular pluperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be.


Nōverāmus corporis sanitatem. — Seneca, Epistles 12 0.5
Translation

We understood what bodily health was.

More literally: We knew (or had come to know) the health of the body.

Details

Nōverāmus (or nōrāmus) is the first person plural pluperfect form of nōscō, nōscere, nōvī, nōtum (4): to come to know; recognize (perfect-tense forms have the present sense of know, and pluperfect-tense forms have the imperfect sense of knew). Corpus, corporis (3n): body. Sānitātem is the accusative singular form of sānitās, sānitātis (3f): sanity; health.


Elephanti etiam usque ad vallum ācti erant. — Livy, History of Rome 24.42.3
Translation

Even the elephants had been driven all the way to the wall.

Details

Elephantī is the nominative plural form of elephantus, elephantī (2m): elephant. Etiam (particle): still; also; even. Ūsque (adv.): all the way, right up (to). Ad (prep.): to, toward; according to (takes the accusative). Vallum is the accusative singular form of vallum, vallī (2n): earthen wall, rampart. Ācti erant is the third person masculine plural pluperfect passive form of agō, agere, ēgī, āctum (3): to drive, put in motion; do; act.


Vires suas nōverat. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 10. pr.2
Translation

He knew his own strength.

Details

Vīrēs is the accusative plural form of vīs, vīs (3f): strength, power, force (the plural often corresponds to the English singular strength). Suās is the feminine accusative plural form of suus/sua/suum (1/2). Nōverat (or nōrat) is the third person singular pluperfect form of nōscō, nōscere, nōvī, nōtum (3): to come to know; recognize; (in perfect-stem forms) know.


Bruttii cēperant de Graecis. — Livy, History of Rome 35.4 0.6
Translation

The Bruttii had taken it from the Greeks.

Details

Bruttiī, Bruttiōrum (2m): the Bruttii (southern Italian tribe). Cēperant is the third person plural pluperfect form of capiō, capere, cēpī, captum (3, –iō): to take, seize; receive. (prep.): from, down from; about, concerning (takes the ablative). Graecīs is the m/f/n (here m) ablative plural form of Graecus/Graeca/Graecum (1/2): Greek.


Ecce vir quem dīxeram tibi. — 1 Sam. 9:17
Translation

Behold the man of whom I spoke to you!

Alt. : Here is the man I told you about.

Details

Ecce (interjection): behold, see, here is. Vir, virī (2m): man. Quem is the masculine accusative singular form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Dīxeram is the first person singular pluperfect form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say, tell (of/about). Tibi is the dative form of tū: you.


Iam Sora capta erat. — Livy, History of Rome 9.24.13
Translation

Sora was already taken.

Alt. : Sora already had been captured.

Details

Iam (adv.): already; now; soon. Sōra, Sōrae (1f): Sora (town in central Italy). Capta erat is the third person feminine singular pluperfect passive form of capiō, capere, cēpī, captum (3, –iō): to take, seize; receive.


Nondum vēnerant legiones duae. — Cicero, Letters to Friends 10.30.2
Translation

The two legions had not yet come up.

Details

Nōndum (adv.): not yet. Vēnerant is the third person plural pluperfect form of veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come. Legiōnēs is the nominative plural form of legiō, legiōnis (3f): legion. Duo/ duae /duo (irreg.): two.


Rumorinquitfuerat te decessisse.” — Seneca the Elder, Controversies (excerpts) 5.2.1
Translation

“There was a rumor that you died,” he said.

More literally: He said, “The rumor had been you to have died.”

Details

Rūmor, rūmōris (3m): rumor. Inquit is the third person singular form of inquam (irreg. and defective): to say (inquit = he/she/it says or said). Fuerat is the third person singular pluperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be. is the accusative form of tū: you. Dēcessisse is the perfect infinitive form of dēcēdō, dēcēdere, dēcessī, dēcessum (3): to depart, withdraw; yield; die.


Quod effēcerās. — Cicero, Letters to Friends 11.27.5
Translation

In that you had succeeded.

More literally: Which you (sg.) had achieved.

Details

Quod is the neuter accusative singular form of quī/quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Effēcerās is the second person singular pluperfect form of efficiō, efficere, effēcī, effectum (3, –iō): to complete, accomplish, achieve, bring about.


Secūtus erat in provinciam Cretam Occium Flammam proconsulem. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 9.4.19
Translation

He had accompanied the proconsul Occius Flamma to his province, Crete.

Details

Secūtus erat is the third person masculine singular pluperfect form of sequor, sequī, secūtus sum (3, deponent): to follow. In (prep.): (with abl.) in, on; (with acc.) into. Prōvinciam is the accusative singular form of prōvincia, prōvinciae (1f): province. Crētam is the accusative singular form of Crēta, Crētae (1f): Crete. Occium is the m/n (here m) accusative singular form of the family name Occius/Occia/Occium (1/2). Flammam is the accusative singular form of the cognomen Flamma, Flammae (1m). Prōcōnsulem is the accusative singular form of prōcōnsul, prōcōnsulis (3m): proconsul (governor of a province).


Si non dēcrēverāmus, consilium nostrum expectari debuit. — Seneca the Elder, Controversies 7.7.2
Translation

If we had not passed the decree, it was his duty to await our discussion.

More literally: If we had not decided, our discussion ought to have been awaited (still more literal and awkward: was duty-bound to be awaited).

Details

(conj.): if. Nōn: not. Dēcrēverāmus (or dēcrērāmus) is the first person plural pluperfect form of dēcernō, dēcernere, dēcrēvī, dēcrētum (3): to determine, decide, decree. Cōnsilium, cōnsiliī (2n): discussion, deliberation; council, meeting; plan, intention; advice, counsel; determination. Noster/nostra/ nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Expectārī is the passive infinitive form of expectō, expectāre, expectāvī, expectātum (1): to wait (for), await; expect. Dēbuit is the third person singular perfect form of dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī, dēbitum (2): to owe; ought, be duty-bound.

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