Welcome to Lesson 59 of the Latinum Institute Conversational Latin Course. Today’s word is tamen, “nevertheless, yet, all the same.” The Dickinson Core Vocabulary ranks it 58th among all Latin words. In Lesson 58 you learned enim, the word that gives a reason. Tamen does the opposite: it tells you that something happens against the reason, in spite of what you would expect.
What does tamen mean in Latin?
Tamen means “nevertheless, however, yet, still, all the same.” It marks a fact that goes against what has just been said: fessus sum; tamen labōrō, “I am tired; nevertheless, I am working.” The first statement leads you to expect one thing; tamen announces the other. Tamen never changes its form.
Where does tamen stand in the sentence?
Unlike enim, tamen may stand first in its clause: tamen veniō, “nevertheless I am coming.” It very often stands second, straight after a word that is being contrasted: ego tamen, “I, however”; hic tamen vīvit, “this man, nevertheless, is alive.” It also joins with other words at the start of a clause: et tamen, “and yet”; sed tamen, “but still.”
How does Latin differ from English here?
English usually marks a contrast once. We say “Although he is ill, he comes to school,” or “He is ill, yet he comes to school,” but rarely “Although he is ill, yet he comes.” Latin likes to mark it twice. The subordinate clause begins with quamquam, etsī or cum, “although,” and the main clause answers with tamen: quamquam aeger est, tamen in scholam venit. When you translate, leave out one of the two English words. When you write Latin, put both in.
Where does tamen come from?
Lewis and Short, following older scholars, connect tamen with tam, “so,” which you met in Lesson 58 (tam sērō, “so late”). The origin of the ending is not certain.
The most useful phrase of all
Sed tamen, “but still, but all the same,” is how a Roman speaker turns back to the main point after admitting something against it. You will hear it in Section A and throughout the dialogue at the end of this lesson.
Key Takeaways
✦ Tamen means “nevertheless, yet, still, all the same”: it marks something that happens in spite of what has been said
✦ Tamen may stand first in its clause, or second after the word it contrasts (ego tamen, hic tamen)
✦ Latin often pairs tamen with “although” in the other clause: quamquam … tamen, etsī … tamen, cum … tamen
✦ Et tamen, “and yet”; sed tamen and vērum tamen, “but still”; vērumtamen and attamen, “but nevertheless”
✦ Tamen is the “still” of contrast, not the “still” of time: “it is still raining” is adhūc pluit
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tamen /ˈta.men/: two syllables, both vowels SHORT. Stress the first: TA-men. The a is the a of “father” said short, the e is the e of “pet.” Never say “tay-men.”
vērumtamen /weːˈrum.ta.men/: four syllables, stress on rum. The v is /w/ and the first vowel is long.
attamen /ˈat.ta.men/: three syllables, stress on the first; the double t is held a moment longer, as in Italian.
tametsī /taˈmet.siː/: “although,” stress on met.
Key vocabulary for this lesson:
quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ — although; etsī /ˈet.siː/ — even if, although; pluit /ˈplu.it/ — it is raining; frīgus /ˈfriː.ɡus/ — cold; madidus /ˈma.di.dus/ — wet, soaked; taberna /taˈber.na/ — shop; mercātor /merˈkaː.tor/ — shopkeeper, merchant; as, assis /as/ — the as, a small copper coin; adhūc /adˈhuːk/ — still, up to now.
This course gives the restored classical pronunciation: c is always /k/, v is /w/, ae is /ae̯/ as in “eye,” and qu is /kʷ/.
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59.1a Tamen nevertheless veniō I-am-coming
59.1b Tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV veniō /ˈwe.ni.oː/ come.1SG.PRES
59.2a Fessus tired sum I-am tamen nevertheless labōrō I-am-working
59.2b Fessus /ˈfes.sus/ tired.NOM.M.SG sum /sum/ be.1SG.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV labōrō /laˈboː.roː/ work.1SG.PRES
59.3a Et and tamen yet rīdet he-laughs
59.3b Et /et/ and.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ yet.ADV rīdet /ˈriː.det/ laugh.3SG.PRES
59.4a Sed but tamen still amīcus a-friend est he-is
59.4b Sed /sed/ but.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ still.ADV amīcus /aˈmiː.kus/ friend.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
59.5a Pluit it-is-raining tamen nevertheless ambulāmus we-are-walking
59.5b Pluit /ˈplu.it/ rain.3SG.PRES.IMPERS tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV ambulāmus /am.buˈlaː.mus/ walk.1PL.PRES
59.6a Quamquam although aeger ill est he-is tamen nevertheless in into scholam school venit he-comes
59.6b Quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ although.CONJ aeger /ˈae̯.ɡer/ sick.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV in /in/ into.PREP+ACC scholam /ˈskʰo.lam/ school.ACC.F.SG venit /ˈwe.nit/ come.3SG.PRES
59.7a Etsī even-though pecūniam money nōn not habēmus we-have tamen nevertheless fēlīcēs happy sumus we-are
59.7b Etsī /ˈet.siː/ even-if.CONJ pecūniam /peˈkuː.ni.am/ money.ACC.F.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV habēmus /haˈbeː.mus/ have.1PL.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV fēlīcēs /feːˈliː.keːs/ happy.NOM.M.PL sumus /ˈsu.mus/ be.1PL.PRES
59.8a Cibus the-food bonus good nōn not erat was cēnāvimus we-dined tamen all-the-same
59.8b Cibus /ˈki.bus/ food.NOM.M.SG bonus /ˈbo.nus/ good.NOM.M.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF cēnāvimus /keːˈnaː.wi.mus/ dine.1PL.PERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV
59.9a Latīnam Latin difficilem difficult esse to-be dīcunt they-say ego I tamen however eam it amō love
59.9b Latīnam /laˈtiː.nam/ Latin.ACC.F.SG difficilem /difˈfi.ki.lem/ difficult.ACC.F.SG esse /ˈes.se/ be.PRES.INF dīcunt /ˈdiː.kunt/ say.3PL.PRES ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ however.ADV eam /ˈe.am/ it.ACC.F.SG amō /ˈa.moː/ love.1SG.PRES
59.10a Cum although dīves rich esset he-was tamen nevertheless beātus happy nōn not erat he-was
59.10b Cum /kum/ although.CONJ dīves /ˈdiː.wes/ rich.NOM.M.SG esset /ˈes.set/ be.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV beātus /beˈaː.tus/ happy.NOM.M.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF
59.11a Nātūram nature expellēs you-will-drive-out furcā with-a-pitchfork tamen yet usque always recurret she-will-run-back
59.11b Nātūram /naːˈtuː.ram/ nature.ACC.F.SG expellēs /eksˈpel.leːs/ drive-out.2SG.FUT furcā /ˈfur.kaː/ pitchfork.ABL.F.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ yet.ADV usque /ˈus.kʷe/ always.ADV recurret /reˈkur.ret/ run-back.3SG.FUT
59.12a Ut though dēsint be-lacking vīrēs the-strength tamen still est is laudanda to-be-praised voluntās the-will
59.12b Ut /ut/ though.CONJ dēsint /ˈdeː.sint/ be-lacking.3PL.PRES.SUBJ vīrēs /ˈwiː.reːs/ strength.NOM.F.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ still.ADV est /est/ be.3SG.PRES laudanda /lau̯ˈdan.da/ praise.GERUNDIVE.NOM.F.SG voluntās /woˈlun.taːs/ will.NOM.F.SG
59.13a Respexit she-looked-back tamen nevertheless et and longō long post after tempore a-time vēnit she-came
59.13b Respexit /resˈpek.sit/ look-back.3SG.PERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV et /et/ and.CONJ longō /ˈloŋ.ɡoː/ long.ABL.N.SG post /post/ after.ADV tempore /ˈtem.po.re/ time.ABL.N.SG vēnit /ˈweː.nit/ come.3SG.PERF
59.14a Innocēns innocent est is quispiam someone vērum but tamen still quamquam although abest he-is-away ā from culpā guilt suspīciōne suspicion tamen nevertheless nōn not caret he-lacks
59.14b Innocēns /ˈin.no.keːns/ innocent.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES quispiam /ˈkʷis.pi.am/ someone.NOM.M.SG vērum /ˈweː.rum/ but.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ still.ADV quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ although.CONJ abest /ˈab.est/ be-away.3SG.PRES ā /aː/ from.PREP+ABL culpā /ˈkul.paː/ guilt.ABL.F.SG suspīciōne /sus.piː.kiˈoː.ne/ suspicion.ABL.F.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV nōn /noːn/ not.ADV caret /ˈka.ret/ lack.3SG.PRES
59.15a Pater Father mī my sī if possibile possible est it-is trānseat let-pass ā from mē me calix cup iste this vērumtamen nevertheless nōn not sīcut as ego I volō will sed but sīcut as tū you
59.15b Pater /ˈpa.ter/ father.VOC.M.SG mī /miː/ my.VOC.M.SG sī /siː/ if.CONJ possibile /posˈsi.bi.le/ possible.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES trānseat /ˈtraːn.se.at/ pass.3SG.PRES.SUBJ ā /aː/ from.PREP+ABL mē /meː/ I.ABL.SG calix /ˈka.liks/ cup.NOM.M.SG iste /ˈis.te/ that.NOM.M.SG vērumtamen /weːˈrum.ta.men/ nevertheless.ADV nōn /noːn/ not.ADV sīcut /ˈsiː.kut/ as.ADV ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG volō /ˈwo.loː/ want.1SG.PRES sed /sed/ but.CONJ sīcut /ˈsiː.kut/ as.ADV tū /tuː/ you.NOM.SG
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59.1 Tamen veniō. → “I’m coming all the same.”
59.2 Fessus sum; tamen labōrō. → “I’m tired, but I’m working anyway.”
59.3 Et tamen rīdet. → “And yet he’s laughing.”
59.4 Sed tamen amīcus est. → “But he’s still a friend.”
59.5 Pluit; tamen ambulāmus. → “It’s raining; we’re going for a walk all the same.”
59.6 Quamquam aeger est, tamen in scholam venit. → “Although he’s ill, he’s coming to school.”
59.7 Etsī pecūniam nōn habēmus, tamen fēlīcēs sumus. → “Even though we have no money, we’re happy.”
59.8 Cibus bonus nōn erat; cēnāvimus tamen. → “The food wasn’t good; we ate anyway.”
59.9 Latīnam difficilem esse dīcunt; ego tamen eam amō. → “They say Latin is difficult; I love it all the same.”
59.10 Cum dīves esset, tamen beātus nōn erat. → “Although he was rich, he wasn’t happy.”
59.11 Nātūram expellēs furcā, tamen usque recurret. → “You may drive nature out with a pitchfork, yet she will always come running back.” (Horace, Epistles 1.10.24)
59.12 Ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās. → “Though the strength is lacking, the will is still to be praised.” (Ovid, Letters from the Black Sea 3.4.79)
59.13 Respexit tamen et longō post tempore vēnit. → “She (Freedom) looked my way all the same, and came, after a long time.” (Virgil, Eclogues 1.29)
59.14 Innocēns est quispiam, vērum tamen, quamquam abest ā culpā, suspīciōne tamen nōn caret. → “Suppose a man is innocent; but even so, although he is far from guilt, he is not free from suspicion.” (Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria 56)
59.15 Pater mī, sī possibile est, trānseat ā mē calix iste; vērumtamen nōn sīcut ego volō, sed sīcut tū. → “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39, Vulgate)
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59.1 Tamen veniō.
59.2 Fessus sum; tamen labōrō.
59.3 Et tamen rīdet.
59.4 Sed tamen amīcus est.
59.5 Pluit; tamen ambulāmus.
59.6 Quamquam aeger est, tamen in scholam venit.
59.7 Etsī pecūniam nōn habēmus, tamen fēlīcēs sumus.
59.8 Cibus bonus nōn erat; cēnāvimus tamen.
59.9 Latīnam difficilem esse dīcunt; ego tamen eam amō.
59.10 Cum dīves esset, tamen beātus nōn erat.
59.11 Nātūram expellēs furcā, tamen usque recurret.
59.12 Ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās.
59.13 Respexit tamen et longō post tempore vēnit.
59.14 Innocēns est quispiam, vērum tamen, quamquam abest ā culpā, suspīciōne tamen nōn caret.
59.15 Pater mī, sī possibile est, trānseat ā mē calix iste; vērumtamen nōn sīcut ego volō, sed sīcut tū.
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These are the grammar rules for tamen in Latin:
1. Form
Tamen is an adverb that does the work of a conjunction: the Dickinson list calls it a conjunction, Lewis and Short an adverb. It never changes its form. It stands in a main clause, and the verb of that clause is in whatever mood the sense requires, usually the indicative: tamen veniō (59.1), tamen labōrō (59.2).
2. Meaning: the unexpected result
Tamen says that something is true in spite of what has just been said. The first statement creates an expectation; the tamen clause goes against it. Fessus sum, “I am tired,” leads you to expect “so I am resting”; tamen labōrō, “nevertheless I am working,” overturns it (59.2). Pluit; tamen ambulāmus (59.5). Translate it as English requires: “nevertheless,” “yet,” “still,” “all the same,” “anyway,” “even so.” In light conversation “anyway” and “all the same” are often the most natural (59.1, 59.8).
3. Position
Tamen is not postpositive: it can open its clause, as in tamen veniō (59.1) and tamen labōrō (59.2). Very often, however, it stands second, after a word that receives emphasis, the word that is being set against what came before: ego tamen eam amō, “I, however, love it” (59.9), where other people find Latin hard but the speaker does not; hic tamen vīvit, “and yet this man lives” (Section F). In 59.8 it follows the verb: cēnāvimus tamen, “we ate anyway.” In poetry it can stand later still, as in 59.11, where it comes after a comma inside the line.
4. The concessive pair: “although … nevertheless”
Latin very often prepares tamen with a clause of concession (“although,” “even if”) and then answers that clause with tamen in the main clause. The common pairs are:
quamquam + indicative … tamen: quamquam aeger est, tamen in scholam venit (59.6); quamquam abest ā culpā, suspīciōne tamen nōn caret (59.14).
etsī + indicative … tamen: etsī pecūniam nōn habēmus, tamen fēlīcēs sumus (59.7).
cum + subjunctive … tamen: cum dīves esset, tamen beātus nōn erat (59.10). This is the concessive cum, “although,” which takes the subjunctive; the same word cum is also the preposition “with” and the conjunction “when.”
ut + subjunctive … tamen: ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās (59.12), “granted that the strength is lacking.”
A plain verb can do the same work with no conjunction at all. In 59.11 Horace writes a future, nātūram expellēs furcā, “you will drive out nature with a pitchfork,” and the tamen that follows turns it into a concession: “you may drive it out, yet it will come back.”
English normally says “although” or “yet,” but not both. Latin normally says both. When you translate, drop one; when you compose, keep both.
5. Et tamen, sed tamen, vērum tamen
Et tamen means “and yet” (59.3). Sed tamen means “but still, but all the same” (59.4, and throughout the dialogue). Vērum tamen means the same as sed tamen, a little more weighty; Cicero uses it in 59.14. Written as one word, vērumtamen, it is the Vulgate’s “nevertheless” in 59.15. Attamen, “but nevertheless,” is the same idea built on at, “but.” Lewis and Short also record sī tamen, “if only, if at least,” where tamen limits the condition.
6. Tamen twice
In 59.14 Cicero uses tamen twice in one sentence: vērum tamen at the start, then quamquam abest ā culpā, and suspīciōne tamen in the main clause. The first tamen answers the opening statement (“someone is innocent”); the second answers the quamquam clause. A speaker who piles up tamen like this is insisting hard on the contrast.
7. Tamen and adhūc: two kinds of “still”
English “still” has two meanings. “He is still asleep” is about time: the state continues. Latin says adhūc (or etiam nunc): adhūc dormit. “He is ill; still, he comes” is about contrast. Latin says tamen. The dialogue puts both side by side: adhūc pluit. Domum tamen redīmus laetī, “It is still raining. Still, we go home happy” (59.28).
8. Set phrases
Sed tamen, “but still” (59.4, 59.20, 59.29). Et tamen, “and yet” (59.3, 59.19). Vērumtamen, “nevertheless” (59.15). Quamquam … tamen and etsī … tamen, “although … yet” (59.6, 59.7, 59.18, 59.22). Sēra tamen, “late, but still,” Virgil’s phrase for freedom that came at last (Eclogues 1.27, Section E).
Common Mistakes
Putting tamen in the “although” clause. Quamquam tamen aeger est is wrong. Tamen belongs to the main clause, the one that states the unexpected result: quamquam aeger est, tamen venit.
Translating both “although” and “yet.” “Although he is ill, yet he comes” is stiff, old-fashioned English. In translation keep one of them.
Using tamen for “still” in time. “She is still here” is adhūc adest, not tamen adest. Tamen adest means “she is here all the same.”
Confusing tamen, tandem and tam. Tamen is “nevertheless.” Tandem is “at last, finally.” Tam is “so, to such a degree.” They look alike; learn them apart.
Confusing tamen with autem. Autem, “however, moreover,” is a weak link word, always second in its clause, which often marks only a change of subject. Tamen is strong: it says the result goes against what was expected. Use tamen when there is a real “in spite of.”
Treating tamen as a conjunction that joins two clauses by itself. In pluit; tamen ambulāmus the two sentences are joined only by the sense; tamen does not make either one subordinate. That is why Latin can say sed tamen and et tamen: the conjunction joins the clauses, tamen adds the contrast.
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The word of the unexpected
Tamen is one of the words that give Latin its argument. A Roman orator admits a point and then overturns it: “granted, this is so; tamen …”. A Latin reader learns to wait for the tamen. When a sentence begins with quamquam or etsī, the tamen is on its way, and the real point of the sentence will come after it.
Cicero and the man who should not be alive
In November 63 BC the consul Cicero rose in the senate and attacked Lucius Sergius Catilina, who was plotting against the state and yet sat among the senators. His famous cry, ō tempora, ō mōrēs!, “what times, what morals!”, leads straight to tamen: the senate knows, the consul sees, hic tamen vīvit, “and yet this man is alive.” Section F reads the passage.
Horace’s pitchfork
Horace, writing to a friend who loved the city, laughs at townsmen who plant trees between their columns and praise a house with a view of the fields. Nātūram expellēs furcā, tamen usque recurret (59.11): you may throw nature out with a pitchfork, but she will always come running back. The line became a proverb, and it is still quoted in Latin, especially about human character and habits.
Ovid in exile
Ovid wrote his Letters from the Black Sea after Augustus banished him to Tomis, on the shore of what is now Romania. In the letter quoted in 59.12 he sends a friend a poem that he fears is weak, and pleads: ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās, “though the strength is lacking, the will deserves praise.” The line is often quoted in Latin, a gentle excuse for a sincere effort that falls short.
Virgil’s late freedom
In Virgil’s first Eclogue the old shepherd Tityrus explains why he went to Rome. It was for freedom: lībertās, quae sēra tamen respexit inertem, “Freedom, who, though late, still looked my way when I was idle,” and he repeats the word two lines later: respexit tamen et longō post tempore vēnit (59.13). Tityrus was a slave; his beard was already grey when he was set free.
Vērumtamen in Gethsemane
In the garden on the night before his death, Jesus prays that the cup of suffering may pass from him, and then submits: vērumtamen nōn sīcut ego volō, sed sīcut tū (59.15). For centuries this vērumtamen was read and sung in the Latin Passion in Holy Week. It is perhaps the most solemn tamen in Latin.
What happened to tamen
The main Romance languages built new words for “nevertheless.” Italian tuttavia is “all the way,” French pourtant is “for so much,” Spanish sin embargo is “without hindrance.” Tamen lived on in written Latin, in law, in the Church and in the schools, and it is the natural word for “all the same” among people who speak Latin today.
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Cicero, In Catilīnam 1.2 (the First Speech against Catiline). On 8 November 63 BC Cicero, as consul, addressed the senate in the temple of Jupiter Stator. Catiline, who was organising an armed rising, had come to the meeting and taken his seat. Cicero’s outrage turns on one word: everyone knows what Catiline is doing, and tamen he is alive and sitting among them. The macrons are editorial; editions punctuate the opening differently.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Ō O tempora the-times ō O mōrēs the-morals Senātus the-senate haec these-things intellegit understands Cōnsul the-consul videt sees hic this-man tamen nevertheless vīvit lives
F.1b Ō /oː/ O.INTERJ tempora /ˈtem.po.ra/ time.ACC.N.PL ō /oː/ O.INTERJ mōrēs /ˈmoː.reːs/ custom.ACC.M.PL Senātus /seˈnaː.tus/ senate.NOM.M.SG haec /hae̯k/ this.ACC.N.PL intellegit /inˈtel.le.ɡit/ understand.3SG.PRES Cōnsul /ˈkoːn.sul/ consul.NOM.M.SG videt /ˈwi.det/ see.3SG.PRES hic /hik/ this.NOM.M.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV vīvit /ˈwiː.wit/ live.3SG.PRES
F.2a Vīvit lives Immō no-rather vērō indeed etiam even in into senātum the-senate venit he-comes fit he-becomes pūblicī of-the-public cōnsiliī counsel particeps a-sharer notat he-marks et and dēsignat points-out oculīs with-his-eyes ad for caedem slaughter ūnum one quemque each nostrum of-us
F.2b Vīvit /ˈwiː.wit/ live.3SG.PRES Immō /ˈim.moː/ rather.ADV vērō /ˈweː.roː/ indeed.ADV etiam /ˈe.ti.am/ even.ADV in /in/ into.PREP+ACC senātum /seˈnaː.tum/ senate.ACC.M.SG venit /ˈwe.nit/ come.3SG.PRES fit /fit/ become.3SG.PRES pūblicī /ˈpuː.bli.kiː/ public.GEN.N.SG cōnsiliī /koːnˈsi.li.iː/ counsel.GEN.N.SG particeps /ˈpar.ti.keps/ sharer.NOM.M.SG notat /ˈno.tat/ mark.3SG.PRES et /et/ and.CONJ dēsignat /deːˈsiɡ.nat/ point-out.3SG.PRES oculīs /ˈo.ku.liːs/ eye.ABL.M.PL ad /ad/ for.PREP+ACC caedem /ˈkae̯.dem/ slaughter.ACC.F.SG ūnum /ˈuː.num/ one.ACC.M.SG quemque /ˈkʷem.kʷe/ each.ACC.M.SG nostrum /ˈnos.trum/ we.GEN.PL
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Ō tempora, ō mōrēs! Senātus haec intellegit. Cōnsul videt; hic tamen vīvit. Vīvit? Immō vērō etiam in senātum venit, fit pūblicī cōnsiliī particeps, notat et dēsignat oculīs ad caedem ūnum quemque nostrum.
“What times! What morals! The senate understands these things. The consul sees them. And yet this man is alive. Alive? No, more than that: he even comes into the senate, he takes part in the state’s deliberations, he marks and singles out with his eyes each one of us for slaughter.”
— Cicero, In Catilīnam 1.2
F-C: Latin Text Only
Ō tempora, ō mōrēs! Senātus haec intellegit. Cōnsul videt; hic tamen vīvit. Vīvit? Immō vērō etiam in senātum venit, fit pūblicī cōnsiliī particeps, notat et dēsignat oculīs ad caedem ūnum quemque nostrum.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
Ō tempora, ō mōrēs! is an accusative of exclamation: Latin puts the thing exclaimed at in the accusative, with or without ō. Tempora is plural, “the times,” and mōrēs, plural of mōs, means “morals, character,” as in Lesson 58’s bonīs mōribus.
Senātus haec intellegit. Cōnsul videt. Two short, flat statements set up the expectation. If the senate understands and the consul sees, the man should be arrested or dead. Hic tamen vīvit overturns it. Hic, “this man,” stands first, and tamen comes straight after it: this is the position described in Section D, point 3, where tamen follows the word it sets against what came before. Cicero does not use the name; hic, said while pointing at Catiline across the chamber, is more contemptuous.
Vīvit? Cicero repeats the verb as a question, as if he could hardly believe it, and then corrects himself with immō vērō, “no, rather, in fact.” Immō corrects what has just been said by going further. Etiam in senātum venit, “he even comes into the senate”: in with the accusative, because he moves into it.
Fit pūblicī cōnsiliī particeps: fit is the present of fīō, “become.” Particeps, “sharer, participant,” takes the genitive of what is shared: pūblicī cōnsiliī, “of the public counsel,” that is, the senate’s debate.
Notat et dēsignat oculīs, “he marks and singles out with his eyes”: two near-synonyms side by side, a favourite device of Cicero’s. Oculīs is ablative of means. Ad caedem, “for slaughter,” gives the purpose. Ūnum quemque nostrum is “each one of us”: quemque is the accusative of quisque, “each,” and nostrum is the partitive genitive of nōs, “of us.”
The whole passage is built on the one tamen. Without it Senātus haec intellegit, cōnsul videt, hic vīvit would be three facts. With it they become a scandal.
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A pedagogical dialogue, composed for this lesson and not a quotation. Iūlia and Marcus go out in the rain to buy bread. Everything goes wrong, and every time they carry on all the same. Every line of the dialogue uses tamen.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
59.16a IŪLIA: Marce Marcus pluit it-is-raining tamen nevertheless ad to forum the-forum īre to-go volō I-want
59.16b Marce /ˈmar.ke/ Marcus.VOC.M.SG pluit /ˈplu.it/ rain.3SG.PRES.IMPERS tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV ad /ad/ to.PREP+ACC forum /ˈfo.rum/ forum.ACC.N.SG īre /ˈiː.re/ go.PRES.INF volō /ˈwo.loː/ want.1SG.PRES
59.17a MARCUS: Pluit it-is-raining et and frīgus cold est it-is Tamen still tēcum with-you veniō I-am-coming
59.17b Pluit /ˈplu.it/ rain.3SG.PRES.IMPERS et /et/ and.CONJ frīgus /ˈfriː.ɡus/ cold.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES Tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV tēcum /ˈteː.kum/ you.ABL.SG+with veniō /ˈwe.ni.oː/ come.1SG.PRES
59.18a IŪLIA: Quamquam although palla cloak mea my madida wet est is tamen nevertheless laeta happy sum I-am
59.18b Quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ although.CONJ palla /ˈpal.la/ cloak.NOM.F.SG mea /ˈme.a/ my.NOM.F.SG madida /ˈma.di.da/ wet.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV laeta /ˈlae̯.ta/ happy.NOM.F.SG sum /sum/ be.1SG.PRES
59.19a MARCUS: Ecce look taberna the-shop clausa closed est is Et and tamen yet lūx a-light intus inside lūcet is-shining
59.19b Ecce /ˈek.ke/ look.INTERJ taberna /taˈber.na/ shop.NOM.F.SG clausa /ˈklau̯.sa/ closed.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES Et /et/ and.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ yet.ADV lūx /luːks/ light.NOM.F.SG intus /ˈin.tus/ inside.ADV lūcet /ˈluː.ket/ shine.3SG.PRES
59.20a IŪLIA: Pulsā knock-on ōstium the-door Clausa closed est it-is sed but tamen still aliquis someone adest is-here
59.20b Pulsā /ˈpul.saː/ knock.2SG.IMP ōstium /ˈoːs.ti.um/ door.ACC.N.SG Clausa /ˈklau̯.sa/ closed.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES sed /sed/ but.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ still.ADV aliquis /ˈa.li.kʷis/ someone.NOM.M.SG adest /ˈad.est/ be-present.3SG.PRES
59.21a MERCĀTOR: Quis who pulsat is-knocking Taberna the-shop clausa closed est is tamen all-the-same intrāte come-in madidī soaked enim for estis you-are
59.21b Quis /kʷis/ who.NOM.M.SG pulsat /ˈpul.sat/ knock.3SG.PRES Taberna /taˈber.na/ shop.NOM.F.SG clausa /ˈklau̯.sa/ closed.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV intrāte /inˈtraː.te/ enter.2PL.IMP madidī /ˈma.di.diː/ wet.NOM.M.PL enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ estis /ˈes.tis/ be.2PL.PRES
59.22a IŪLIA: Grātiās thanks tibi to-you agō I-give Etsī although sērō late venīmus we-come tamen still pānem bread emere to-buy volumus we-want
59.22b Grātiās /ˈɡraː.ti.aːs/ thanks.ACC.F.PL tibi /ˈti.bi/ you.DAT.SG agō /ˈa.ɡoː/ do.1SG.PRES Etsī /ˈet.siː/ even-if.CONJ sērō /ˈseː.roː/ late.ADV venīmus /weˈniː.mus/ come.1PL.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV pānem /ˈpaː.nem/ bread.ACC.M.SG emere /ˈe.me.re/ buy.PRES.INF volumus /ˈwo.lu.mus/ want.1PL.PRES
59.23a MERCĀTOR: Paene almost omnis all pānis the-bread vēnditus sold est has-been ūnum one tamen still habeō I-have
59.23b Paene /ˈpae̯.ne/ almost.ADV omnis /ˈom.nis/ all.NOM.M.SG pānis /ˈpaː.nis/ bread.NOM.M.SG vēnditus /ˈweːn.di.tus/ sell.PERF.PTCP.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES ūnum /ˈuː.num/ one.ACC.M.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV habeō /ˈha.be.oː/ have.1SG.PRES
59.24a MARCUS: Paucōs a-few tantum only assēs coins habēmus we-have tamen still emere to-buy volumus we-want Quantī how-much est is-it
59.24b Paucōs /ˈpau̯.koːs/ few.ACC.M.PL tantum /ˈtan.tum/ only.ADV assēs /ˈas.seːs/ as.ACC.M.PL habēmus /haˈbeː.mus/ have.1PL.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV emere /ˈe.me.re/ buy.PRES.INF volumus /ˈwo.lu.mus/ want.1PL.PRES Quantī /ˈkʷan.tiː/ how-much.GEN.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
59.25a MERCĀTOR: Duōbus two assibus coins Hodiē today tamen however ūnum one tantum only dabitis you-will-give
59.25b Duōbus /duˈoː.bus/ two.ABL.M.PL assibus /ˈas.si.bus/ as.ABL.M.PL Hodiē /ˈho.di.eː/ today.ADV tamen /ˈta.men/ however.ADV ūnum /ˈuː.num/ one.ACC.M.SG tantum /ˈtan.tum/ only.ADV dabitis /ˈda.bi.tis/ give.2PL.FUT
59.26a IŪLIA: Benignus kind es you-are Sīc this-way tamen however damnum a-loss facis you-make
59.26b Benignus /beˈniɡ.nus/ kind.NOM.M.SG es /es/ be.2SG.PRES Sīc /siːk/ thus.ADV tamen /ˈta.men/ however.ADV damnum /ˈdam.num/ loss.ACC.N.SG facis /ˈfa.kis/ make.2SG.PRES
59.27a MERCĀTOR: Damnum the-loss parvum small est is gaudium the-joy tamen however magnum great
59.27b Damnum /ˈdam.num/ loss.NOM.N.SG parvum /ˈpar.wum/ small.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES gaudium /ˈɡau̯.di.um/ joy.NOM.N.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ however.ADV magnum /ˈmaɡ.num/ great.NOM.N.SG
59.28a MARCUS: Adhūc still pluit it-is-raining Domum home tamen nevertheless redīmus we-go-back laetī happy
59.28b Adhūc /adˈhuːk/ still.ADV pluit /ˈplu.it/ rain.3SG.PRES.IMPERS Domum /ˈdo.mum/ home.ACC.F.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV redīmus /reˈdiː.mus/ go-back.1PL.PRES laetī /ˈlae̯.tiː/ happy.NOM.M.PL
59.29a IŪLIA: Madidī soaked sumus we-are Marce Marcus sed but tamen still pānem the-bread habēmus we-have
59.29b Madidī /ˈma.di.diː/ wet.NOM.M.PL sumus /ˈsu.mus/ be.1PL.PRES Marce /ˈmar.ke/ Marcus.VOC.M.SG sed /sed/ but.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ still.ADV pānem /ˈpaː.nem/ bread.ACC.M.SG habēmus /haˈbeː.mus/ have.1PL.PRES
59.30a MARCUS: Et and pānis the-bread quoque also madidus soaked est is Tamen all-the-same eum it edēmus we-will-eat
59.30b Et /et/ and.CONJ pānis /ˈpaː.nis/ bread.NOM.M.SG quoque /ˈkʷo.kʷe/ also.ADV madidus /ˈma.di.dus/ wet.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES Tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV eum /ˈe.um/ it.ACC.M.SG edēmus /eˈdeː.mus/ eat.1PL.FUT
Part B: Natural Sentences
59.16 IŪLIA: Marce, pluit; tamen ad forum īre volō. → “Marcus, it’s raining, but I still want to go to the forum.”
59.17 MARCUS: Pluit, et frīgus est. Tamen tēcum veniō. → “It’s raining, and it’s cold. Still, I’ll come with you.”
59.18 IŪLIA: Quamquam palla mea madida est, tamen laeta sum. → “My cloak is wet through, but I’m happy.”
59.19 MARCUS: Ecce, taberna clausa est! Et tamen lūx intus lūcet. → “Look, the shop is shut! And yet there’s a light on inside.”
59.20 IŪLIA: Pulsā ōstium! Clausa est, sed tamen aliquis adest. → “Knock on the door! It’s shut, but there’s someone in all the same.”
59.21 MERCĀTOR: Quis pulsat? Taberna clausa est; tamen intrāte: madidī enim estis. → “Who’s knocking? The shop is closed. Come in anyway, you’re soaked.”
59.22 IŪLIA: Grātiās tibi agō! Etsī sērō venīmus, tamen pānem emere volumus. → “Thank you! We know it’s late, but we’d still like to buy some bread.”
59.23 MERCĀTOR: Paene omnis pānis vēnditus est; ūnum tamen habeō. → “Nearly all the bread is sold; but I’ve still got one loaf.”
59.24 MARCUS: Paucōs tantum assēs habēmus; tamen emere volumus. Quantī est? → “We’ve only got a few coins, but we want to buy it anyway. How much is it?”
59.25 MERCĀTOR: Duōbus assibus. Hodiē tamen ūnum tantum dabitis. → “Two asses. But today you’ll pay only one.”
59.26 IŪLIA: Benignus es! Sīc tamen damnum facis. → “You’re very kind! But you’re losing money that way.”
59.27 MERCĀTOR: Damnum parvum est; gaudium tamen magnum. → “The loss is small; the pleasure, though, is great.”
59.28 MARCUS: Adhūc pluit. Domum tamen redīmus laetī. → “It’s still raining. Still, we’re going home happy.”
59.29 IŪLIA: Madidī sumus, Marce, sed tamen pānem habēmus! → “We’re soaked, Marcus, but we’ve got the bread!”
59.30 MARCUS: Et pānis quoque madidus est … Tamen eum edēmus! → “And the bread’s soaked too … We’ll eat it anyway!”
Part C: Latin Text Only
59.16 IŪLIA: Marce, pluit; tamen ad forum īre volō.
59.17 MARCUS: Pluit, et frīgus est. Tamen tēcum veniō.
59.18 IŪLIA: Quamquam palla mea madida est, tamen laeta sum.
59.19 MARCUS: Ecce, taberna clausa est! Et tamen lūx intus lūcet.
59.20 IŪLIA: Pulsā ōstium! Clausa est, sed tamen aliquis adest.
59.21 MERCĀTOR: Quis pulsat? Taberna clausa est; tamen intrāte: madidī enim estis.
59.22 IŪLIA: Grātiās tibi agō! Etsī sērō venīmus, tamen pānem emere volumus.
59.23 MERCĀTOR: Paene omnis pānis vēnditus est; ūnum tamen habeō.
59.24 MARCUS: Paucōs tantum assēs habēmus; tamen emere volumus. Quantī est?
59.25 MERCĀTOR: Duōbus assibus. Hodiē tamen ūnum tantum dabitis.
59.26 IŪLIA: Benignus es! Sīc tamen damnum facis.
59.27 MERCĀTOR: Damnum parvum est; gaudium tamen magnum.
59.28 MARCUS: Adhūc pluit. Domum tamen redīmus laetī.
59.29 IŪLIA: Madidī sumus, Marce, sed tamen pānem habēmus!
59.30 MARCUS: Et pānis quoque madidus est … Tamen eum edēmus!
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Every line follows the pattern of Section D, point 2: a difficulty is stated, and tamen announces that the speakers carry on in spite of it. Rain and cold (59.16, 59.17), a wet cloak (59.18), a closed shop (59.19–59.21), late arrival (59.22), almost no bread (59.23), almost no money (59.24): each time, tamen.
Positions of tamen. It stands first in 59.17 (Tamen tēcum veniō) and 59.30. It follows the word being contrasted in 59.23 (ūnum tamen, “one, though”), 59.25 (hodiē tamen, “today, however”), 59.27 (gaudium tamen, where the joy is set against the loss) and 59.28 (domum tamen). It comes with a conjunction in et tamen (59.19) and sed tamen (59.20, 59.29).
The concessive pairs appear twice: quamquam … tamen (59.18) and etsī … tamen (59.22), both with the indicative, because the facts are real. In translation the English uses only one of the two words, or neither.
The two kinds of “still” meet in 59.28: adhūc pluit, “it is still raining” (time), and domum tamen redīmus, “still, we go home” (contrast). In 59.21 the shopkeeper combines this lesson’s word with the last: tamen intrāte, madidī enim estis, “come in all the same, for you are soaked.” Tamen overrides the objection; enim gives the reason.
Other grammar points: 59.16 Marce is the vocative of Marcus. Pluit, “it rains,” is impersonal and has no subject. 59.17 tēcum is cum joined to the end of the pronoun tē, as in mēcum and nōbīscum. 59.18 palla is the Roman woman’s outer cloak. 59.21 madidī is masculine plural because it describes a man and a woman together. 59.22 grātiās tibi agō, “I thank you,” literally “I give thanks to you.” 59.23 vēnditus est is the perfect passive, “has been sold.” 59.24 quantī est? uses the genitive of price, “of how much is it?” 59.25 duōbus assibus uses the ablative of price, “for two asses.” The as was a small copper coin. 59.26 damnum facere means “to suffer a loss.” 59.27 leaves out est in the second half: gaudium tamen magnum [est]. 59.28 domum, “home,” takes no preposition. 59.30 edēmus is the future of edō, “eat,” which you met in Lesson 58.
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Short vowels in tamen. Both vowels are short, /ˈta.men/. Dictionaries mark the word tămĕn. Stress falls on the first syllable, as it does in every two-syllable Latin word. Keep it apart from tandem /ˈtan.dem/, “at last,” where the first syllable is heavy because of the n before d.
Stress in the compounds. Vērumtamen /weːˈrum.ta.men/: the next-to-last syllable ta is light, so the stress moves back to rum. Attamen /ˈat.ta.men/ stresses the first syllable for the same reason. Tametsī /taˈmet.siː/ stresses met, because a vowel before two consonants makes a heavy syllable.
One word or two. Editors print both vērum tamen and vērumtamen; the Clementine Vulgate prints verumtamen as one word (59.15), while texts of Cicero usually print verum tamen (59.14). The meaning is the same.
Th and ch. Schola (59.6) comes from Greek and keeps an aspirated ch in careful speech, /ˈskʰo.la/.
Long and short vowels that change the meaning. Vēnit /ˈweː.nit/, “she came” (59.13, perfect), has a long ē; venit /ˈwe.nit/, “he comes” (59.6, Section F, present), has a short e. Suspīciō, “suspicion,” has a long ī (59.14); the verb suspiciō, “look up at,” has a short i. Emere, “to buy” (59.22), has a short e, but its perfect is ēmī.
Hidden quantities. The course writes Marcus without a macron, as in earlier lessons, although many scholars give the a as long before rc. Dēsignat (Section F) and benignus (59.26) are also written without a macron on the i before gn; ancient grammarians suggest a long vowel before gn, but modern practice varies.
Spelling. The Romans used one letter, V, for both the vowel u and the consonant v. Some editions print uoluntas and uires in Ovid (59.12), and verum or uerum in Cicero. This course writes v for the consonant. Sections for Cicero’s speech on Roscius vary between editions; 59.14 is §56 in the Latin Library text. Macrons are editorial throughout.
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