Ex tributo stipendium militibus datur.

Because it follows the preposition ex, which takes the ablative in Latin.

So:

• ex = out of, from
• tributo = ablative singular of tributum

Together, ex tributo means from the tax, from the tribute, or out of tax revenue.

Tributum usually means tribute, tax, or levy. In this sentence, it most naturally refers to a source of money or revenue.

So ex tributo suggests that the soldiers’ pay is being given from tax money or out of collected tribute.

Stipendium often means pay, wages, salary, or more specifically military pay in many contexts.

In this sentence, it is the thing being given. So it is the pay itself, not the act of paying.

Grammatically, stipendium is:

• neuter
• singular
• nominative here, because it is the subject of the verb

Because Latin normally uses the dative for the indirect object—the person to whom something is given.

Here:

• militibus = to the soldiers
• it is the dative plural of miles

So the pattern is:

• stipendium = the thing given
• militibus = the people receiving it

This is very common with verbs like do, dare (to give).

Because datur is passive, while dat would be active.

• dat = he/she/it gives
• datur = it is given

Since the sentence is phrased as the pay is given to the soldiers, Latin uses the passive:

• stipendium ... datur = pay is given

The verb datur is singular, so its subject must also be singular.

Among the words in the sentence:

• stipendium is nominative singular
• tributo is ablative singular
• militibus is dative plural

That makes stipendium the subject.

So literally the structure is:

• Ex tributo = from the tax
• stipendium = pay
• militibus = to the soldiers
• datur = is given

Because Classical Latin has no articles like English the or a/an.

So a word like stipendium can mean:

• pay
• the pay
• a payment

and militibus can mean:

• to soldiers
• to the soldiers

The exact sense depends on context.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show each word’s role.

An English speaker might expect something like:

• Stipendium militibus ex tributo datur

But Latin can move words around for emphasis or style.

In this sentence, putting Ex tributo first may highlight the source of the money: from the tax revenue.

The basic grammar does not change even if the order changes, because:

• stipendium is still nominative
• militibus is still dative
• tributo is still ablative after ex

Yes, the sentence does not say who gives it. That is normal in a passive sentence.

English does the same thing:

• Pay is given to the soldiers

This tells us what happens, but not necessarily who does it.

If Latin wanted to name the agent, it could add it, often with ab plus the ablative for a personal agent. But here the focus is on:

• the source of the money
• the pay
• the recipients

not on the giver.

Because stipendium can be a collective or mass-like idea here: pay, wages, or a payment.

Latin often uses a singular noun where English might think more generally or collectively.

So stipendium militibus datur does not mean only one soldier is paid. It means pay is given to the soldiers.

Normally no. With ex plus the ablative, the basic meaning is out of, from, or from a source.

So here ex tributo is best understood as:

• from the tax
• out of tax revenue

If Latin wanted to express because of more clearly, it would usually choose a different construction.

You would look them up as:

• ex = preposition meaning out of, from
• tributum, tributi = tribute, tax
• stipendium, stipendii = pay, wages, military pay
• miles, militis = soldier
• do, dare, dedi, datus = to give

And in this sentence the forms are:

• tributo = ablative singular
• stipendium = nominative singular
• militibus = dative plural
• datur = 3rd person singular present passive

Yes. It shows a very common pattern.

With do, dare (to give):

• the thing given is in the accusative in an active sentence
• the recipient is in the dative

For example, in the active you might have:

• Aliquis stipendium militibus dat = Someone gives pay to the soldiers

When that becomes passive:

• the former direct object, stipendium, becomes the subject
• the dative militibus stays dative

So:

• Stipendium militibus datur = Pay is given to the soldiers