Simul atque familia commigravit, vicinos salutavit.

Here simul atque is a conjunction meaning as soon as or once.

A beginner might try to read simul as at the same time and atque as and, but together they often function as a set phrase introducing a time clause. So it is better to understand the two words together here, not separately.

Because Latin often builds conjunctions out of more than one word.

In this sentence, atque is not acting as a simple standalone and. Instead, simul atque works as a fixed expression. English does this too sometimes: compare as soon as, which is also several words but functions as one unit.

Because familia is grammatically singular in Latin.

Even though a family contains several people, the noun itself is singular, so the verb agrees with it in the singular:

• familia commigravit = the family moved

This is similar to English when we say the family moved, though some varieties of English sometimes use plural agreement with collective nouns.

Commigravit is:

• 3rd person singular
• perfect tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

Its dictionary form is commigro, commigrare, meaning to move away, to migrate, or to change residence.

So familia commigravit means the family moved or the family has moved, though in a narrative sentence like this, moved is usually the most natural translation.

Because Latin often leaves the subject unstated when it is clear from the context.

The ending -vit tells you the verb is 3rd person singular, so Latin does not need to add a pronoun like he, she, or it.

Here the most natural understood subject is the same one as before: familia. So the sense is:

• As soon as the family moved, [the family] greeted the neighbors.

Yes, that is the most natural reading.

In Latin, when one subject has already been given, it is very common not to repeat it if the next verb clearly refers to the same subject. Since salutavit is also 3rd person singular, it matches familia perfectly.

So readers normally understand:

• familia commigravit
• [familia] vicinos salutavit

Vicinos is accusative plural from vicinus, meaning neighbor.

It is in the accusative because it is the direct object of salutavit:

• salutavit vicinos = greeted the neighbors

So:

• familia = subject, nominative singular
• vicinos = direct object, accusative plural

Salutavit is:

• 3rd person singular
• perfect tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

Its dictionary form is saluto, salutare, meaning to greet or to salute.

So salutavit means greeted or has greeted, but in this sentence greeted is the natural choice.

Because the sentence describes completed events.

The perfect tense in Latin is often used for the main actions of a narrative:

• the family moved
• then the family greeted the neighbors

Using the perfect makes the actions feel complete and bounded. If Latin used the imperfect instead, it would suggest more ongoing or background action.

Because Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order.

The endings already show each word’s job:

• vicinos is accusative, so it is the object
• salutavit is the verb

So Latin can place the object before the verb without causing confusion. The sentence could still be understood even if the order changed. In this version, putting vicinos before salutavit is perfectly normal Latin prose.

Not very much for the grammar itself.

Classical Latin originally was not written with modern punctuation in the way we use it now. In printed texts, editors add commas to make the structure easier to read.

Here the comma simply helps separate the time clause:

• Simul atque familia commigravit from the main clause:
• vicinos salutavit

So the comma is useful for us, but the grammar does not depend on it.