Breakdown of Miles vigilat in oppido, nam timet bellum.
in
in
oppidum
the town
timere
to fear
bellum
the war
miles
the soldier
vigilare
to keep watch
nam
for
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Questions & Answers about Miles vigilat in oppido, nam timet bellum.
Why is “Miles” in the nominative case?
Miles is the subject of the sentence. Latin requires that the subject of a verb be in the nominative case.
Why does “in oppido” use the ablative case?
After the preposition in describing location (meaning “in” or “inside”), Latin uses the ablative case. Hence, oppido is in the ablative.
What is the function of “nam” in this sentence?
Nam is a coordinating conjunction meaning for or because, introducing the reason or explanation for the soldier’s watchfulness.
Why is “bellum” in the accusative case?
Bellum is the direct object of the verb timet, so it appears in the accusative, which marks the direct object of a transitive verb.