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Multi homines pacem amant, sed populus interdum bellum non timet.

Multi homines pacem amant, sed populus interdum bellum non timet.
Many people love peace, but the people sometimes do not fear war.
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Questions & Answers about Multi homines pacem amant, sed populus interdum bellum non timet.

Why is it pacem and not pax?

Pax is the basic dictionary form (nominative singular), used for the subject: pax venit = peace comes.
In pacem amant, pacem is the direct object of amant (they love), so it must be in the accusative case.
For pax, pacis (a 3rd‑declension noun), the accusative singular is pacem, so multi homines pacem amant = many people love peace.

What case is bellum, and how can it be both subject and object in different sentences?

Bellum belongs to the 2nd declension, neuter gender. In neuter nouns, the nominative singular and accusative singular have the same form: bellum.
In this sentence, populus is the subject and bellum is the direct object: populus bellum non timet = the people are not afraid of war.
So here bellum is accusative, even though it looks like the nominative; the function in the sentence (what the verb is acting on) tells you it’s the object.

Why is amant plural but timet singular?

Latin verbs must agree with their subjects in person and number.

  • Multi homines is plural (many people), so the verb must be 3rd person plural: amant (they love).
  • Populus is grammatically singular (the people, the nation as one body), so the verb is 3rd person singular: timet (is afraid, fears).
What is the difference between multi homines and populus?

Multi homines literally means many humans / many people and just counts individuals.
Populus means a people, a nation, the populace, i.e. a collective group viewed as a single entity (like the people or the public in English).
So the sentence contrasts many individual people (who love peace) with the people as a whole / the nation (which sometimes is not afraid of war).

Why is the adjective multi placed before homines, and could it come after?

Multi is an adjective meaning many and must agree with homines in case, number, and gender (here: nominative plural masculine).
Adjectives in Latin can come before or after the noun; multi homines and homines multi are both possible and both mean many people.
Word order in Latin is flexible; putting multi first slightly highlights the quantity, but the meaning is essentially the same.

Why is there no word for “are” in multi homines pacem amant?

Latin usually does not need a separate word for “are” when another main verb is present.
Amant already includes the idea of “they” and “are loving” (or simply “love”).
So multi homines pacem amant is many people love peace; adding a separate sunt (are) would be ungrammatical here.

Why does non come before timet and not before bellum?

Non negates the verb it stands with. Non timet means is not afraid or does not fear.
If you put non with a noun, it doesn’t normally negate that noun; you would instead use something like nullum bellum (no war) to negate the noun.
So populus interdum bellum non timet means the people sometimes are not afraid of war, not the people fear no war whatsoever (which would be stronger Latin: e.g. populus nullum bellum timet).

What does interdum mean, and where can it go in the sentence?

Interdum is an adverb meaning sometimes, occasionally.
Adverbs in Latin are fairly free in position. You could see:

  • interdum populus bellum non timet
  • populus interdum bellum non timet
    Both are acceptable; putting interdum early in the clause is very natural. The meaning stays the people are sometimes not afraid of war.
Why is the word order pacem amant instead of amant pacem? Does it matter?

Classical Latin is flexible with word order. Both pacem amant and amant pacem are grammatically correct and mean they love peace.
The default tendency is often Verb‑Final, so pacem amant (Object–Verb) is very normal.
Word order usually reflects emphasis more than grammar: placing pacem first can lightly highlight peace.

Could populus take a plural verb in Latin, like English “the people are”?

In Classical Latin, populus is treated grammatically as singular, so it normally takes a singular verb: populus timet (the people is afraid / the people fears).
Using a plural verb (populus timent) would be felt as incorrect or at least very unusual in Classical prose.
If you want a clearly plural subject with a plural verb, you would say homines or cives (citizens), etc., instead of populus.

Is there an implied “they” or “he/it” pronoun in amant and timet?

Yes, but Latin expresses it through the verb ending, not a separate word.

  • Amant = they love: the ‑nt ending tells you the subject is 3rd person plural (they).
  • Timet = he/she/it fears or the people fears: the ‑t shows 3rd person singular (he/she/it).
    Latin usually omits subject pronouns (ei, is, illa, etc.) unless it needs to emphasize or clarify who is doing the action.