Breakdown of Imperator certe scit pacem meliorem esse quam bellum.
esse
to be
imperator
the emperor
bellum
the war
pax
the peace
Questions & Answers about Imperator certe scit pacem meliorem esse quam bellum.
Why is pacem in the accusative? Shouldn’t it be nominative if it’s the subject of esse?
Because this is an indirect statement (Latin accusative + infinitive) after scit (he knows). In an indirect statement, the “subject” of the infinitive is put in the accusative, not the nominative.
So pacem ... esse = (that) peace is ... with pacem as the accusative subject of esse.
What exactly is the construction pacem meliorem esse quam bellum called?
It’s an indirect statement (oratio obliqua) using accusative + infinitive:
- main verb: scit (knows)
- accusative subject: pacem
- infinitive: esse
- predicate adjective: meliorem
- comparison: quam bellum
Why is meliorem accusative too?