Postquam poeta recitavit, magister discipulos iubet versus difficiliores iterum repetere.

the student

Breakdown of Postquam poeta recitavit, magister discipulos iubet versus difficiliores iterum repetere.

• magister: the teacher
• postquam: after
• iterum: again

Questions & Answers about Postquam poeta recitavit, magister discipulos iubet versus difficiliores iterum repetere.

What is the basic structure of this sentence?

The sentence has two parts:

• Postquam poeta recitavit = a subordinate time clause
• magister discipulos iubet versus difficiliores iterum repetere = the main clause

So the time clause tells when the main action happens: after the poet finished reciting, the teacher gives an order.

Why does postquam use recitavit here?

Postquam means after, and it often introduces an action that happened before the main action.

Here, recitavit is perfect tense, showing that the reciting was completed:

• poeta recitavit = the poet recited / has recited / finished reciting

In narrative Latin, postquam + perfect is very common for after X happened.

Why is iubet present tense, even though recitavit is perfect?

This is a very common Latin storytelling pattern.

• recitavit = a completed earlier action
• iubet = present tense, often a historical present

The historical present uses a present tense where English might expect a past tense, to make the scene feel more vivid. So Latin can say, literally, , even in a past narrative context.