Breakdown of Si omnes honesti et fideles sunt, fama bona manet et salus omnium facilius servatur.
Questions & Answers about Si omnes honesti et fideles sunt, fama bona manet et salus omnium facilius servatur.
What is the basic structure of this sentence?
It has two parts:
- Si omnes honesti et fideles sunt = the if-clause
- fama bona manet et salus omnium facilius servatur = the main clause
So this is a straightforward conditional sentence: if X is true, Y follows.
Why is sunt used instead of est?
Because the subject is omnes, which is plural.
- est = is (singular)
- sunt = are (plural)
Since omnes means all or all people, the verb must also be plural: omnes ... sunt.
What exactly is omnes here?
Omnes is nominative plural, and here it is being used almost like a noun by itself: all people, everyone, or simply all.
Latin often does this with words like omnes:
- omnes veniunt = everyone comes / all come
So in this sentence, you can understand an implied noun such as homines:
- omnes honesti et fideles sunt
= all people are honorable and faithful
Why are honesti and fideles in the plural?
They are predicate adjectives describing omnes, so they must agree with it in number and case.
- omnes = nominative plural
- honesti = nominative plural
- fideles = nominative plural
They go with sunt:
- omnes honesti et fideles sunt
= all are honorable and faithful
This is like English they are honest, where honest describes the subject after the verb are.
Why is it honesti and not some other ending?
Because honestus, -a, -um is a 1st/2nd-declension adjective.
Its masculine nominative plural form is honesti.
So if omnes is understood as referring to people in a general or mixed group, Latin normally uses the masculine plural as the default:
- honestus → honesti
Why is fideles different from honesti?
Because fidelis, fidele belongs to a different adjective pattern.
It is a 3rd-declension adjective, so its nominative plural form is:
- fideles for masculine/feminine plural
So the difference is just due to different declensions:
- honestus → honesti
- fidelis → fideles
Both still agree with omnes.
What kind of conditional is this? Why are both verbs in the present indicative?
This is a simple, real condition.
- si ... sunt = if ... are
- manet / servatur = remains / is preserved
Latin uses the present indicative in both parts for a condition that is presented as real, general, or straightforward.
It is not a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact condition. So you do not get subjunctives like sint here.
Why is there no word for then in the main clause?
Because Latin often leaves it out.
English can say:
- If everyone is honest and faithful, then good reputation remains...
But Latin very often just says:
- Si ... , fama bona manet ...
The idea of then is understood automatically from the si clause.
Why is it fama bona instead of bona fama?
Latin word order is more flexible than English word order.
Both fama bona and bona fama can mean good reputation. In this sentence, fama bona is simply the chosen order.
Important point: the meaning comes from the endings, not just the position.
- fama = nominative singular
- bona = nominative singular feminine, agreeing with fama
So they belong together no matter which comes first.
Why is manet singular?
Because its subject is fama bona, which is singular.
- fama bona = good reputation
- manet = remains
Even though omnes earlier is plural, that plural belongs to the if-clause. In the main clause, the subject of manet is a different word: fama.
What case is omnium, and why?
Omnium is genitive plural.
It depends on salus and means:
- salus omnium = the safety of all / the welfare of all
So omnium answers the question whose safety? → the safety of all.
That is why it is genitive.
Why is it omnium and not omnibus?
Because the sentence needs the meaning of all, not for all or by/with all.
- omnium = genitive plural = of all
- omnibus = dative or ablative plural = to/for all or by/with/from all
Here the phrase is possessive or dependent on salus:
- salus omnium = the safety of all
So omnium is the correct form.
What does salus mean here?
Salus can mean several related things, depending on context:
- safety
- well-being
- welfare
- sometimes health
- sometimes even salvation
In this sentence, the most natural sense is something like safety or welfare, especially because it is followed by servatur (is preserved/protected).
What is facilius doing here?
Facilius is a comparative adverb meaning more easily.
It modifies the verb servatur:
- servatur = is preserved
- facilius servatur = is preserved more easily
It is not describing a noun; it is describing how the action happens.
Is facilius an adjective or an adverb?
Here it is an adverb.
A useful comparison:
- facilis = easy (adjective)
- facile = easily (adverb)
- facilius = more easily (comparative adverb)
So in this sentence, facilius tells us the manner of servatur.
Why is servatur passive?
Servatur is present passive, third person singular:
- servat = he/she/it preserves
- servatur = he/she/it is preserved
Its subject is salus:
- salus ... servatur = the safety ... is preserved
Latin commonly uses the passive when the focus is on the thing being protected or preserved rather than on the person doing the protecting.
How do the two verbs manet and servatur relate to each other?
They are two coordinated verbs in the main clause, joined by et:
- fama bona manet
- et salus omnium facilius servatur
So the sentence says that, if the condition is met, two results follow:
- good reputation remains
- the safety of all is more easily preserved
Each verb has its own subject:
- manet → subject: fama bona
- servatur → subject: salus omnium
Is there an implied noun after omnes?
Yes, you can understand something like homines (people) if you want.
So:
- omnes honesti et fideles sunt
can be understood as:
- omnes homines honesti et fideles sunt
But Latin does not need to state homines explicitly. Omnes by itself is enough.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning LatinMaster Latin — from Si omnes honesti et fideles sunt, fama bona manet et salus omnium facilius servatur to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions