Iudex dicit se inimicis civitatis non semper parcere posse.

Se is the reflexive pronoun, and here it refers back to the subject of dicit, namely iudex.

So the structure is:

• iudex dicit = the judge says
• se ... posse = that he is able ...

In Latin, when the subject of the main verb and the subject of the infinitive are the same person, Latin often uses se in indirect statement.

So:

• Iudex dicit se posse = The judge says that he can
• If it meant the judge says that another man can, Latin would use something like eum posse, not se posse.

This is an indirect statement, also called the accusative-and-infinitive construction.

After verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, perceiving, and so on, Latin often does not use a word like that plus a finite verb. Instead, it uses:

• an accusative subject
• plus an infinitive

So here:

• se = the subject of the indirect statement, in the accusative
• posse = the infinitive

Literally, Latin says something like:

• The judge says himself to be able...

Natural English turns that into:

• The judge says that he is able...
• or more simply, The judge says that he can...

Because posse needs another verb to complete its meaning.

• posse = to be able
• parcere = to spare

So:

• parcere posse = to be able to spare

Inside the indirect statement, posse is the main infinitive, and parcere depends on it.

A very literal breakdown is:

• dicit = he says
• se = himself / that he
• parcere = to spare
• posse = to be able

So the whole idea is:

• he says that he is able to spare...
• with non semper making it he says that he is not always able to spare... or cannot always spare..., depending on the intended English phrasing.

Parcere is the present active infinitive of parco, parcere.

Its basic meaning is:

• to spare
• to show mercy to
• sometimes to refrain from harming

A learner should especially remember that parco does not take a direct object in the accusative. It normally takes the dative.

So Latin says:

• inimicis parcere = to spare the enemies

not:

• inimicos parcere

Because parcere governs the dative case.

That is just how this verb works in Latin. The person spared is put in the dative:

• inimicis parcere = to spare the enemies
• literally something like to spare to/for the enemies, though you should not translate it that way in normal English

This is one of those verb patterns Latin learners simply need to memorize:

• parco + dative

So in this sentence:

• inimicis is dative plural
• it means to the enemies in form, but in good English simply the enemies

Civitatis is the genitive singular of civitas.

The genitive here shows possession or association:

• inimici civitatis = enemies of the state
• or enemies of the community / state / commonwealth, depending on context

So:

• inimicis civitatis = to the enemies of the state

The noun civitatis depends on inimicis, telling us whose enemies they are.

Non semper means not always.

It is important not to confuse this with never.

So:

• non semper parcere posse = to be not always able to spare
• more natural English: to be unable to spare ... all the time
• or cannot always spare ...

The idea is:

• sometimes he can spare them
• sometimes he cannot

So non semper weakens the statement. It does not mean that he never spares them.

Grammatically, se is the reflexive pronoun, so yes, it can correspond to himself in a literal explanation. But in this sentence, natural English usually just uses he.

So:

• literal grammar explanation: the judge says himself to be able...
• natural English: the judge says that he can...

This is common in Latin indirect statement: the accusative pronoun often corresponds to an ordinary English subject in a that-clause.

Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

Placing posse at the end is perfectly normal Latin style. Infinitives and other verbs often come late, and the most important verb of a clause is often saved for the end.

So the sentence builds up like this:

• Iudex dicit = The judge says
• se = that he
• inimicis civitatis = the enemies of the state
• non semper = not always
• parcere posse = can spare

Latin word order here is natural and idiomatic, even though English would not usually wait so long to give the main verb of the clause.

A very literal translation would be something like:

• that he to-the-enemies of-the-state not always to-spare to-be-able

That sounds awkward in English, but it helps show the Latin structure.

A better step-by-step literal version is:

• that he is able not always to spare the enemies of the state

And natural English would usually be:

• that he cannot always spare the enemies of the state
• or that he is not always able to spare the enemies of the state

Both are good, depending on how close you want to stay to the Latin wording.

Yes. Iudex is nominative singular and is the subject of dicit.

So:

• iudex = the judge
• dicit = says

Together:

• Iudex dicit = The judge says

The ending may not look like a typical second-declension nominative such as dominus, but iudex is a third-declension noun.

Dicit is the third person singular present active indicative of dico, dicere.

So it means:

• he says
• or the judge says

Because it is present tense, the sentence presents the statement as current or general.

Classical Latin normally prefers the accusative-and-infinitive after a verb like dicit.

So:

• Iudex dicit se ... posse is the standard classical pattern.

Latin can sometimes use clause structures with words such as quod, especially in later Latin or in certain styles, but for a learner, the important point is:

• after dico, expect accusative + infinitive

So this sentence is a very typical example of standard Latin indirect statement.

In form, se can be accusative or ablative, but here the syntax shows it must be accusative.

Why?

Because in an indirect statement after dicit, the subject of the infinitive is put in the accusative.

So in:

• dicit se posse

se is the accusative subject of posse.

It cannot be ablative here, because there is no grammatical reason for an ablative pronoun in this position.

This sentence teaches several very common Latin patterns at once:

1. Indirect statement

   • dicit se posse = says that he can

2. Reflexive pronoun in indirect statement

   • se refers back to iudex

3. A verb that takes the dative

   • parcere inimicis = to spare the enemies

4. Genitive depending on a noun

   • civitatis = of the state

5. Flexible Latin word order

   • the important infinitive posse comes at the end

So it is a compact sentence, but it contains several core Latin grammar features that appear very often.