Breakdown of Cupiditas pacis imperatorem ad templum ducit.
ad
to
imperator
the emperor
pax
the peace
templum
the temple
Questions & Answers about Cupiditas pacis imperatorem ad templum ducit.
Which word is the subject of the sentence?
The subject is cupiditas.
You can tell because ducit is he/she/it leads, so it needs a singular subject, and cupiditas is in the nominative singular form. In this sentence, cupiditas is the thing doing the leading.
Why is pacis used instead of pax?
Pacis is the genitive singular of pax, meaning peace.
The genitive often shows a relationship like of or sometimes something more natural in English like for. So:
- cupiditas pacis = desire of peace
- in smoother English: desire for peace
A learner might expect pax, but that would be nominative, not the form needed here. After a noun like cupiditas, Latin often uses the genitive to show what the desire is directed toward.
Why is imperatorem in the accusative?
Because imperatorem is the direct object of ducit.
The verb ducere means to lead, and the person or thing being led goes into the accusative case. So:
- cupiditas = the one leading
- imperatorem = the one being led