Orator dicit bonum magistratum non sua tantum commoda, sed salutem civitatis spectare debere.

Because it is the subject of an indirect statement after dicit.

In Latin, after verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, and similar verbs, Latin often uses:

• an accusative subject
• plus an infinitive

So here:

• Orator dicit = The speaker says
• bonum magistratum ... spectare debere = that a good magistrate ought to consider ...

Even though bonum magistratum is the logical subject of spectare debere, in Latin indirect statement it appears in the accusative.

Because debere means to ought / to be obliged, and it is followed by another infinitive.

So:

• spectare = to look at, consider, have regard for
• debere = to ought

Together:

• spectare debere = to ought to consider

This whole phrase is part of the indirect statement after dicit.

So the structure is:

• dicit = says
• bonum magistratum ... spectare debere = that a good magistrate ought to consider...

It is an accusative-and-infinitive construction, often called an indirect statement.

Latin uses this very frequently after verbs like:

• dico = say
• puto = think
• scio = know
• audio = hear

Pattern:

• main verb
• accusative subject
• infinitive verb

Here:

• Orator dicit
• bonum magistratum
• spectare debere

So literally: The speaker says a good magistrate to ought to consider... Natural English: The speaker says that a good magistrate ought to consider...

Because sua is a reflexive possessive adjective, referring back to the subject of its own clause.

Here, inside the indirect statement, the subject is bonum magistratum. So sua commoda means:

• his own advantages
• that is, the magistrate’s own advantages

Latin prefers suus, sua, suum when the possession belongs to the subject of the clause.

If Latin used eius commoda, that would usually mean someone else’s advantages or at least would not be reflexive in the same way.

So:

• sua commoda = his own interests
• referring back to bonum magistratum

It means not only ... but ...

In this sentence:

• non sua tantum commoda
• sed salutem civitatis

So the sense is:

• not only his own interests
• but the welfare of the state

Latin often uses this pattern:

• non solum ... sed etiam ...
• or non ... tantum, sed ...

Both express the same general idea: not only X, but also Y.

Here etiam is not written, but English usually supplies also naturally.

Here tantum means only.

So:

• non sua tantum commoda = not only his own interests

You can think of tantum as limiting the phrase sua commoda.

Latin word order is flexible, so tantum does not have to stand exactly where English only would stand.

Commoda is accusative plural neuter.

It is the direct object of spectare.

So the magistrate is said to consider or look to:

• sua commoda = his own advantages/interests
• salutem civitatis = the welfare of the state

Both are objects of spectare.

Also, commoda is plural because Latin often uses the plural to mean advantages, benefits, or interests.

Salutem is accusative singular, and civitatis is genitive singular.

• salutem = welfare, safety, well-being
• civitatis = of the state / of the community

Together:

• salutem civitatis = the welfare of the state

Grammatically:

• salutem is another direct object of spectare
• civitatis depends on salutem and tells whose welfare it is

So the magistrate should consider:

1. not only his own interests
2. but the welfare of the state

Literally, spectare does mean to look at or to watch, but in this sentence it has a more extended meaning.

Here it means something like:

• to have regard for
• to consider
• to pay attention to
• to aim at

So the sentence is not about physically looking at something. It is about what a magistrate should keep in mind or care about.

This kind of extended meaning is common in Latin.

Magistratum is the accusative singular of magistratus.

It means a magistrate, that is, a public official holding office in the state.

So bonum magistratum means:

• a good magistrate
• or more broadly a good public official

This is a very Roman political idea: an office-holder should think about the public good, not private advantage.

Yes, bonum here means good in the moral or practical sense.

So bonum magistratum means not merely:

• a magistrate who is skilled or effective

but also:

• a morally good magistrate
• an upright official

In many Latin contexts, bonus can include both competence and virtue, depending on context.

A good way to break it up is:

• Orator dicit
• bonum magistratum
• non sua tantum commoda, sed salutem civitatis
• spectare debere

That gives:

1. Orator = subject of the main sentence
2. dicit = main verb
3. bonum magistratum ... debere = indirect statement
4. sua tantum commoda and salutem civitatis = objects of spectare

So the grammar is:

• The speaker says
• that a good magistrate
• ought to consider
• not only his own interests
• but the welfare of the state

Because Latin relies much more on case endings than on fixed word order.

English has to keep a fairly strict order:

• subject + verb + object

Latin can move words around much more freely because the endings show their functions.

For example:

• bonum magistratum is accusative, so it can be recognized as the subject of the indirect statement even if it is not at the beginning
• commoda and salutem are accusative objects of spectare
• civitatis is genitive

The word order here is also stylistic:

• non sua tantum commoda, sed salutem civitatis puts the contrast clearly in the center of the sentence

Latin often arranges words for emphasis, balance, and rhetoric rather than following English-style order.

Yes, in sense, though not as a separate Latin word here.

English often says:

• not only ... but also ...

Latin sometimes does use an equivalent like etiam, but it does not have to. In this sentence:

• non ... tantum, sed ...

already clearly means:

• not only ... but also ...

So when translating, it is perfectly natural to include also in English even though there is no separate word for it in the Latin sentence.