Haec hasta gravior est quam illa, sed miles eam bene tenet.

to be

Breakdown of Haec hasta gravior est quam illa, sed miles eam bene tenet.

• sed: but
• miles: the soldier
• quam: than

Questions & Answers about Haec hasta gravior est quam illa, sed miles eam bene tenet.

Why are haec and illa used here?

They are demonstratives:

• haec = this
• illa = that

In this sentence, both refer to hasta (spear). They must match hasta in:

• gender: feminine
• number: singular
• case: nominative

So:

• haec hasta = this spear
• illa = that one / that spear

Latin often uses demonstratives very precisely, and they agree with the noun they describe.

Why is there no noun after illa?

Because Latin often leaves out a noun when it is obvious from context.

So illa really means:

• illa hasta = that spear

But since hasta was already mentioned, Latin does not need to repeat it. English does the same thing sometimes:

• This spear is heavier than that one.

So illa here means that one, with hasta understood.

Why is the adjective gravior and not something like gravis?