Postero die discipuli in foro ante subsellia sedent, dum praeco verba clara voce recitat.

Postero die is an example of the ablative of time when. Latin often uses the ablative without a preposition to say when something happens.

• die = ablative singular of dies (day)
• postero = ablative singular of posterus (following, next), agreeing with die

So postero die means on the following day or the next day.

Latin often does not need a preposition like on with expressions of time. Where English says on the next day, Latin can simply use the ablative:

• postero die = on the next day

This is very common with words for days, months, years, and other time expressions.

The preposition in can take two different cases:

• ablative for location: in the forum
• accusative for motion into: into the forum

Here the students are already sitting there, so this is location, not movement:

• in foro = in the forum

If the sentence meant they go into the forum, then in forum would be used.

Ante takes the accusative case, so subsellia is accusative plural.

• ante = before or in front of
• subsellia = benches/seats, accusative plural

So ante subsellia means in front of the benches.

A useful thing to remember is that some prepositions, like ante, always take the accusative, even when there is no motion.

Subsellia is a neuter plural noun.

Its dictionary form is subsellium, subsellii and it means bench, seat, or low seat. In the neuter plural, the nominative and accusative often end in -a:

• singular: subsellium
• plural: subsellia

So although -a may look singular to an English speaker, here it is actually plural.

Sedent is the third person plural present active indicative of sedeo, sedere (to sit).

It is plural because the subject is discipuli (the students), which is plural.

So:

• discipuli sedent = the students sit or are sitting

Dum commonly means while, and in straightforward narrative Latin it is often followed by a verb in the present tense to describe an action going on at the same time as the main action.

Here:

• discipuli ... sedent = the students are sitting
• dum praeco ... recitat = while the herald recites/is reciting

So both actions are happening at the same time.

Verba is accusative plural neuter from verbum (word).

It is the direct object of recitat:

• praeco verba recitat = the herald recites the words

Because recitat is a transitive verb, it can take a direct object, and verba is that object.

Clara voce is in the ablative singular and means with a clear voice or more naturally in a clear voice.

• voce = ablative singular of vox, vocis (voice)
• clara = ablative singular of clarus, agreeing with voce

This is an ablative phrase of manner or means: it tells you how the herald recites the words.

Praeco is a noun meaning herald, public crier, or announcer.

In this sentence it is nominative singular, because it is the subject of recitat:

• praeco recitat = the herald recites

It belongs to the third declension:

• nominative singular: praeco
• genitive singular: praeconis

Latin word order is more flexible than English because the endings show how words function in the sentence.

English depends heavily on word order:

• the herald recites the words

Latin can show subject and object by case endings:

• praeco = subject
• verba = object

So Latin can arrange words for emphasis or style. This sentence is still quite natural Latin:

• Postero die sets the time first
• discipuli in foro ante subsellia sedent gives the main scene
• dum praeco verba clara voce recitat adds the simultaneous action

Yes. In many contexts, the Latin present tense can be translated in more than one way in English.

So:

• sedent can mean sit or are sitting
• recitat can mean recites or is reciting

The best English translation depends on the context. In a scene like this, the progressive often sounds natural:

• the students are sitting
• while the herald is reciting

But the simple present is also grammatically possible.