Multi cives arbitrantur bonam rem publicam sine iustitia servari non posse.

Many citizens think that a good state cannot be preserved without justice.

Breakdown of Multi cives arbitrantur bonam rem publicam sine iustitia servari non posse.

• non: not
• multus: many
• bonus: good
• posse: to be able

Questions & Answers about Multi cives arbitrantur bonam rem publicam sine iustitia servari non posse.

Why is bonam rem publicam in the accusative instead of bona res publica?

Because this sentence uses indirect statement after arbitrantur (they think / they believe).

In Latin, after verbs of thinking, saying, knowing, perceiving, and so on, English often uses that-clauses, but Latin usually uses:

• accusative subject
  • infinitive

So in:

Multi cives arbitrantur bonam rem publicam sine iustitia servari non posse

the part after arbitrantur is an indirect statement:

• bonam rem publicam = the subject of the indirect statement, so it goes into the accusative
• servari non posse = the infinitive part

If this were an ordinary main clause, you would expect bona res publica. But inside indirect statement, it becomes bonam rem publicam.

What exactly is arbitrantur?

Arbitrantur is the 3rd person plural present indicative of arbitror, arbitrari, arbitratus sum.

It means:

• they think
• they judge
• they consider

A very important point: arbitror is a deponent verb. That means it has passive forms but an active meaning.

So although arbitrantur looks passive, it actually means , not .