Cum senator de mandato populi loqueretur, quidam cives tacebant, alii autem clamabant.

Here cum is being used as a circumstantial or background conjunction, meaning something like when or while in a narrative setting. In this use, Latin very often takes the subjunctive.

So:

• cum senator ... loqueretur = while / when the senator was speaking ...

The subjunctive here does not necessarily make the action doubtful. It mainly signals that the clause gives the background situation for the main action.

If Latin wanted a more straightforward factual when, it might sometimes use cum with the indicative, but in literary and narrative Latin, cum + subjunctive is extremely common for this kind of sentence.

Loqueretur is imperfect subjunctive, third person singular.

Breakdown:

• dictionary form: loquor, loqui, locutus sum = to speak
• stem used here: loquer-
• ending: -etur = third person singular imperfect subjunctive passive-form ending

Why the imperfect subjunctive?

Because the cum clause describes an action in progress in the past, setting the scene for what was happening:

• while the senator was speaking...

The imperfect matches the main verbs tacebant and clamabant, which are also imperfect and describe ongoing or repeated action in past time.

Because loquor is a deponent verb.

A deponent verb:

• has passive forms
• but an active meaning

So although loqueretur looks like it might mean was being spoken, it actually means was speaking.

This is very common in Latin. Some other deponent verbs are:

• sequor = I follow
• hortor = I encourage
• morior = I die

So with deponents, you learn to expect passive-looking forms with active meanings.

The preposition de takes the ablative case.

So:

• mandatum is the noun
• after de, it becomes mandato (ablative singular)

de often means:

• about
• concerning
• from / down from, depending on context

Here it means about:

• de mandato populi = about the command / mandate of the people

So this is a standard prepositional phrase: de + ablative.

Populi is the genitive singular of populus, meaning of the people.

It depends on mandato:

• mandatum = command, order, mandate
• mandatum populi = the mandate of the people

So the genitive shows possession or source:

• whose mandate?
• the people’s

This is a very common Latin pattern: a noun followed by a genitive noun to specify it.

Quidam means a certain, certain, or some depending on context.

Here:

• quidam cives = some citizens / certain citizens

Why include cives?

Because quidam can function as an adjective-like word modifying a noun. Latin often states both:

• quidam cives = some citizens

It could sometimes stand alone if the noun were obvious from context, but here Latin explicitly names the group.

Also note:

• quidam is nominative masculine plural here
• it agrees with cives

Alii means others.

Autem is a postpositive conjunction, meaning it usually comes second in its clause, and often means:

• however
• but
• on the other hand

So:

• quidam cives tacebant, alii autem clamabant
• some citizens were silent, but others were shouting

The word autem helps mark a contrast between the two groups.

A key point: since autem is postpositive, Latin puts it after the first word or phrase of its clause, not necessarily first in English order. So alii autem is perfectly normal.

Both are imperfect indicative, third person plural.

They are imperfect because they describe actions or states that were:

• ongoing
• in progress
• or possibly repeated/habitual in the past

So the sentence paints a scene:

• while the senator was speaking,
• some citizens were remaining silent
• others were shouting

The imperfect is especially natural here because the sentence is descriptive, not focused on a single completed moment.

If Latin used perfect tense instead, it would sound more like specific completed actions:

• some citizens fell silent
• others shouted out

But here the imperfect gives a more continuous background picture.

Yes, though Latin word order is flexible.

The sentence is:

• Cum senator de mandato populi loqueretur, quidam cives tacebant, alii autem clamabant.

A few things to notice:

1. Cum senator ... loqueretur

   • The whole cum clause comes first, setting the background.

2. de mandato populi

   • This phrase sits between senator and loqueretur, grouping the topic of the speech with the speaking verb.

3. quidam cives ... alii autem ...

   • The sentence places the contrasting groups in parallel positions:
     • some citizens
     • others, however
   • This makes the contrast clear and elegant.

So even though Latin does not rely on word order as strictly as English does, the order here helps organize the scene and emphasize the contrast between the two groups.

Yes. Both when and while can work.

• when the senator was speaking...
• while the senator was speaking...

In this sentence, while may better bring out the idea of an action already in progress as the background for the other actions. But when is also completely reasonable in English.

The important grammatical point is that the cum clause gives the setting in which the main clause happens.

Because senator is the subject of loqueretur.

So:

• senator = nominative singular
• loqueretur = he was speaking

Latin often omits subject pronouns like he, because the verb ending already tells you the person and number. But the noun senator is included here to identify who was speaking.

It can suggest either, depending on how literally or naturally you want to express it in English.

The verb taceo means:

• to be silent
• to keep silent
• to say nothing

So quidam cives tacebant could be understood as:

• some citizens were silent
• some citizens kept silent

The second version can bring out the sense of deliberate silence a little more strongly, but both are possible.

It has two main parts:

1. A subordinate cum-clause:

   • Cum senator de mandato populi loqueretur
   • While/when the senator was speaking about the people’s mandate

2. A main clause with two contrasted groups:

   • quidam cives tacebant
   • some citizens were silent
   • alii autem clamabant
   • but others were shouting

So structurally it is:

• background situation
  • contrasting reactions

That makes it a very good example of how Latin uses:

• cum + subjunctive for narrative background
• the imperfect for ongoing past action
• contrasting words like quidam and alii autem to organize the main clause clearly