Magistra docta discipulis suadet ut bonos auctores sequantur, non eos qui levitatem potius quam gravitatem amant.

Because magistra docta is the subject of the main verb suadet.

• magistra = teacher
• docta = learned, educated, cultured

Both words are:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So docta agrees with magistra and describes it: the learned teacher.

Docta is an adjective meaning learned or well-educated.

It is the feminine singular nominative form of doctus, docta, doctum. Since it modifies magistra, it must match it in:

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

So magistra docta means the learned teacher or the educated teacher.

Because suadeo regularly takes the person advised in the dative case.

So:

• discipulis suadet = she advises the students

This is different from English, where we just use normal object order. In Latin, with suadeo, the thing advised is usually expressed with a clause, while the person receiving the advice is put in the dative.

A very useful pattern to remember is:

• alicui suadere ut... = to advise someone to...

Here:

• discipulis = to the students
• ut bonos auctores sequantur = that they should follow good authors

After suadeo, Latin commonly uses ut plus the subjunctive to express what someone is being advised to do.

So:

• suadet ut sequantur = she advises that they follow / she advises them to follow

This is often called an indirect command or substantive clause of purpose in school grammar.

English often prefers an infinitive, as in advises them to follow, but Latin normally does not use an infinitive after suadeo in this way. Instead it uses:

• suadeo + dative + ut + subjunctive

Because it is inside the ut-clause after suadet.

After verbs like suadeo, moneo, impero, persuadeo, Latin often uses a subordinate clause with the subjunctive to express what is urged, advised, ordered, or persuaded.

So sequantur is subjunctive because it is part of the construction:

• discipulis suadet ut... sequantur

It does not mean the students are already following those authors. It expresses the recommended action: that they should follow.

Because its subject is the plural idea contained in discipulis.

In smoother English, the clause means:

• she advises the students that they should follow...

That implied they refers to the students, so the verb must be third person plural:

• sequantur = they should follow

Because sequor, sequi, secutus sum is a deponent verb.

Deponent verbs:

• have passive forms
• but active meanings

So sequantur is grammatically a passive-looking form, but it means:

• they follow
• or here, in context, they should follow

This is a very common stumbling block for English speakers. With sequor, think:

• sequitur = he/she follows
• sequantur = they follow

not is followed or are followed.

Because they are the direct object of sequantur.

Even though sequor is deponent, it still takes a direct object just like an active verb:

• bonos auctores sequantur = they should follow good authors

Here:

• auctores is accusative plural
• bonos agrees with auctores in gender, number, and case

So the phrase means good authors as the thing being followed.

Yes, auctores literally means authors, but in Latin it often has a broader sense than the modern English word.

Depending on context, auctores can mean:

• writers
• literary models
• authorities
• exemplary figures

In this sentence, bonos auctores sequi most likely means to follow good writers as models, especially in style, taste, or literary judgment.

So it is not just about reading them, but about taking them as examples.

Eos means those men, those people, or simply those. Here it refers back to the kind of authors the students are not supposed to follow.

It is accusative because it continues the object of sequantur:

• ut bonos auctores sequantur, non eos...
• that they should follow good authors, not those...

So Latin first says good authors, then contrasts them with not those who...

Qui is a relative pronoun introducing a relative clause:

• eos qui... amant = those who love...

A key point is that the relative pronoun gets its:

• gender and number from its antecedent: eos
• case from its own job inside the relative clause

Here, qui is:

• masculine plural
• nominative

because it is the subject of amant.

So:

• eos = those as object of sequantur
• qui = who as subject of amant

That is why the cases are different.

Potius quam means rather than.

So:

• levitatem potius quam gravitatem amant
• they love lightness rather than seriousness

Here:

• levitatem = lightness, frivolity, triviality
• gravitatem = seriousness, dignity, weightiness

Both nouns are in the accusative because they are objects of amant.

The phrase contrasts two qualities:

• levitatem = a lighter, less serious style
• gravitatem = a serious, weighty, dignified style

So the sentence warns against authors who prefer superficial charm over seriousness.

Because the negation applies to the contrasted object:

• follow good authors, not those who...

Latin often places non directly before the word or phrase being negated or contrasted. Here the contrast is very clear:

• bonos auctores
• non eos qui...

So the idea is not a general negation of the whole clause, but a specific contrast between two kinds of authors:

• the good ones
• not the ones who love lightness more than seriousness

It has three layers:

1. Main clause

   • Magistra docta discipulis suadet
   • The learned teacher advises the students

2. Ut-clause after suadet

   • ut bonos auctores sequantur
   • that they should follow good authors

3. Relative clause describing eos

   • qui levitatem potius quam gravitatem amant
   • who love lightness rather than seriousness

So the sentence unfolds like this:

• the teacher advises the students
• to follow good authors
• not the sort of authors who prefer frivolity to seriousness

This is a very typical Latin sentence pattern: a main clause, then a subjunctive content clause, then a relative clause adding detail.