Cum epulae simplices sint, convivae tamen eas libenter laudant.

Here cum means although / while / since, introducing a subordinate clause. In this kind of clause, Latin often uses the subjunctive, not the indicative.

So:

• cum ... sint = although / since ... are
• not cum ... sunt

In this sentence, cum epulae simplices sint means something like although the dishes are simple or since the dishes are simple, depending on context. The presence of tamen strongly suggests a concessive idea: although ... nevertheless ...

This is most naturally a concessive cum clause.

Clues:

• cum
  • subjunctive (sint)
• tamen in the main clause

That combination often means:

• cum = although
• tamen = nevertheless / still

So the structure is:

• Cum epulae simplices sint = Although the dishes are simple
• convivae tamen eas libenter laudant = the guests nevertheless gladly praise them

Tamen strengthens the contrast. It is very common with concessive clauses.

The idea is:

• cum introduces the concession: although
• tamen marks the main clause: nevertheless / still

So Latin often likes a pairing like this:

• Cum ... , tamen ...
• Although ... , nevertheless ...

English does not always need nevertheless, but Latin often uses tamen to make the contrast explicit.

Because its subject, epulae, is plural.

• epulae = plural noun
• simplices = plural adjective agreeing with it
• sint = 3rd person plural present subjunctive of sum

So all three match:

• epulae — plural
• simplices — plural
• sint — plural

Not necessarily. Epulae is one of those Latin nouns that is often plural in form even when it refers to a meal, banquet, or dishes of food in a general sense.

So a learner should recognize that:

• epulae looks plural
• and it really does take plural agreement
• but in meaning it can refer collectively to a feast, a meal, or the dishes / food

This is similar to how some English nouns are collective or fixed in one number more than expected.

Here epulae is nominative plural.

We know this because it is the subject of sint in the cum clause:

• epulae simplices sint = the dishes are simple

So:

• epulae = subject
• simplices = adjective describing the subject
• sint = verb agreeing with that plural subject

Simplices is nominative plural, agreeing with epulae.

The adjective simplex, simplicis is a third-declension adjective. Its nominative plural for masculine/feminine is simplices.

Since epulae is feminine plural nominative, the adjective must match it:

• epulae = nominative plural feminine
• simplices = nominative plural feminine

Latin adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Convivae means guests, especially dinner guests or table companions.

In this sentence, convivae is nominative plural, the subject of laudant:

• convivae ... laudant = the guests praise

So the sentence contrasts:

• the food is simple
• the guests still praise it gladly

Eas refers back to epulae.

It is:

• accusative plural feminine
• the direct object of laudant

That matches epulae, which is feminine plural.

So:

• epulae = the dishes / meal
• eas = them

Latin often uses a pronoun like this where English might repeat the noun or simply say it/them.

Because it is the direct object of laudant.

The verb laudo, laudare means to praise, and the thing being praised goes in the accusative.

So:

• convivae = subject, nominative plural
• laudant = verb
• eas = direct object, accusative plural

In other words:

• The guests praise them

Libenter is an adverb meaning gladly, willingly, or with pleasure.

It modifies laudant:

• libenter laudant = gladly praise

It tells us how the guests praise the dishes.

A useful vocabulary note:

• libenter is an adverb
• related in sense to pleasure or willingness
• often translated gladly

It is normal Latin word order, even if it feels flexible compared with English.

The sentence is arranged roughly like this:

• subordinate clause first: Cum epulae simplices sint
• main clause second: convivae tamen eas libenter laudant

Latin often places:

• the subordinate clause before the main clause
• important contrast words like tamen near the beginning of the main clause
• the verb at or near the end, though not always

English learners may want to reorder it mentally:

• Although the dishes are simple, the guests nevertheless gladly praise them.

That is often the easiest way to process it.

In form, cum can mean when, since, or although, depending on context. But here although is the best fit.

Why?

Because of tamen.

The pair cum ... tamen ... strongly points to concession:

• although ... nevertheless ...

If this were purely temporal (when), tamen would be much less natural.

The present subjunctive (sint) shows action or state that is contemporaneous in a more general or present-time sense.

So the sentence presents a general truth or present situation:

• Although the dishes are simple, the guests still gladly praise them.

If you had an imperfect subjunctive, that would usually shift the sense into a past setting or a different narrative framework.

So sint fits a general-present statement very well.

Sometimes, yes, depending on how natural you want the English to sound.

Latin treats epulae as plural grammatically, so Latin uses:

• plural adjective: simplices
• plural verb: sint
• plural pronoun: eas

But English may translate more idiomatically as either:

• the dishes ... them
• or the meal ... it

If you are studying the grammar, it is better to notice the Latin plurality. If you are aiming for smooth English, a singular collective translation may sometimes sound more natural.