Pater statuit pueros domi manere, donec tempestas desinat; mater autem constituit focum accendere et panem secare.

Because pueros is the subject of the infinitive manere, not the subject of the main verb statuit.

In the main clause, pater is the subject: Pater statuit = The father decided.

But what did he decide? He decided the boys to stay at home. In Latin, when an infinitive has its own subject, that subject is often put in the accusative:

• pueros manere = the boys to stay / that the boys stay

So pueros is accusative because it belongs with manere.

A useful comparison:

• Pater statuit domi manere = The father decided to stay at home
  
  • no separate subject for manere
• Pater statuit pueros domi manere = The father decided that the boys should stay at home
  
  • pueros is the accusative subject of manere

Because after verbs like statuere and constituere, Latin often uses an infinitive to express what someone decides to do, or what is decided to happen.

So:

• statuit ... manere = he decided ... to remain
• constituit accendere et secare = she decided to light and to cut

In this sentence, manere is part of the content of the father's decision.

domi means at home.

It is a special form called the locative, used especially with words like domus and names of towns and small islands.

So:

• domi = at home
• domum = to home / homeward
• domo = from home

By contrast, in domo usually means in the house, focusing more on the physical building.

So pueros domi manere means the boys to stay at home, not just inside the house in a literal spatial sense.

donec means until. After donec, Latin can use the subjunctive when the endpoint is viewed as something anticipated or still in the future from the speaker's point of view.

So donec tempestas desinat means:

• until the storm stops
• or more literally, until the storm should stop

A helpful way to think about it is that the stopping of the storm is not yet a completed fact inside the sentence; it is the point they are waiting for.

Also, Latin has no future subjunctive, so the present subjunctive often covers this kind of future-looking idea in subordinate clauses.

They can be either, depending on context.

Both forms are ambiguous:

• statuit can mean he decides or he decided
• constituit can mean she decides or she decided

You tell from context, especially from the surrounding narrative or the translation already given.

This is very common in Latin. Some verb forms are identical in the present and perfect.

There can be a slight difference, but in this sentence they are very close in meaning.

• statuere often suggests to decide, resolve, determine
• constituere often suggests to settle, establish, decide firmly

In many passages, especially at an elementary level, both can simply be translated as decide.

Here the author is probably just varying the wording a bit instead of repeating the exact same verb twice.

Because autem is a postpositive word. That means it normally does not come first in its clause. It usually comes in second position.

So Latin says:

• mater autem = but the mother / however, the mother

not usually:

• autem mater

This is normal Latin word order for autem, just as enim also tends to come second.

Because with verbs of deciding, Latin often prefers an infinitive construction.

So instead of something like he decided that the boys should stay, Latin can simply say:

• statuit pueros domi manere

And instead of she decided that she would light the hearth and cut the bread, Latin says:

• constituit focum accendere et panem secare

An ut clause is more common after certain verbs of ordering, causing, or aiming at a result, not necessarily after every verb that can translate as decide in English.

Because they are the direct objects of the infinitives:

• focum accendere = to light the hearth/fire
• panem secare = to cut/slice the bread

So:

• accendere takes focum
• secare takes panem

Both are ordinary accusative direct objects.

Because both depend on constituit.

The mother decided:

• to light the hearth
• and to cut the bread

Latin often keeps both actions in parallel form:

• focum accendere
• et panem secare

This is very natural and neat Latin style.

It has two main clauses:

• Pater statuit pueros domi manere, donec tempestas desinat
• mater autem constituit focum accendere et panem secare

So the structure is:

1. The father decided

   • infinitive clause
   • pueros domi manere
   • plus a time limit: donec tempestas desinat

2. But the mother decided

   • two coordinated infinitives
   • focum accendere
   • et panem secare

The semicolon simply separates the two related main ideas clearly.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order, because the endings show the grammatical relationships.

So this sentence could be rearranged in various ways without changing the basic meaning, though the emphasis or rhythm might change.

For example, pueros domi manere is grouped naturally, and mater autem puts a mild contrast on the mother after the father has been mentioned.

A good rule for learners is:

• don’t read Latin strictly left to right as English
• look for the verb
• identify subjects, objects, and infinitives by their endings and forms

In this sentence, the order is quite natural and readable, but it is not the only possible order Latin could use.