Pater respondet se in Italia manere malle, sed filium quoque Romam videre cupere.

After respondet, Latin is using an indirect statement construction.

The normal pattern is:

• accusative subject
• infinitive verb

So here we get:

• se ... malle = that he prefers
• filium ... cupere = that the son wants

This is how Latin often expresses what English would usually put into a clause with that.

Because se is the reflexive accusative pronoun, and it refers back to the subject of the main verb, which is pater.

So:

• pater respondet se ... malle = the father replies that he himself prefers ...

Why not the others?

• ego would be wrong because the subject of an indirect statement goes into the accusative, not the nominative.
• eum would usually mean him, referring to some other male person, not back to pater.

So se is exactly the right form here.

For the same reason that se is accusative: it is the subject of an infinitive in indirect statement.

In English we say:

• his son wants to see Rome

with son as a normal subject.

But in Latin indirect statement, the subject becomes accusative:

• filium ... cupere

So filium is not the direct object here. It is the subject of cupere, but in the accusative case because of the construction.

Malle is the present active infinitive of malo, which means to prefer.

This verb is irregular:

• malo = I prefer
• malle = to prefer
• malui = I preferred / have preferred

So se ... malle means that he prefers.

Because malle needs something to complete its meaning.

• malle = to prefer
• manere = to remain / stay

So:

• manere malle = to prefer to remain

This is very similar to English prefer to stay. The verb malle is the main verb of the indirect statement, and manere is a complementary infinitive telling us what he prefers to do.

Cupere is the present active infinitive of cupio, meaning to want / desire.

So:

• filium ... cupere = that the son wants

Then videre tells us what the son wants to do:

• videre = to see

So:

• filium quoque Romam videre cupere = that the son also wants to see Rome

Again, this is like English wants to see:

• cupere = wants
• videre = to see

Because Latin treats these two ideas differently.

1. Location where someone is staying

• in Italia
• in
  • ablative
• means in Italy

2. Motion toward a city

• Romam
• accusative without a preposition
• means to Rome

Latin regularly omits a preposition with names of cities, small islands, and a few special words when expressing motion toward them.

So:

• in Italia manere = to stay in Italy
• Romam videre = to see Rome

If the sentence had meant go to Rome, Latin would also normally use Romam, not in Romam.

Quoque means also or too.

It usually comes after the word it emphasizes. Here it follows filium, so the most natural sense is:

• the son too
• his son also

So the sentence contrasts two related ideas:

• the father prefers to stay in Italy,
• but the son also has his own wish, namely to see Rome.

Because Latin often does not use a separate word equivalent to English that in this kind of sentence.

Instead, it uses the accusative-and-infinitive construction:

• se ... malle
• filium ... cupere

English says:

• Father replies that ...

Latin says, more literally:

• Father replies him-to prefer ...

Of course, we translate it naturally into English with that, but the Latin grammar works differently.

Each of those infinitives takes its subject from the word attached to the larger infinitive phrase.

So:

• se ... manere malle
  The person staying is se, meaning the father.

• filium ... Romam videre cupere
  The person seeing Rome is filium, meaning the son.

So the understood subjects are:

• manere → the father
• videre → the son

Latin often leaves this kind of possession unstated when it is obvious from context.

Since the sentence begins with pater, it is natural to understand filium as his son unless the context suggests otherwise.

Latin certainly could say filium suum for extra clarity or emphasis, but it does not always need to.

So here filium is perfectly normal.

In indirect statement, the tense of the infinitive shows time relative to the main verb.

Here the main verb is respondet = he replies.

The present infinitive usually shows action happening at the same time as the main verb. So the sense is:

• at the time he replies, he prefers to stay in Italy
• at the time he replies, the son wants to see Rome

If the action had been earlier, Latin would often use a perfect infinitive. If later, it could use a future infinitive.

Latin word order is fairly flexible, but it is still meaningful.

This order does a few useful things:

• Pater respondet sets up the reporting verb first.
• se in Italia manere malle gives the father’s preference.
• sed marks a contrast.
• filium quoque Romam videre cupere gives the contrasting wish of the son.

So the order is not random. It is natural Latin word order for presenting one idea and then contrasting it with another.