Breakdown of Si milites ordinem servant, hostes vincere possunt.
si
if
miles
the soldier
posse
to be able
hostis
the enemy
Questions & Answers about Si milites ordinem servant, hostes vincere possunt.
What does si do in this sentence?
Si means if. It introduces the condition:
si milites ordinem servant = if the soldiers keep/maintain order
The rest of the sentence gives the result:
hostes vincere possunt = they can defeat the enemy/enemies
So the whole sentence is a basic if ... then ... statement.
What case is milites, and why?
Milites is nominative plural of miles (soldier).
It is nominative because it is the subject of servant:
- milites servant = the soldiers keep
It is also the understood subject of possunt and vincere later in the sentence.
What does ordinem servant literally mean?