Pater consilium centurionis probat: “Qui cohortem bene regit, etiam manipulum timidum fortiorem facere potest.”

Because centurionis means of the centurion. It is the genitive singular of centurio.

So:

• consilium = plan, advice, decision
• centurionis = of the centurion

Together, consilium centurionis means the centurion’s plan/advice.

This is a very common Latin pattern: a noun + a genitive noun showing possession or association.

Consilium can mean several related things, including:

• plan
• advice
• decision
• strategy

In this sentence, the exact English choice depends on context. Since a centurion is speaking about military leadership, plan or advice both fit well.

So Pater consilium centurionis probat means that the father approves of what the centurion says or proposes.

The subject is Pater.

• Pater = father
• probat = approves, praises, finds good

So Pater consilium centurionis probat means The father approves the centurion’s plan/advice.

The verb probat is 3rd person singular, which matches pater.

The colon introduces direct speech: what comes next is what is being said.

So the structure is:

• Pater consilium centurionis probat:
  the narrative statement
• Qui cohortem bene regit...
  the words being quoted

In many printed Latin texts for learners, punctuation is used much like English punctuation to make the structure clearer.

Here qui means something like the person who or whoever.

It is the masculine singular nominative form of the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod. In this sentence it is the subject of:

• regit
• potest

So the basic idea is:

Qui cohortem bene regit...
= He who commands a cohort well...
or
= Whoever commands a cohort well...

This is a very common Latin way to make a general statement.

Grammatically, it is most naturally general here.

Qui cohortem bene regit... sounds like a proverb-like statement:

• the one who commands a cohort well
• whoever commands a cohort well

Because the centurion is the speaker, the statement may reflect his own view about leadership, but qui itself is not limited to him alone. It describes any person who fits that condition.

They are direct objects.

• cohortem is the object of regit
• manipulum is the object of facere

So:

• cohortem bene regit = commands/governs a cohort well
• manipulum timidum fortiorem facere potest = can make a timid maniple stronger/braver

Both cohortem and manipulum are singular accusative forms.

Because bene is an adverb, and it modifies the verb regit.

• bonus = good (adjective)
• bene = well (adverb)

In English we also say he commands well, not he commands good.

So:

• cohortem bene regit = he commands the cohort well

This is a standard Latin construction:

• potest = is able, can
• facere = to make, to do

Together:

• facere potest = can make

Latin often uses a finite verb plus an infinitive in the same way English does:

• potest regere = can rule
• potest facere = can make

In this sentence, the subject of potest is still qui.

Fortiorem agrees with manipulum.

• manipulum = accusative singular masculine
• timidum = accusative singular masculine
• fortiorem = accusative singular masculine comparative adjective

So all three go together:

• manipulum timidum fortiorem
  = a timid maniple stronger/braver

This is a common construction after verbs like facere: Latin can use an object plus another accusative word describing what that object becomes.

So:

• manipulum timidum fortiorem facere
  = to make a timid maniple stronger

Because the sentence means stronger/braver, not just brave.

• fortis = brave, strong
• fortior = braver, stronger
• fortiorem = accusative singular form of fortior

The idea is not simply that the maniple is brave, but that a good leader can make it more brave / stronger than it was before.

That comparative idea fits the sense of leadership improving weak troops.

Etiam means also, even, or still, depending on context. Here even is the most natural.

So:

• etiam manipulum timidum = even a timid maniple

It emphasizes that the result is impressive: a person who leads well can improve not just ordinary troops, but even frightened or weak ones.

Timidum is accusative singular masculine, and it describes manipulum.

They agree in:

• case: accusative
• number: singular
• gender: masculine

So:

• manipulus = maniple
• manipulum timidum = a timid maniple

This is basic adjective agreement in Latin.

A helpful way to break it down is:

• Qui = the person who / whoever
• cohortem bene regit = commands a cohort well
• etiam manipulum timidum fortiorem facere potest = can even make a timid maniple stronger

So the whole quotation works like this:

Qui cohortem bene regit, etiam manipulum timidum fortiorem facere potest.
= Whoever commands a cohort well can even make a timid maniple stronger.

The main verb of the whole statement is potest, and qui is its subject. The clause cohortem bene regit helps define what sort of person qui is.

Latin word order is more flexible because the endings show the grammatical relationships.

For example:

• Pater is clearly the subject because it is nominative
• centurionis is genitive
• cohortem and manipulum are accusative objects

That means Latin can arrange words for emphasis or style more freely than English can.

In this sentence, the order is quite natural and readable:

• statement first: Pater consilium centurionis probat
• then the quoted maxim
• within the maxim, the condition comes first: Qui cohortem bene regit
• then the result: ...fortiorem facere potest

So the word order is not random; it helps the sentence unfold clearly.