Breakdown of Caedes multos homines terret.
multus
many
homo
the person
terrere
to frighten
caedes
the slaughter; killing
Questions & Answers about Caedes multos homines terret.
Why is caedes the subject of the sentence?
Because terret is a singular verb meaning frightens, and caedes is in the nominative singular, which is the case normally used for the subject.
So the basic structure is:
- caedes = the subject
- multos homines = the direct object
- terret = the verb
In other words, the slaughter/murder frightens many people, not many people frighten the slaughter.
Why is terret singular when caedes ends in -es?
In Latin, an ending like -es does not automatically mean plural.
Here, caedes is actually a singular noun.
Its dictionary form is:
- caedes, caedis = slaughter, killing, murder
It is a third-declension feminine noun. So even though it looks plural to an English speaker, it is singular here, and that is why the verb is singular: terret.
Why are multos homines in the accusative case?
Because they are the direct object of terret.
The verb terreo, terrere means to frighten or to terrify, and the thing or person being frightened goes into the accusative.