Breakdown of I soldati ascoltarono l'imperatore in silenzio.
in
in / made of (material)
ascoltare
to listen / to listen to
il silenzio
silence
l'imperatore
the emperor
Questions & Answers about I soldati ascoltarono l'imperatore in silenzio.
How is the verb ascoltarono formed in this sentence?
Ascoltarono is the "they" (3rd person plural) form of the passato remoto (historical past). To form it for regular -are verbs like ascoltare, you drop the -are ending and add -arono.
Why use ascoltarono here instead of hanno ascoltato?
The passato remoto is used for completed actions in the distant past that have no connection to the present. You will encounter it mostly in literature, storytelling, and historical texts—such as a narrative about soldiers and an emperor. In everyday spoken Italian, you would generally use the passato prossimo (hanno ascoltato).
Why is there no Italian word for "to" after ascoltarono?
In English, we say "listened to," but in Italian, ascoltare is a transitive verb. This means it connects directly to its object without needing a preposition. You just say ascoltarono l'imperatore (literally, "they listened the emperor").