Various Latin Quotes
-------------------------------------
Audentis Fortuna Iuvat - Fortune favors the bold.
Ad nocendum potentes sumus - we have the power to do harm.
Aliis si licet, tibi non licet - even though it is permitted for others
                                 it is not permitted for you.
Sono andato all'inferno e ritorno con solo questa camicia diabolica -
I went to hell and all I got is this stinking T shirt.


-------------------------------------
Quotes from: http://user.tninet.se/~dfr732s/show-off.html

                    [Sententiae Latinae -- Latin Maxims]

                  Salve, salutator / -trix #  [Counter] !

This is a collection of some more or less frequently used Latin maxims I've
come across during my former Latin studies and otherwise. I've offered a
brief comment on some of them and been able to supply the origin of most of
them, but (N/A) means I can provide neither (and would be very grateful for
some help).

 [Sententia nova] means the maxim is a new addition.

You are very welcome to link to this page, but please inform
me if you do so!

 NB: Although I might be able to provide answers to questions about
Latin phrases (no guarantees, though), I cannot help you translate
phrases from English or any other language into Latin or supply any
Latin-English translators, nor do I give on-line courses in Latin.
For that, you will have to look someplace else.

                                  Gaudeas!

             A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Breves - Short Phrases
Praecepti - Mottoes
De Auctoribus - About the Authors
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 A

 Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit.
 He has left, absconded, escaped and disappeared.
 (Cicero, In Catilinam)

 Ab ovo usque ad mala.
 From the egg right to the apple (i.e. from the beginning to the end).
 (Horace, Ars poetica)

 Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam.
 It is better to suffer an injustice than to do an injustice.
 (Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes)

 Acta est fabula, plaudite!
 The play is over, applaud!
 (Suetonius, Vitae Caesarum, Divus Augustus. Said to have been emperor
 Augustus' last words.)

 Ad Kalendas Graecas.
 Until the Greek Kalendae.
 (Suetonius, Vitae Caesarum, Divus Augustus. To postpone something "ad
 Kalendas Graecas" meant it would never be done - the Roman name
 Kalendae for the first day of the month didn't have a Greek
 equivalent.)

 Ad nocendum potentes sumus.
 We have the power to harm.
 (Seneca, De ira)

 Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur.
 It is said that for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life.
 (Cicero, Ad Atticum)

 Alea iacta est!
 The die is cast!
 (Said by Julius Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon.)

 Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent.
 We like other people's (things) the best, others like ours.
 (Publilius Syrus)

 Aliis si licet, tibi non licet.
 Even though it is permitted for others, it isn't permitted for you.
 (Terence, Heautontimorumenos. Cf. quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.)

 Amantium irae, amoris integratio est.
 The anger of lovers is what brings love together.
 (N/A)

 Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur.
 A friend in need is a friend indeed.
 (Ennius, quoted by Cicero.)

 Amicus verus est rara avis.
 A true friend is a rare bird.
 (N/A)

 Amor vincit omnia et nos cedamus amori.
 Love conquers all and let us yield to love.
 (Vergil, Eclogae)

 An nescis, mi fili, quantilla sapientia mundus regatur?
 Don't you know then, my son, how little wisdom rules the world?
 (Said by the Swedish chancellor Axel Oxenstierna to encourage his son
 Johan when he doubted his ability to represent Sweden at the
 Westphalian peace conference.)

 Aquila non captat muscas.
 The eagle doesn't capture flies.
 (N/A)

 Ars longa, vita brevis.
 Art is long, life is short.
 (Seneca, De brevitate vitae)

 Arte et Marte.
 With peaceful effort and warlike feats.
 (N/A)

 At vindicta bonum vita iucundius ipsa.
 But revenge is sweater than life itself.
 (Juvenalis, Saturae)

 Audentes fortuna iuvat.
 Fortune favours the brave.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Audietur et altera pars.
 May the other part also be heard.
 (N/A. Cf. Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita altera, aequum licet
 statuerit.)

 Aurora Musis amica.
 Dawn is friend of the muses. (Early bird catches the worm.)
 (N/A)

 Ave, imperator, morituri te salutant.
 Hail, emperor, those who will die salute you.
 (Suetonius, Vitae Caesarum, Claudius. The fighters' greeting to the
 emperor before gladiatorial games.)

 To top

 B

 Bellaque matribus detestata.
 The war, hated by mothers.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Bellum omnium contra omnes.
 Everybody's war against everybody.
 (Thomas Hobbes)

 Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
 (From the Sanctus of the Catholic mass.)

 Beneficium accipere libertatem est vendere.
 To accept a favour is to sell freedom.
 (Publilius Syrus)

 Bene qui latuit, bene vixit.
 One who lives well, lives unnoticed.
 (Ovid, Tristia)

 Bibere humanum est, ergo bibamus.
 To drink is human, let us therefore drink.
 (N/A)

 Bibamus, moriendum est.
 Let us drink, death is inevitable.
 (Seneca Rhetor, Controversiae)

 Bis dat qui cito dat.
 He gives twice, who gives promptly.
 (Publilius Syrus)

 Brevis ipsa vita est sed malis fit longior.
 Our life is short but is made longer by misfortunes.
 (Publilius Syrus)

 To top

 C

 Caelum, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.
 The sky, and not his soul, changes the one who runs across the sea.
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet.
 A timid dog barks more violently than it bites.
 (Curtius Rufus)

 Carpe diem!
 Seize the day!
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Caveat emptor.
 Let the buyer beware.
 (N/A)

 Cave canem!
 Beware of the dog!
 (Inscription at the entry of Roman houses.)

 Cedant arma togae, concedat laurea laudi.
 May arms yield to the toga (the gown of peace), may the glory of war
 give way to the glory of peaceful feats.
 (Cicero, Poetica fragmenta)

 Cogito, ergo sum.
 I think, therefore I am.
 (René Descartes, Discours de la méthode)

 Consuetudinis magna vis est.
 The force of habit is great.
 (Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes.)

 Certum est, quia impossibile.
 It is certain, because it is impossible.
 (Tertullianus, De carne Christi. Later in the form Credo, quia absurdum
 -- I believe, although it is absurd.)

 Claris maiorum exemplis.
 After the forefathers' brilliant example.
 (Part of the inscription on the House of Nobility, Riddarhuset, in
 Stockholm.)

 Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur.
 Nobody should be punished for his thoughts.
 (Corpus Iuris Civilis. Cf. liberae sunt nostrae cogitationes.)

 Commodum ex iniuria sua nemo habere debet.
 No person ought to have advantage from his own wrong.
 (N/A)

 Concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maximae dilabuntur.
 Through unity the small thing grows, through disunity the largest thing
 crumbles.
 (Sallust, Jugurtha)

 Coniecturalem artem esse medicinam.
 Medicine is the art of guessing.
 (Aulus Cornelius Celsus, De medicina)

 Consuetudinis magna vis est.
 The force of habit is great.
 (Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes)

 Consuetudo quasi altera natura.
 Habit is our second nature.
 (Cicero, De finibus)

 Contraria contrariis curantur.
 The opposite is cured with the opposite.
 (Hippocrates)

 Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
 The more corrupt the state is, the more numerous are the laws.
 (Tacitus, Annales)

 Credo certe ne cras.
 I believe with certainty that there is no tomorrow.
 (A famous tomb inscription.)

 Crescit amor nummi, quantum ipsa pecunia crevit.
 The love of wealth grows as the wealth itself grew.
 (Juvenalis, Saturae)

 Cui bono?
 To whose profit?
 (Cicero, Pro Milone)

 Cui peccare licet peccat minus.
 One who is allowed to sin, sins less.
 (Ovid, Amores)

 Cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore
 perseverare.
 Anybody can err, but only the fool persists in his fault.
 (Cicero, Philippicae orationes. Often quoted errare humanum est,
 ignoscere divinum - to err is human, to forgive divine.)

 Cum grano salis
 With a grain of salt
 (Pliny the Elder?)

 Cum tacent, clamant.
 When they are silent, they cry out.
 (Cicero, In Catalinam)

 Cura posterior.
 A later concern.
 (N/A)

 To top

 D

 De duobus malis minus est semper eligendum.
 One must always choose the lesser of two evils.
 (Thomas a Kempis)

 De gustibus non est disputandum.
 That is a matter of taste.
 (N/A)

 De mortuis nihil nisi bene.
 Nothing but good about the dead.
 (Cheilon of Sparta; quoted by Horace)

 De nihilo nihil.
 Nothing comes from nothing.
 (Lucretius, De rerum natura)

 Deus nobiscum, quis contra?
 If God is for us, who can be against us?
 (Versio Vulgata, Rom. 8:31)

 Dictum, factum.
 Said and done.
 (Terence, Heautontimorumenos)

 Diem perdidi!
 I have lost a day!
 (Suetonius, Vitae Caesarum, Titus. Said to have been exclaimed by
 Emperor Titus when a day had passed without him doing good to
 somebody.)

 Difficile est saturam non scribere.
 It is hard not to write satire.
 (Juvenalis, Saturae)

 Dii minores  [Sententia nova]
 Lesser gods.
 (Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes. About the "lower class" gods in
 Roman mythology; sometimes used jokingly about people who aren't very
 important or less important than others present.)

 Dimidium facti qui coepit habet.
 Half is done when the beginning is done.
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Dira necessitas.
 The dire necessity.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Divide et impera.
 Divide and rule.
 (Louis XI; adopted by Macchiavelli)

 Docendo discimus.
 We learn by teaching.
 (After Seneca Philosophus, homines dum docent discunt - men learn while
 they teach.)

 Dubitando ad veritatem venimus.
 We arrive at the truth being sceptical.
 (Pierre Abélard, Sic et non?)

 Dulce bellum inexpertis.
 War is sweet for those who haven't experienced it.
 (Pindaros)

 Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.
 It is sweet and glorious to die for one's country.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Dum excusare credis, accusas.
 When you believe you are excusing yourself, you are accusing yourself.
 (St. Jerome? (probably one of his disciples), Epistulae)

 Dum inter homines sumus, colamus humanitatem.
 As long as we are among humans, let us be humane.
 (Seneca, De ira)

 Dum spiro, spero.
 While I breathe, I hope.
 (Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum)

 Duo cum faciunt idem, non est idem.
 When two do the same thing, it isn't the same (i.e. one can get away
 with doing something while another cannot).
 (Terence, Adelphoe. Cf. quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.)

 To top

 E

 Ecce homo!
 Behold the man!
 (Versio Vulgata, Ioh. 19:5)

 Epistula non erubescit.
 A letter doesn't blush.
 (Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares)

 Est quaedam flere voluptas.
 There is a kind of pleasure in crying.
 (Ovid, Tristia)

 Et tu, Brute.
 And you, my Brutus.
 (Julius Caesar's words when he saw his favourite, Brutus, among his
 assassins. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the words are in Latin, but
 they probably were in Greek - if ever said.)

 Exitus acta probat.
 The result validates the deeds.
 (Ovid, Heroides. Cf. finis coronat opus.)

 Exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus ultor.
 May an avenger one day raise from my bones.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Ex oriente lux, ex occidente lex.
 From the east the light, from the west the law.
 (N/A)

 Extra ecclesiam nulla salus.
 Outside the Church, no salvation.
 (A principle in Catholic theology.)

 Ex ungue leonem.
 You know the lion from its claw.
 (N/A)

 To top

 F

 Faber est suae quisque fortunae.
 Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.
 (Appius Claudius Caecus)

 Facilius est multa facere quam diu.
 It is easier to do many things than to do one for a long time.
 (Quintilianus, Institutio oratoria)

 Facito aliquid operis, ut te semper diabolus inveniat occupatum.
 Always do something, so that the devil always finds you occupied.
 (St. Jerome, Epistulae)

 Factum est illud, fieri infectum non potest.
 Done is done, it cannot be made undone.
 (Plautus, Aulularia)

 Fama crescit eundo.
 The rumour grows as it goes.
 (N/A; cf. Vergil, Aenis)

 Fama volat.
 The rumour has wings.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Finis coronat opus.
 The ending crowns the work.
 (N/A. Cf. exitus acta probat.)

 To top

 G

 Gloria in altissimis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
 (Versio Vulgata, Luc. 2:14)

 Graeca sunt, non leguntur.
 It is Greek, you don't read that.
 (N/A)

 Grammatici certant, et adhuc sub iudice lis est.
 The scolars quarrel, and the case lies still undecided in the hands of
 the judge. (On that point the learned disagree.)
 (Horace, Ars poetica)

 Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi sed saepe cadendo.
 The drop excavates the stone, not with force but by falling often.
 (Ovid, Ex Ponto)

 To top

 H

 Haec ego non multis (scribo), sed tibi: satis enim magnum alter alteri
 theatrum sumus.  [Sententia nova]
 I write this not to the many, but to you only, for you and I are surely
 enough of an audience for each other.
 (Epicurus, quoted by Seneca Philosophus.)

 Hannibal ante portas.
 Hannibal before the gates.
 (Cicero, Philippicae orationes)

 Haud semper errat fama, aliquando et eligit.
 Rumour is not always in error, sometimes it chooses.
 (Tacitus, Agricola)

 Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
 Here is Rhodes; jump here!
 (Said to a man who boasted that he had made a huge jump on Rhodes.)

 Hinc illae lacrimae.
 Hence these tears.
 (Terence, Andria)

 Hoc coactus sum.
 To this, I am forced and compelled.
 (According to legend, a secret reservation written by bishop Hans Brask
 of Linköping and hidden under his seal on a document he was reluctant
 to sign.)

 Hoc tempore obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit.
 In these days friends are won through flattery, the truth gives birth
 to hate.
 (Terence, Andria)

 Homo homini lupus.
 Man is man's wolf.
 (Plautus, Asinaria)

 Homo novus
 A new (self-made) man
 (N/A)

 Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit.
 Man proposes, God disposes.
 (Thomas a Kempis)

 Honores mutant mores.
 The honours change the customs. (Power corrupts.)
 (N/A)

 Horas non numero nisi serenas.
 I count only the bright hours.
 (Inscription on ancient sundials.)

 To top

 I

 Id certum est quod certum reddi potest.
 That is certain that can be made certain.
 (N/A)

 Ignoti militi
 For the unknown soldier
 (Inscription on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.)

 Ille dolet vere, qui sine teste dolet.
 He mourns honestly who mourns without witnesses.
 (Martialis, Epigrammaton liber)

 Illi robur et aes triplex circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci
 commisit pelago ratem primus.
 As hard as oak and three times bronze was the heart of him who first
 committed a fragile vessel to the keeping of wild waves.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Illis quorum meruere labores
 For them whose labours have showed them deserving
 (Quote by Propertius; the inscription on a Swedish medal.)

 Imitatores, servum pecus!
 Imitators, you slavish crowd!
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Imperium et libertas.
 Empire and liberty.
 (Benjamin Disraeli; from Cicero and Tacitus)

 Impossibilium nulla obligatio est.
 Nobody has any obligation to the impossible.
 (Corpus Iuris Civilis: Digesta)

 In aere aedificare.
 Build (castles) in the air.
 (St. Augustine, Confessiones)

 Inde ira et lacrimae.
 Hence wrath and tears.
 (Juvenalis, Saturae)

 Indicit Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdin.
 He falls into Scylla's hands who wants to avoid Charybdis.
 (Gautier de Châtillon; from Homer, the Odyssee, and the story about the
 sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis who flanked a narrow strait and
 pulled down passing ships.)

 In dubiis non est agendum.
 In dubious cases, you should not act.
 (N/A)

 In hoc signo vinces.
 In this sign, you will be victorious.
 (Acc. to Eusebios, words next to a cross in the sky seen by emperor
 Constantine the Great before a battle.)

 Iniqua nunquam regna perpetuo manent.
 Stern masters do not reign long.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Medea)

 Iniuria non excusat iniuriam.
 One wrong does not justify another.
 (N/A)

 In magnis et voluisse sat est.
 To once have wanted is enough in great deeds.
 (Propertius, Elegies)

 Innocue vivite, numen adest.
 Live without faults; the deity is present.
 (Ovid, Ars amandi)

 Inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in te.
 Our heart is anxious until it finds peace in you.
 (St. Augustine, Confessiones)

 In spiritu et veritate
 In spirit and truth
 (Versio Vulgata, Ioh. 4:24)

 Inter pocula
 Between the cups
 (Vergil, Georgica)

 Inventas vitam iuvat excoluisse per artes.
 Let us improve life through science and art.
 (Inscription on the Nobel Prize winner medals. After Vergil, Aenis.)

 In vino veritas
 In wine is truth
 (N/A)

 Invita Minerva, ut aiunt.
 Against Minerva's will, as they say (i.e. without aptitude and
 qualifications).
 (Cicero, De officiis)

 Ispsa scientia potestas est.
 Knowledge is power.
 (Roger Bacon)

 Ira furor brevis est.
 Anger is a brief insanity.
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Iucundi acti labores.
 Surmounted labours are pleasant.
 (Cicero, De finibus)

 Iurare in verba magistri.
 Swear on the master's words.
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 To top

 L

 Labor omnia vincit.
 Labour conquers everything.
 (Vergil, Georgica)

 Latet anguis in herba.
 A snake lies in the grass.
 (Vergil, Eclogae)

 Laudant illa, sed ista legunt.
 Some (writing) is praised, but other is read.
 (Martialis, Epigrammaton liber)

 Leges bonae ex malis moribus procreantur.
 Good laws are born of bad customs.
 (Macrobius, Saturnalia)

 Liberae sunt nostrae cogitationes.
 Our thoughts are free.
 (Cicero, Pro Milone. Cf. Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur.)

 Liber librorum
 The Book of Books
 (I.e., the Bible)

 Liber mihi opus est.
 I need books.
 (N/A)

 Libertas inaestimabilis res est.
 Liberty is a thing beyond all price.
 (Corpus Iuris Civilis: Digesta)

 Licentia poetica.
 Poetic licence.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Quaestiones naturales

 Locus enim est principum generationis rerum.
 For place is the origin of things.
 (Roger Bacon)

 Longum iter est per praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla.
 The way is made long through rules, but short and effective through
 examples.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Epistulae)

 Lucus a non lucendo.
 A grove is so called because it doesn't glow.
 (After Quintilianus, De institutione oratoria. Often used as an example
 of incorrect etymology.)

 Lupus in fabula
 The wolf in the tale (i.e. speak of the wolf, and he will come)
 (Terence, Adelphoe)

 To top

 M

 Magnas inter oper inops.
 A pauper in the midst of wealth.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Magna vis veritatis quae facile se per se ipsa defendat.
 Great is the power of truth that can easily defend itself with its own
 force.
 (N/A)

 Male parta male dilabuntur.
 What has been wrongly gained is wrongly lost. (Ill-gotten gains seldom
 prosper.)
 (Cicero, Philippicae orationes)

 Margaritas ante porcos iacere.
 Throw pearls before the swines.
 (Versio Vulgata, Matt. 7:6)

 Mater artium necessitas.
 Necessity is the mother of invention.
 (N/A)

 Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa
 My fault, my fault, my great fault
 (From the Catholic confession.)

 Mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omnium sermo.
 My conscience means more to me than all speech.
 (Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum)

 Medice, cura te ipsum!
 Physician, heal thyself!
 (Versio Vulgata, Luc. 4:23)

 Medicus curat, natura sanat.
 The physician treats, nature cures.
 (N/A)

 Medio tutissimus ibis.
 You will go safest in the middle.
 (Ovid, Metamorphoses)

 Melius est praevenire quam praeveniri.
 Better to forestall than to be forestalled.
 (N/A)

 Melius frangi quam flecti.
 It is better to break than to bend.
 (N/A)

 Mendacem memorem esse oportet.
 A liar needs a good memory.
 (Quintilianus, De institutione oratoria)

 Mens agitat molem.
 The mind moves the matter.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Mens sana in corpore sano.
 A sound mind in a sound body.
 (Juvenalis, Saturae)

 Mirabile dictu.
 Wonderful to relate.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Mors ultima linea rerum est.
 Death is everything's final limit.
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.
 The world wants to be betrayed, therefore let it be betrayed.
 (Sebastian Brant)

 To top

 N

 Nam curiosus nemo est, quin sit malevolus.
 For nobody is curious, who isn't malevolent.
 (Plautus)

 Nam et ipsa scientia potestas es.
 Knowledge is power.
 (Sir Francis Bacon)

 Natura abhorret a vacuo. (Horror vacui.)
 Nature abhors the void. (The fear of the void.)
 (Rénè Descartes)

 Navigare necesse est.
 To sail is necessary.
 (From Plutarchos)

 Necessitatis non habet legem.
 Necessity knows no law.
 (N/A)

 Ne furtum facias.
 Thou shalt not steal.
 (The seventh commandment.)

 Nemo ante mortem beatus.
 Nobody should be called happy before his death.
 (Ovid, Metamorphoses)

 Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit.
 Almost nobody dances sober, unless he happens to be insane.
 (Cicero, Pro Murena)

 Nemo nascitur artifex.
 Nobody is born an artist.
 (N/A)

 Nemo nisi mors.
 Nobody except death (will part us).
 (Inscription in the wedding ring of the Swedish Queen Katarina
 Jagellonica.)

 Nemo risum praebuit, qui ex se coepit.
 Nobody is laughed at, who laughs at himself.
 (Seneca, De providentia)

 Ne quid nimis.
 Nothing in excess.
 (Terence, Andria)

 Nervos belli, pecuniam. (Nervus rerum.)
 The nerve of war, money. (The nerve of things.)
 (Cicero, Pilippicae orationes)

 Nihil agere delectat.
 It is pleasant to do nothing.
 (Cicero, De oratore)

 Nihil est ab omni parte beatum.
 Nothing is good in every part.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Nihil est incertius volgo.
 Nothing is more uncertain than the (favour of the) crowd.
 (Cicero, Pro Murena)

 Nihil est miserum nisi cum putes.
 Nothing is unfortunate if you don't consider it unfortunate.
 (Boethius, De consolatione philosohiae)

 Nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit.
 No fort is so strong that it cannot be taken with money.
 (Cicero, In Verrem)

 Nil admirari.
 To admire nothing.
 (Horace, Epistulae; described as a condition for human happiness.)

 Nil agit exemplum, litem quod lite resolvit.
 Not much worth is an example that solves one quarrel with another.
 (Horace, Satirae)

 Nil desperandum!
 Never despair!
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Noli equi dentes inspicere donati.
 Do not look a gift horse in the mouth.
 (St. Jerome, Commentarius in epistulam Pauli ad Ephesos)

 Noli me tangere!
 Don't touch me!
 (Versio Vulgata, Ioh. 20:17)

 Noli turbare circulos meos!
 Don't upset my calculations!
 (Said to have been Archimedes' words to a Roman soldier during the
 conquest of Syracuse. The soldier answered by slaying him.)

 Nomina sunt odiosa.
 Names are hateful.
 (Cicero, Pro Roscio)

 Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare:
 hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te.
 I do not like you, Sabid, but I can't say why:
 I can only say this, I do not like you.
 (Martialis, Epigrammaton liber)

 Non mortem timemus, sed cogitationem mortis.
 We do not fear death, but the thought of death.
 (Seneca, Epistulae)

 Non multa, sed multum.
 Not many, but much.
 (Meaning, not quantity but quality. Plinius Iunior, Epistulae)

 Non omne quod licet honestum est.
 Not everything that is permitted is honest.
 (Corpus Iuris Civilis: Digesta)

 Non omne quod nitet aurum est.
 Not all that glitters is gold.
 (N/A)

 Non omnia possumus omne.
 Everybody cannot do everything.
 (Vergil, Eclogae)

 Non omnis moriar.
 I will not die entirely.
 (Horace, Carmina - in reference to his written work.)

 Non scholae sed vitae discimus.
 We do not learn for school, but for life.
 (Seneca, Epistulae)

 Non ut edam vivo, sed vivam edo.
 I do not live to eat, but eat to live.
 (Quintilianus, Instituitio oratoria)

 Nosce te ipsum.
 Know thyself
 (Inscription at the temple of Apollo in Delphi.)

 Nulla regula sine exceptione.
 No rule without exception.
 (N/A)

 Nulla res carius constat quam quae precibus empta est.
 Nothing is so expensive as that which you have bought with pleas.
 (Seneca Philosophus, De beneficiis)

 Nullum est iam dictum quod non dictum sit prius.
 Nothing is said that hasn't been said before.
 (Terence, Eunuchus)

 Numquam non paratus.
 Never unprepared.
 (N/A)

 Numquam se minus solum quam cum solus esset.
 You are never so little alone as when you are alone.
 (Cicero, De officiis)

 To top

 O

 Oderint, dum metuant.
 May they hate me, if only they fear me.
 (Suetonius, Vitae Caesarum, Caligula)

 Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris.
 Nescio. Sed fieri sentio et excrucior.
 I hate and I love. Perhaps you ask me why.
 I don't know. But I feel, tormented, that it is so.
 (Catulle, Carmina)

 Odi profanum vulgus et arceo.
 I loathe the uneducated mass and keep them away from me.
 (Horace, Carmina. Hence the expression "vulgus profanum", the
 uneducated mass.)

 Omne ignotum pro magnifico est.
 We have great notions of everything unknown.
 (Tacitus, Agricola)

 Omnes una manet nox.
 The same night awaits us all.
 (Horace, Carmina)

 Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci.
 He has won every vote whoh mingles profit with pleasure.
 (Horace, Ars Poetica)

 Omnia mea mecum porto.
 All that is mine, I carry with me.
 (Cicero, Paradoxa)

 Omnia mutantur, nihil interit.
 Everything changes, nothing perishes.
 (Ovid, Metamorphoses)

 Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori.
 Love conquers all things; let us too surrender to love.
 (Vergil, Eclogae)

 Omnibus omnia.
 Everything for everybody.
 (Versio Vulgata, 1 Cor. 9:22)

 Omnium rerum principia parva sunt.
 Everything has a small beginning.
 (Cicero, De finibus)

 Optima enim est legum interpres consuetudo.
 The best interpreter of the law, is practise.
 (Corpus Iuris Civilis: Digesta)

 O sancta simplicitas!
 Oh, holy simplicity!
 (Jan Hus)

 O tempora! O mores!
 O times! O customs!
 (Cicero, In Catilinam)

 Otium sine litteris mors est et hominis vivi sepultura.
 Rest without reading is like dying and being buried alive.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Epistulae)

 To top

 P

 Pacta sunt servanda.
 Agreements are to be kept.
 (Cicero, Philippicae Orationes)

 Pars maior lacrimas ridet et intus habet.
 You smile at your tears but have them in your heart.
 (Martialis, Epigrammaton liber)

 Paete, non dolet.
 It doesn't hurt, Paetus.
 (Acc. to Plinius, Epistulae, the Roman woman Arria's words to her
 husband Caecina Paetus, who had taken part in an uprising against
 Emperor Claudius and been sentenced to commit suicide. When her husband
 hesitated, she plunged the dagger into her own chest and then gave it
 to him with these words.)

 Pater patriae.
 Father of the country.
 (Cicero, Pro Sestio. Honorific given to Cicero after the conflict with
 Catiline in 63 B.C.)

 Pater, peccavi.
 Father, I have sinned.
 (Versio Vulgata, Luc. 15:17)

 Per aspera ad astra.
 Through difficulties to the stars.
 (Origin unknown; Seneca Philosophus, Hercules)

 Periculum in mora.
 Danger in delay
 (Livy, Ab urbe condita)

 Perierat totus orbis, nisi iram finiret misericordia.
 The entire world would have perished unless compassion had limited the
 hatred.
 (Seneca Rhetor, Controversiae)

 Pessimus inimicorum genus, laudantes.
 The worst kind of enemies, those who can praise.
 (Tacitus, Agricola)

 Pisces natare oportet.
 Fish has to swim (i.e. demands table drink).
 (Petronius Arbiter, Satiricon)

 Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate.  [Sententia nova]
 Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.
 (Principle known as Occam's Razor, used for example in physics.)

 Post festum.
 After the feast (i.e. too late)
 (Plato, Gorgias)

 Potius sero quam numquam.
 It's better late than never.
 (Livy, Ab urbe condita)

 Praeterea censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
 Furthermore, I believe Carthage should be destroyed.
 (Cato Sr. After a journey to Carthage, the Roman senator concluded
 every speech before the senate with this phrase, no matter the topic of
 discussion.)

 Primum est non nocere.
 First of all, do no harm.
 (Hippocrates; The maxim has become an ethical guiding principle in
 medicine.)

 Primus inter pares.
 First among equals.
 (Used about someone who is the first in a group without having any
 authority over his/her colleagues, e.g. the Swedish archbishop.)

 Promoveatur ut amoveatur.
 Let him be promoted to get him out of the way.
 (N/A)

 Proximus sum egomet mihi.
 I am closest to myself. (Charity begins at home.)
 (Terence, Andria)

 To top

 Q

 Qualis rex, talis grex.
 Like master, like man.
 (N/A)

 Quam bene vivas refert, non quam diu.
 The important thing isn't how long you live, but how well you live.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Epistulae)

 Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus.
 Sometimes, even the good Homer slumber.
 (Horace, Ars poetica)

 Quem di diligunt adolescens moritur.
 He whom the gods love dies young.
 (Plautus, Bacchides)

 Quia natura mutari non potest idcirco verae amicitiae sempiternae sunt.
 Since nature cannot change, true friendships are eternal.
 (Horace)

 Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
 Let him who wishes for peace prepare for war.
 (Vegetius. Also quoted si vis pacem, para bellum -- if you desire
 peace, prepare for war.)

 Qui dormit, non peccat.
 One who sleeps doesn't sin.
 (N/A)

 Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur.
 Why are you laughing? Change the name and the story is about you.
 (Horace, Satirae)

 Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.
 Whatever this may be, I fear the Greeks even when they're bringing
 gifts.
 (Vergil, Aenis. The priest Laokoon's warning when seeing the Trojan
 horse.)

 Qui ignorabat, ignorabitur.
 One who is ignorant will remain unnoticed.
 (N/A)

 Qui nimium probat, nihil probat.
 One who proves too much, proves nothing.
 (N/A)

 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
 Who is to guard the guards themselves?
 (Iuvenalis, Saturae)

 Qui tacet, consentit
 Silence gives consent.
 (N/A)

 Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando?
 Who, what, where, with what, why, how, when?
 (N/A)

 Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita altera, aequum licet statuerit.
 One who passes sentence on something without having heard the other
 part isn't juste, even if the sentence is juste.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Medea. Cf. audietur et altera pars.)

 Quod bonum, felix faustumque sit!
 May it be good, fortunate and prosperous!
 (Words spoken when the Roman senate opened its session. Quoted by
 Cicero in De divitatione)

 Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi.
 What Jupiter may do, the ox may not.
 (I.e., what is permitted for a high-ranking person isn't permitted for
 everybody. Cf. aliis si licet, tibi non licet..)

 Quod scripsi, scripsi.
 What I have written, I have written.
 (Versio Vulgata, Ioh. 19:22)

 Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?
 How long now, Catiline, will you abuse our patience?
 (Cicero, In Catilinam. The beginning of Cicero's first speech against
 Catiline.)

 Quo vadis, Domine?
 Where are you going, Lord?
 (Question said to be asked by Peter when he, fleeing the Rome and the
 persecutions of the Christians by emperor Nero, met Jesus at the city
 gates.)

 To top

 R

 Relata refero.
 I tell what I have been told.
 (Herodotos)

 Respice post te, mortalem te esse memento.
 Look around you, remember that you are mortal.
 (According to Tertullianus, words whispered by a slave when his master
 entered Rome in triumph after winning a battle.)

 Rem tene, verba sequentur.
 Keep to the subject and the words will follow.
 (Cato senior, acc. to Iulius Victor)

 Rerum concordia discors.
 The concord of things through discord.
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Res severa est verum gaudium.
 True joy is a serious thing.
 (Seneca Philosophus, Epistulae)

 Ridentem dicere verum, quid vetat?
 What prohibits us to tell the truth laughing (through a joke)?
 (Horace, Satirae)

 To top

 S

 Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas.
 Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses
 (Ovid)

 Salus populi suprema lex esto.
 Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law.
 (Cicero, De legibus

 Sapere aude!
 Dare to be wise!
 (Horace, Epistulae)

 Satius est impunitum relinqui facinus nocentis, quam innocentem
 damnari.
 It is better that a crime is left unpunished than that an innocent man
 is punished.
 (Corpus Iuris Civilis: Digesta)

 Sat sapienti.
 Enough for a wise man.
 (Plautus, Persa)

 Sed fugit interae, fugit irreparabile tempus.
 But meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes.
 (Vergil, Georgica. Usually, you only quote the last three words.)

 Semper idem.
 Always the same.
 (Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes. Said to have been Xantippa's words
 about Socrates' facial expression.)

 Serva me, servabo te.
 Save me and I will save you.
 (Petronius Arbiter)

 Sic itur ad astra.
 Thus, you go to the stars (i.e. gain reputation)
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Sic transit gloria mundi.
 Thus departs the glory of the world.
 (Words said when a newly elected pope entered St. Peter's Basilica in
 Rome.)

 Sic volo, sic iubeo.
 I want this, I order this.
 (Juvenalis, Saturae)

 Silent enim leges inter arma.
 Laws are silent in times of war.
 (Cicero, Pro Milone.)

 Sine ira et studio.
 Without anger or bias.
 (Tacitus, Annales)

 Si tacuisses, philosophus manisses.
 If you had kept quiet, you would have remained a philosopher.
 (Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae)

 Si vis amari, ama.
 If you want to be loved, love
 (Seneca Philosophus, Epistulae)

 Solitudinem fecerunt, pacem appelunt.
 They made a desert and called it peace.
 (Tacitus, Histories)

 Spemque metumque inter dubiis.
 Hover between hope and fear.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 S.P.Q.R. (Senatus Populusque Romanus)
 The senate and the Roman people
 (Abbreviation used on banners and such in ancient Rome to show the
 world the unity between the Roman people and its rulers. Still
 officially used in Rome.)

 Stat magni nominis umbra.
 He stands in the shadow of a great name.
 (Lucanus, Pharsalia. Said about Pompey.)

 Stat sua cuique dies, breve et irreparabile tempus omnibus est vitae.
 The day is decided for each and everyone, the lifespan is short and
 irreplacable for everybody.
 (Vergil, Aenis)

 Stultum est timere quod vitare non potes.
 It is foolish to fear what you cannot avoid.
 (Cicero, De officiis)

 Suos cuique mos.
 Everyone has his customs.
 (Gellius, Noctes Atticae)

 To top

 T

 Tamdiu discendum est, quamdiu vivas.
 We should learn as long as we may live. (We live and learn.)
 (Seneca Philosophus, Epistulae)

 Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.
 The times change, and we change with them.
 (John Owen)

 Tempora quid faciunt.
 The times do change.
 (Martialis, Epigrammaton liber)

 Tetigisti acu.
 You have hit the nail on the head.
 (Plautus, Rudens)

 To top

 U

 Ubi bene, ibi patria.
 Where one is happy, there is one's homeland.
 (Pacuvius, Teucer)

 Ultima ratio regum.
 The last argument of kings.
 (Inscription on French canons in the times of Louis XIV.)

 Unus multorum.
 One of many.
 (Horace, Satirae)

 Unus sed leo.
 One, but (it is) a lion.
 (From Aesop. The lioness to the vixen who boasted about her having many
 cubs when the lioness only had one.)

 Urbi et orbi.
 To the city (Rome) and the world.
 (Words usually pronounced by the Pope during his blessing, to make it
 clear that they will spread to all the universe.)

 Urbs aeterna.
 The eternal city (i.e. Rome)
 (Tibullus)

 Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas.
 Although the power is lacking, the will is commendable.
 (Ovid, Ex Ponto)

 Ut sementem feceris, ita metes.
 As you sow, so shall you reap.
 (Cicero, De oratore.)

 Uva uvam vivendo varia fit.
 A grape changes colour (ripens) ripens) when it sees (another) grape.
 (This phrase derives from a scholia to Juvenal and is actually a
 misquotation of uvaque conspecta livorem ducit ab uva - a grape assumes
 a sickly hue from a nearby grape.)

 To top

 V

 Vae victis!
 Woe to the conquered!
 (Livy, Praefatio)

 Vare, legiones redde!
 Varus, give me back my legions!
 (Acc. to Suetonius, exclaimed by Emperor Augustus when he heard that
 his governor Quintilius Varus and three entire legions had been killed
 in an ambush in the Teutoburger Forest.)

 Variatio delectat
 There's nothing like change!
 (Cicero, De divinatione)

 Veni, vidi, vici.
 I came, I saw, I conquered.
 (Written by Julius Caesar about a rapid victory.)

 Verba volant, (littera) scripta manet.
 Words fly away, the written (letter) remains.
 (N/A)

 Vestigia terrent.
 The footprints frighten me.
 (Horace, Epistulae. From a story about a fox who saw footprints lead
 into, but not out of a lion's den.)

 Vestis virum reddit.
 The clothes make the man.
 (Quintilianus?)

 Videant consules ne quid detrimenti capiat respublica.
 May the (Roman) consuls see to that no damage comes to the state.
 (Phrase that gave the Roman consuls absolute power when the state was
 in a severe crisis. Quoted by Cicero in In Catilinam. )

 Vincere scis, Hannibal, victoria uti nescis.
 You know how to be victorious, Hannibal, but not how to take advantage
 of victory.
 (According to Livy, words said by Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal when
 Hannibal did not attack Rome immediately after his victory at Cannae.)

 Vitiis nemo sine nascitur.
 No-one is born without faults.
 (Horace, Satirae)

 Vivere est cogitare.
 To live is to think.
 (Cicero, Tusculanae disputationes)

 Vox populi, vox Dei.
 The voice of the people is the voice of God.
 (From Homer, The Odyssey)

 Vulnerant omnes,ultima necat.
 All of them wound, the last one kills.
 (In reference to the hours; old inscription found on clocks in churches
 and public spaces.)

 To top

Last update: August 3, 1999 by Johanna Sundberg

   Latin Maxims and Mottoes | Romanes eunt domus | Carmina Burana | Stabat
                     Mater | Requiem | Classical Links
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
If there is a Latin maxim, short or long, that you would like to see
included on this page or if you want to add some information about one
already listed, please e-mail me!
    You are very welcome to link to this page, but I would appreciate it if
you would tell me if you do so.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          [Breves - Short Phrases]

 ab initio
 from the beginning

 ab ovo
 from the egg
 (i.e. from the very beginning. Cf. Ab ovo usque ad mala.)

 ad depositum
 for (safe)keeping

 ad finem
 to the end

 ad hoc
 to this
 (i.e. for a particular use)

 ad hominem
 to the person
 (i.e. relating to a particular person)

 ad honorem
 for the sake of glory

 ad infinitum
 witout limit

 ad interim
 for the meantime

 ad lib (abbr. of ad libitum)
 according to pleasure
 (i.e. improvised)

 ad litem
 appointed for a lawsuit

 ad literam
 to the letter

 ad mandatum
 by direction

 ad manus proprias
 in one's own hands

 ad nauseam
 to sickness
 (i.e. to an excessive degree)

 ad personam
 to the person, personal

 ad protocollum
 to the record

 ad referendum
 for further consideration

 ad rem
 to the matter

 ad tempus
 in time

 ad ultimum
 at last

 ad valorem
 according to the value
 (i.e. of taxes, in proportion to the estimated value of the goods)

 alma mater
 bounteous mother
 (A figurative name for a university, sometimes used jokingly.)

 conferre (Cf.)
 compare

 curriculum vitae (CV)
 course of life

 de facto
 in fact
 (i.e. in fact, whether by right or not)

 de jure
 by right

 dramatis personae
 the characters of the drama

 eiusdem anni (e.a.)
 in/during the same year

 et alii/alia (et al.)
 and others

 et cetera (etc.)
 and so on

 ex actis
 from the files
 (i.e. according to document)

 ex cathedra
 from the (teacher's) chair
 (i.e. with full authority, esp. of papal pronouncement)

 ex gratia
 from favour
 (i.e. as a favour rather than from an obligation)

 ex mandato
 by direction

 ex nihilo
 out of nothing

 ex officio
 by virtue of one's office

 ex parte
 from the party
 (i.e.in the interest of one side only or of an interested outside party)

 ex post facto
 in the light of subsequent events
 (i.e. with retorspective action or force)

 ex tempore
 from time
 (i.e. immediately, without any preparation)

 ex usu
 from use
 (i.e. according to custom)

 exempli grata (e.g.)
 for example

 extra muros
 outside the walls
 (i.e. official)

 id est (i.e.)
 that is to say

 in absentia
 in one's absence

 in abstracto
 in itself, in general

 in absurdum
 to the absurd

 in aeternum
 forever

 in amplissima forma
 in greatest shape

 in blanco
 in blank

 in casu
 in this case

 in concreto
 in particular

 in corpore
 in the body
 (i.e. in full)

 in duplo
 in duplicate

 in extenso
 in full
 (i.e. nonabridged)

 in extremis
 at the point of death
 (or in great difficulties)

 in flagrante delicto
 in blazing crime
 (i.e. in the very act of committing an offense, "red-handed")

 in genere
 in genereal

 in infinitum
 endlessly

 in loco
 at this place

 in loco parentis
 in the place of a parent
 (used of a teacher etc. responsible for children)

 in manu
 by hand

 in medias res
 into the midst of things

 in memoriam
 in memory of (a dead person)

 in natura
 in a natural way
 (i.e. payment with goods instead of with money)

 in nuce
 in a nutshell

 in perpetuum
 forever

 in pleno
 in full

 in propria persona
 in his/her own person

 in re
 in the matter of

 in saecula saeculorum
 for ever and ever

 in situ
 in its place

 in spe
 ...to be
 (e.g. the bride to be)

 in specie
 in particular

 in summa
 in all

 in statu populari
 under guardianship
 (or in a junior position at university, not having a degree)

 in suspenso
 in a suspended state
 (i.e. indefinate)

 in toto
 in full

 in usu
 in frequent use

 in usum
 for use

 in utero
 in the womb

 in vacuo
 in a vacuum

 in vitro
 in glass
 (i.e. taking place in a test-tube or other laboratory enviroment)

 in vivo
 in a living thing
 (i.e. taking place in a living organism)

 infra
 below
 (i.e. below or further on in a book or writing)

 infra dig (abbr. of infra dignitatem)
 beneath one's dignity

 inter alia
 among other things

 intra muros
 within the walls
 (i.e. unofficial)

 lapsus calami
 slip of the pen

 lapsus linguae
 slip of the tongue

 lege artis
 according to the rules (of the art)

 modus operandi (abb. m.o.)
 way of operating
 (i.e. the particular way in which a person performs a task or action)

 modus vivendi
 way of living
 (i.e. and arrangement whereby those in dispute can carry on pending a
 settlement)

 nemine contradicente (nom.con)
 with no one dissenting

 nolens, volens
 unwilling, willing
 (willy-nilly)

 nolle prosequi
 refuse to persue
 (i.e. the relinquish by a plaintiff or prosecutor of all or part of a
 suit)

 non compos mentis
 not in one's right mind

 non placet
 it does not please
 (a negative vote in a Church or assembly)

 non possumus
 we cannot
 (i.e. a statement of inability to act in a matter)

 non sequitur.
 it doesn't follow.
 (Used about a conclusion that doesn't logically follow from the
 premisses.)

 per capita
 by heads (i.e. for each person)

 per fas et nefas
 by right or wrong
 (i.e. by any means necessary)

 per se
 by itself

 peractis peragendi
 when that which should be done has been done

 persona non grata
 a non-desirable person
 (used about a diplomatic representative who is not acceptable to the
 government to which he or she is accredited.)

 placebo
 I shall appeal

 post mortem
 after death

 prima facie
 at first sight

 primum mobile
 first moving thing
 (i.e. the central or most important source of motion or action)

 pro haec vice
 for this occasion (only)

 quantum satis
 enough

 qui pro quo
 someone instead of someone else
 (i.e. a mix-up or a mistake)

 quid pro quo
 something for something
 (i.e. a thing given as compensation)

 quod erat demonstrandum (Q E D)
 Which was the thing to be proved

 quod est
 which is

 quod vide (q.v.)
 which see
 (in cross-references etc.)

 requiescat in pace (R.I.P.)
 rest in peace

 sic!
 so!
 (i.e. used/spelt as written. Used to call the attention to, or
 confirming, the form of quoted or written words.)

 sine die
 without day

 sine qua non
 without which not
 (i.e. an indispensable condition or qualification)

 status quo
 the state in which
 (i.e. the existing state of affairs)

 ut infra
 like below

 ut supra
 like above

 To top

Last update: Jan 20, 1999 by Johanna Sundberg

And more from wikiedia
-----------------------
cum veni futui (meaning "as soon as I came I fucked").
mentula/verpas penis
mentula pos. diminiutive of mentum (chin)
verpa pos. related to "to throw"
landica - clitoris
tribe 8 - tribade, lesbian sex

 - Futuere: to copulate
   futuo, futuere (infinitive), futui (perfect), fututum (past part.)
   fututor (copulator)
   perfututum - totally screwed
   latera ecfututa - funds 'fucked away'
   veni futui (meaning "as soon as I came I fucked").
     futui veni ?? as soon as I fucked, I came?
   futatrix ?? pos. that which is fucked
     cf. Caesari Servilia futatrix, "Servilia is Caesar's bitch".)
 - pedicare to sodomize, irrumare to be sucked
Subsiste Sermonem Statim: Stop speaking immediately.