 ... Famous Latin Quotations ...
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A cane non magno saepe tenetur aper. = A boar is often held by a not-so-large dog. ... Ovid
Ab ovo usque ad mala. = From the egg right to the fruits. (From soup to nuts.) ... Horace
Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent. = Other people's things are more pleasing to us, and ours to other people. ... Publilius Syrus
Aliquando et insanire iucundum est. = It is sometimes pleasant even to act like a madman. ... Seneca
Amor tussisque non celantur. = Love, and a cough, are not concealed. ... Ovid
Amoto quaeramus seria ludo. = Joking aside, let us turn to serious matters. ... Horace
Aspirat primo Fortuna labori. = Fortune smiles upon our first effort. ... Virgil
Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit. = Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdoes both intelligence and skill. ... Cicero
Bonitas non est pessimis esse meliorem. = It is not goodness to be better than the worst. ... Seneca
Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet. = A timid dog barks more violently than it bites. ... Curtius Rufus
Cito fit quod dii volunt. = What the gods want happens soon. ... Petronius
Colossus magnitudinem suam servabit etiam si steterit in puteo. = A giant will keep his size even though he will have stood in a well. ... Seneca
Credula vitam spes fovet et melius cras fore semper dicit. = Credulous hope supports our life, and always says that tomorrow will be better. ... Tibullus
Culpam poena premit comes. = Punishment closely follows crime as its companion. ... Horace
Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit. = The wolf attacks with his fang, the bull with his horn. ... Horace
Difficile est tenere quae acceperis nisi exerceas. = It is difficult to retain what you may have learned unless you should practice it. ... Pliny the Younger
Diligentia maximum etiam mediocris ingeni subsidium. = Diligence is a very great help even to a mediocre intelligence. ... Seneca
Divina natura dedit agros, ars humana aedificavit urbes. = The divine nature produced the fields, human skill has built cities. ... Tibullus
Etiam capillus unus habet umbram. = Even one hair has a shadow. ... Publilius Syrus
Excitabat fluctus in simpulo. = He was stirring up billows in a ladle. (He was raising a tempest in a teapot.) ... Cicero
Exigo a me non ut optimis par sim, sed ut malis melior. = I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad. ... Seneca
Facilius per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur. = We are more easily led part by part to an understanding of the whole. ... Seneca
Fallaces sunt rerum species. = The appearances of things are deceptive. ... Seneca
Gladiator in arena consilium capit. = The gladiator is making his plan in the arena (i.e., too late). ... Seneca
Gutta cavat lapidem. = Dripping hollows out rock. ... Ovid
In alio pediculum, in te ricinum non vides. = You see a louse on someone else, but not a tick on yourself. ... Petronius
In virtute sunt multi ascensus. = In excellence there are many degrees. ... Cicero
Inhumanitas omni aetate molesta est. = Inhumanity is harmful in every age. ... Cicero
Ipsa scientia potestas est. = Knowledge itself is power. ... Bacon
Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus. = We are slaves of the laws in order that we may be able to be free. ... Cicero
Leve fit, quod bene fertur, onus. = The burden which is borne well becomes light. ... Ovid
Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt. = Men gladly believe that which they wish for. ... Caesar
Materiam superabat opus. = The workmanship was better than the subject matter. ... Ovid
Medici graviores morbos asperis remediis curant. = Doctors cure the more serious diseases with harsh remedies. ... Curtius Rufus
Mendacem oportet esse memorem. = A liar must be good at remembering. ... Quintilian
Mus uni non fidit antro. = A mouse does not rely on just one hole. ... Plautus
Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus interpres. = As a true translator you will take care not to translate word for word. ... Horace
Nil actum reputa si quid superest agendum. = Don't consider that anything has been done if anything is left to be done. ... Lucan
Non est ad astra mollis e terris via. = There is no easy way from the earth to the stars. ... Seneca
Non est ars quae ad effectum casu venit. = That which achieves its effect by accident is not art. ... Seneca
Non omnes qui habent citharam sunt citharoedi. = Not all those who own a musical instrument are musicians. ... Varro
Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit. = There has not been any great talent without an element of madness. ... Seneca
Nullum saeculum magnis ingeniis clausum est. = To great talents no era is closed. ... Seneca
Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit. = There is no book so bad that it is not profitable on some part. ... Pliny the Younger
Num barbarorum Romulus rex fuit? = Romulus was not a king of barbarians, was he? ... Cicero
O praeclarum custodem ovium lupum! = An excellent protector of sheep, the wolf! ... Cicero
Omnia iam fient fieri quae posse negabam. = Everything which I used to say could not happen will happen now. ... Ovid
Ora et labora. = Pray and labor. ... St.Benedict
Otium sine litteris mors est et hominis vivi sepultra. = Leisure without literature is death, or rather the burial of a living man. ... Seneca
Patria est communis omnium parens. = Our native land is the common parent of us all. ... Cicero
Per varios usus artem experientia fecit. = Through different exercises practice has brought skill. ... Manilius
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim. = Be patient and tough; some day this pain will be useful to you. ... Ovid
Potest ex casa magnus vir exire. = A great man can come from a cabin. ... Seneca
Praeceptores suos adulescens veneratur et suspicit. = A young man respects and looks up to his teachers. ... Seneca
Quaedam iura non scripta sed omnibus scriptis certiora sunt. = Some laws are unwritten but they are better established than all written ones. ... Seneca Rhetor
Quam se ipse amans---sine rivali. = Himself loving himself so much---without a rival. ... Cicero
Qui dedit beneficium taceat; narret qui accepit. = Let him who has given a favor be silent; let him who has received it tell it. ... Seneca
Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit. = He who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow. ... Ovid
Quid rides? ...De te fabula narratur. = What are you laughing at? The joke's on you. ... Horace
Quos amor verus tenuit, tenebit. = Those whom true love has held, it will go on holding. ... Seneca
Rident stolidi verba Latina. = Fools laugh at the Latin language. ... Ovid
Risu inepto res ineptior nulla est. = There is nothing more foolish than a foolish laugh. ... Catullus
Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas. = Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses. ... Ovid
Saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit. = Often it is not even advantageous to know what will be. ... Cicero
Salus populi suprema lex. = The safety of the people is the highest law. ... Cicero
Sedit qui timuit ne non succederet. = He who feared he would not succeed sat still. (For fear of failure, he did nothing.) ... Horace
Simia quam similis, turpissima bestia, nobis. = How like us is that very ugly beast the monkey. ... Cicero
Struit insidias lacrimis cum femina plorat. = When a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears. ... Dionysius Cato
Stultum est timere quod vitare non potes. = It is foolish to fear that which you cannot avoid. ... Publilius Syrus
Tarditas et procrastinatio odiosa est. = Delay--putting things off until tomorrow--is hateful. ... Cicero
Timendi causa est nescire. = Ignorance is the cause of fear. ... Seneca
Trahimur omnes laudis studio. = We are all led by our eagerness for praise. ... Cicero
Ut sementem feceris ita metes. = As you sow so will you reap. ... Cicero
Vitanda est improba siren desidia. = One must steer clear of the wicked temptress, Laziness. ... Horace
Vos vestros servate, meos mihi linquite mores. = You cling to your own ways and leave mine to me. ... Petrarch
A QUICKIE LESSON ON THE LATIN LANGUAGE
For more information, you too can visit Wikipedia.
The following tidbit was never explained to us when studying this ancient language.
We spent time conjugating verbs and declining nouns.
But it was time well spent; it gave us all a better understanding of our own langage.
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. With the Roman conquest, Latin was spread to countries around the Mediterranean, including a large part of Europe. Romance languages such as Aragonese, Corsican, Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Sardinian, Spanish and others, are descended from Latin, while many others, especially European languages, have inherited and acquired much of their vocabulary from it. Latin was the international language of science and scholarship in central and western Europe until the 17th century, when it was gradually replaced with vernacular languages.
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