NEC MORTALE SONAT
(SOUNDS IMMORTAL)
Latin catchphrases
Amico lectori (To a friend-reader)
Necessitas magistra. - Need is a mentor (need will teach you everything).
[netsesitas master] Compare: “The need for invention is cunning”, “You will begin to weave bast shoes as if there is nothing to eat”, “If you get hungry, you’ll figure out how to get bread”, “A bag and a prison will give you the mind.” A similar idea is found in the Roman poet Persia (“Satires”, “Prologue”, 10-11): “The teacher of the arts is the stomach.” From Greek authors - in Aristophanes’ comedy “Plutos” (532-534), where Poverty, which they want to expel from Hellas (Greece), proves that it is she, and not the god of wealth Plutos (healed of blindness in the temple, to everyone’s joy the god of healing Asclepius and now lavishing himself on mortals), is the giver of all benefits, forcing people to engage in sciences and crafts.
Nemo omnia potest scire. - Nobody can know everything.
[nemo omnia potest scire] The basis was the words of Horace (“Odes”, IV, 4, 22), taken as an epigraph to the Latin dictionary compiled by the Italian philologist Forcellini: “It is impossible to know everything.” Compare: “You cannot embrace the immensity.”
Nihil habeo, nihil timeo. - I have nothing - I’m not afraid of anything.
[nihil habeo, nihil timeo] Compare Juvenal (“Satires”, X, 22): “A traveler who has nothing with him will sing in the presence of a robber.” Also with the proverb “The rich man cannot sleep, he is afraid of the thief.”
Nil sub sole novum. - There is nothing new under the sun.
[nil sub sole novum] From the Book of Ecclesiastes (1, 9), the author of which is considered to be the wise King Solomon. The point is that a person is unable to come up with anything new, no matter what he does, and everything that happens to a person is not an exceptional phenomenon (as it sometimes seems to him), but has already happened before and will happen again after.
Noli nocere! - Do no harm!
[noli nocere!] The main commandment of a doctor, also known in the form “Primum non nocere” [primum non nocere] (“First of all, do no harm”). Formulated by Hippocrates.
Noli tangere circulos meos! - Don't touch my circles!
[noli tangere circulos meos!] About something inviolable, not subject to change, not allowing interference. It is based on the last words of the Greek mathematician and mechanic Archimedes, cited by the historian Valery Maxim (“Memorable deeds and words”, VIII, 7, 7). Having taken Syracuse (Sicily) in 212 BC, the Romans gave him life, although the machines invented by the scientist sank and set fire to their ships. But the robbery began, and Roman soldiers entered Archimedes' courtyard and asked who he was. The scientist studied the drawing and instead of answering, covered it with his hand, saying: “Don’t touch this”; he was killed for disobedience. One of Felix Krivin’s “Scientific Tales” (“Archimedes”) is about this.
Nomen est omen. - The name is a sign.
[nomen est omen] In other words, the name speaks for itself: it tells something about a person, foreshadows his fate. It is based on Plautus’s comedy “Persus” (IV, 4, 625): selling a girl named Lucrida, which has the same root as the Latin lucrum (profit), to a pimp, Toxilus convinces him that such a name promises a lucrative deal.
Nomina sunt odiosa. -Names are not recommended.
[nomina sunt odioza] A call to speak to the point, without getting personal, and not to cite already well-known names. The basis is Cicero’s advice (“In Defense of Sextus Roscius the Americus,” XVI, 47) not to mention the names of acquaintances without their consent.
Non bis in idem. - Not twice for one.
[non bis in idem] This means that one is not punished twice for the same offense. Compare: “One ox cannot be skinned twice.”
Non curator, qui curat. - He who has worries is not cured.
[non curatur, qui curat] Inscription on the baths ( public baths) in Ancient Rome.
Non est culpa vini, sed culpa bibentis. “It’s not the wine that’s to blame, it’s the drinker’s fault.”
[non est kulpa vini, sed kulpa bibentis] From the couplets of Dionysius Katbna (II, 21).
Non omnis moriar. - Not all of me will die.
[non omnis moriar] So Horace, in an ode (III, 30, 6), called “Monument” (see article “Exegi monumentum”), speaks of his poems, arguing that while the high priest ascends the Capitoline Hill, By performing the annual prayer service for the good of Rome (which the Romans, like us, called the Eternal City), his, Horace’s, unfading glory will increase. This motif is heard in all the rehashes of “Monument”. For example, from Lomonosov (“I erected a sign of immortality for myself...”): “I will not die at all, but death will leave // a great part of me, as I end my life.” Or from Pushkin (“I erected a monument to myself, not made by hands...”): Met, all of me will not die - the soul in the treasured lyre // my ashes will survive and will escape decay.”
Non progredi est regredi. - Not going forward means going backwards.
[non progrady est regrady]
Non rex est lex, sed lex est rex. - The king is not the law, but the law is the king.
[non rex est lex, sad lex est rex]
Non scholae, sed vitae discimus. - We study not for school, but for life.
[non schole, sed vitae discimus] It is based on Seneca’s reproach (“Moral Letters to Lucilius”, 106, 12) to armchair philosophers, whose thoughts are divorced from reality, and whose mind is cluttered with useless information.
Non semper erunt Saturnalia. - There will not always be Saturnalia (holidays, carefree days).
[non semper erunt saturnalia] Compare: “Not everything is for Maslenitsa”, “Not everything is in stock, you can live with kvass.” Found in the work attributed to Seneca, “The Apotheosis of the Divine Claudius” (12). Saturnalia was celebrated annually in December (from 494 BC), in memory of the golden age (the era of prosperity, equality, peace), when, according to legend, Saturn, the father of Jupiter, reigned in the region of Latium (where Rome was located). People were having fun in the streets, visiting people; Work, legal proceedings, and the development of military plans stopped. For one day (December 19), the slaves received freedom and sat at the same table with their modestly dressed masters, who, moreover, served them.
Non sum qualis eram. - I'm not the same as I was before.
[non sum qualis eram] Having aged, Horace (“Odes”, IV, 1, 3) asks
the goddess of love, Venus, leave him alone.
Nosce te ipsum. - Know yourself.
[nosse te ipsum] According to legend, this inscription was inscribed on the pediment of the famous Temple of Apollo in Delphi (Central Greece). They said that once seven Greek sages (6th century BC) gathered near the Delphic temple and laid this saying as the basis of all Hellenic (Greek) wisdom. The Greek original of this phrase, “gnothi seauton” [gnothi seauton], is given by Juvenal (“Satires”, XI, 27).
Novus rex, nova lex. - New king - new law.
[novus rex, nova lex] Compare: “A new broom sweeps in a new way.”
Nulla ars in se versatur. - Not a single art (not a single science) is self-contained.
[nulla are in se versatur] Cicero (“On the Boundaries of Good and Evil”, V, 6, 16) says that the goal of every science lies outside it: for example, healing is the science of health.
Nulla calamitas sola. - Trouble does not [go] alone.
[nulla kalamitas sola] Compare: “Trouble has come - open the gates,” “Trouble brings seven troubles.”
Nulla dies sine linea. - Not a day without a line.
[nulla diez sine linea] A call to practice your art daily; An excellent motto for an artist, writer, publisher. The source is the story of Pliny the Elder (“ Natural history, XXXV, 36, 12) about Apelles, a Greek painter of the 4th century. BC, who drew at least one line every day. Pliny himself, a politician and scientist, author of the 37-volume encyclopedic work “Natural History” (“History of Nature”), which contains about 20,000 facts (from mathematics to art history) and used information from the works of almost 400 authors, followed this rule all his life Apelles, which became the basis for the couplet: “According to the behest of Elder Pliny, // Nulla dies sine linea.”
Nulla salus bello. - There is no good in war.
[nulla salus bello] In Virgil’s “Aeneid” (XI, 362), the noble Latin Drank asks the king of the Rutuli, Turnus, to put an end to the war with Aeneas, in which many Latins are dying: either to retire, or to fight the hero one on one, so that the king’s daughter Latina and the kingdom went to the winner.
Nunc vino pellite curas. - Now drive away your worries with wine.
[nunc wine pallite kuras] In Horace’s ode (I, 7, 31) this is how Teucer addresses his companions, forced after returning from the Trojan War to home island Salamis again went into exile (see “Ubi bene, ibi patria”).
Oh rus! - Oh village!
[oh rus!] “Oh village! When will I see you! - exclaims Horace (“Satires”, II, 6, 60), telling how after a hectic day spent in Rome, having decided a bunch of things on the go, he strives with all his soul to a quiet corner - an estate in the Sabine Mountains, which has long been the subject of his dreams (see “Hoc erat in votis”) and given to him by Maecenas, a friend of Emperor Augustus. The patron also helped other poets (Virgil, Proportion), but it was thanks to Horace’s poems that his name became famous and came to mean every patron of the arts. In the epigraph to the 2nd chapter of “Eugene Onegin” (“The village where Eugene was bored was a lovely corner...”), Pushkin used a pun: “Oh rus! O Rus'! »
O sancta simplicitas! - Oh holy simplicity!
[oh sankta simplicitas!] About someone’s naivety, slow-wittedness. According to legend, the phrase was uttered by Jan Hus (1371-1415), the ideologist of the Church Reformation in the Czech Republic, when during his burning as a heretic by the verdict of the Constance Church Council, some pious old woman threw an armful of brushwood into the fire. Jan Hus preached in Prague; he demanded equal rights between the laity and the clergy, called Christ the only head of the church, the only source of doctrine - the Holy Scripture, and called some popes heretics. The Pope summoned Hus to the Council to present his point of view, promising safety, but then, after holding him for 7 months in captivity and executing him, he said that he was not keeping his promises to the heretics.
O tempora! oh more! - Oh times! oh morals!
[oh tempora! o mores!] Perhaps the most famous expression is from the first speech of Cicero (consul 63 BC) against the conspiratorial senator Catiline (I, 2), which is considered the pinnacle of Roman oratory. Revealing the details of the conspiracy at a meeting of the Senate, Cicero in this phrase is indignant at both the impudence of Catiline, who dared to appear in the Senate as if nothing had happened, although his intentions were known to everyone, and the inaction of the authorities in relation to the criminal plotting the death of the Republic; whereas in the old days they killed people who were less dangerous to the state. Usually the expression is used to state the decline of morals, condemn an entire generation, emphasizing the unheard-of nature of the event.
Occidat, dum imperet. - Let him kill, as long as he reigns.
[occidate, dum imperet] Thus, according to the historian Tacitus (Annals, XIV, 9), the power-hungry Agrippina, the great-granddaughter of Augustus, answered the astrologers who predicted that her son Nero would become emperor, but would kill his mother. Indeed, after 11 years, Agrippina’s husband became her uncle, Emperor Claudius, whom she poisoned 6 years later, in 54 AD, passing the throne to her son. Subsequently, Agrippina became one of the victims of the suspicion of the cruel emperor. After unsuccessful attempts to poison her, Nero engineered a shipwreck; and upon learning that the mother had escaped, he ordered her to be stabbed with a sword (Suetonius, “Nero”, 34). A painful death also awaited him (see “Qualis artifex pereo”).
Oderint, dum metuant. - Let them hate, as long as they are afraid.
[oderint, dum metuant] The expression usually characterizes power, which rests on the fear of subordinates. Source - the words of the cruel king Atreus from the tragedy of the same name by the Roman playwright Actium (II-I centuries BC). According to Suetonius (“Gaius Caligula”, 30), the emperor Caligula (12-41 AD) liked to repeat them. Even as a child, he loved to be present at tortures and executions, every 10th day he signed sentences, demanding that the convicts be executed with small, frequent blows. The fear among people was so great that many did not immediately believe the news of Caligula’s murder as a result of a conspiracy, believing that he himself spread these rumors in order to find out what they thought about him (Suetonius, 60).
Oderint, dum pront. - Let them hate, as long as they support.
[oderint, dum probent] According to Suetonius (Tiberius, 59), this is what Emperor Tiberius (42 BC - 37 AD) said when reading anonymous poems about his mercilessness. Even in childhood, the character of Tiberius was astutely determined by the teacher of eloquence Theodore of Gadar, who, scolding him, called him “dirt mixed with blood” (“Tiberius”, 57).
Odero, si potero. - I’ll hate you if I can [and if I can’t, I’ll love against my will].
[odero, si potero] Ovid (“Love Elegies”, III, 11, 35) talks about the attitude towards an insidious girlfriend.
Od(i) et amo. - I hate and love.
[odet amo] From Catullus’s famous couplet about love and hate (No. 85): “Though I hate, I love. Why? - perhaps you’ll ask.// I don’t understand it myself, but feeling it inside myself, I’m crumbling” (translated by A. Fet). Perhaps the poet wants to say that he no longer feels the same sublime, respectful feeling for his unfaithful friend, but he cannot physically stop loving her and hates himself (or her?) for this, realizing that he is betraying himself, his understanding of love. The fact that these two opposing feelings are equally present in the hero’s soul is emphasized by the equal number of syllables in the Latin verbs “hate” and “love.” Perhaps this is also why there is still no adequate Russian translation of this poem.
Oleum et operam perdidi. - I [wasted] oil and labor.
[oleum et operam perdidi] This is what a person who has wasted time, worked to no avail, and has not received the expected results, can say about himself. The proverb is found in Plautus’s comedy “The Punic” (I, 2, 332), where the girl, whose two companions the young man noticed and greeted first, sees that she tried in vain, dressing up and anointing herself with oil. Cicero gives a similar expression, speaking not only about oil for anointing (“Letters to loved ones,” VII, 1, 3), but also about oil for illumination, used during work (“Letters to Atticus,” II, 17, 1) . We will find a statement similar in meaning in Petronius’s novel “Satyricon” (CXXXIV).
Omnia mea mecum porto. - I carry everything I have with me.
[omnia mea mekum porto] Source - the legend told by Cicero (“Paradoxes”, I, 1, 8) about Biantes, one of the seven Greek sages (VI century BC). His city of Prien was attacked by enemies, and the inhabitants, hastily leaving their homes, tried to take with them as many things as possible. When asked to do the same, Biant replied that this is exactly what he was doing, because always carries within itself its true, inalienable wealth, for which no bundles and bags are needed - the treasures of the soul, the wealth of the mind. It’s a paradox, but now Biant’s words are often used when they carry things with them for all occasions (for example, all their documents). The expression can also indicate a low level of income.
Omnia mutantur, mutabantur, mutabuntur. - Everything is changing, has changed and will change.
[omnia mutatur, mutabantur, mutabuntur]
Omnia praeclara rara. - Everything beautiful [is] rare.
[omnia preclara papa] Cicero (“Laelius, or On Friendship,” XXI, 79) talks about how difficult it is to find a true friend. From here final words“Ethics >> Spinoza (V, 42): “Everything beautiful is as difficult as it is rare” (about how difficult it is to free the soul from prejudices and affects). Compare with the Greek proverb "Kala halepa" ("The beautiful is difficult"), quoted in Plato's dialogue "Hippias Major" (304 e), where the essence of beauty is discussed.
Omnia vincit amor, . - Love conquers everything, [and we will submit to love!]
[omnia voncit amor, et nos cedamus amor] Short version: “Amor omnia vincit” [amor omnia vincit] (“Love conquers all”). Compare: “Even if you drown yourself, you still get along with your sweetheart,” “Love and death know no barriers.” The source of the expression is Virgil's Bucolics (X, 69).
Optima sunt communia. - The best belongs to everyone.
[optima sunt communia] Seneca (“Moral Letters to Lucilius”, 16, 7) says that he considers all true thoughts to be his own.
Optimum medicamentum quies est. - The best medicine is peace.
[optimum medicamentum quies est] The saying belongs to the Roman physician Cornelius Celsus (“Sentences”, V, 12).
Otia dant vita. - Idleness breeds vices.
[otsia dant vicia] Compare: “Labor feeds, but laziness spoils”, “Idleness makes money, but the will is strengthened in work.” Also with the statement of the Roman statesman and writer Cato the Elder (234-149 BC), cited by Columella, a writer of the 1st century. AD (“On Agriculture”, XI, 1, 26): “By doing nothing, people learn bad deeds.”
otium cum dignitate - worthy leisure (given to literature, arts, sciences)
[ocium cum dignitate] Definition of Cicero (“On the Orator”, 1.1, 1), who, after retiring from the affairs of the state, devoted his free time to writing.
Otium post negotium. - Rest - after business.
[ocium post negotsium] Compare: “If you’ve done the job, go for a walk safely,” “It’s time for work, it’s time for fun.”
Pacta sunt servanda. - Agreements must be respected.
[pakta sunt sirvanda] Compare: “An agreement is more valuable than money.”
Paete, non dolet. - Pet, it doesn’t hurt (there’s nothing wrong with that).
[pete, non dolet] The expression is used in order to convince a person by personal example to try something unknown to him, causing concern. These famous words of Arria, the wife of the consul Caecina Petus, who participated in the failed conspiracy against the weak-minded and cruel emperor Claudius (42 AD), are quoted by Pliny the Younger (“Letters”, III, 16, 6). The conspiracy was discovered, its organizer Skribonian was executed. Pet, sentenced to death, had to commit suicide within a certain period of time, but could not decide. And one day his wife, at the conclusion of the agreement, pierced herself with her husband’s dagger, with these words, took it out of the wound and gave it to Pet.
Pallet: aut amat, aut studet. - Pale: either in love, or studying.
[pallet: out amat, out studet] Medieval saying.
pallida morte futura - pale in the face of death (pale as death)
[pallida morte futura] Virgil (Aeneid, IV, 645) speaks of the Carthaginian queen Dido, abandoned by Aeneas, who decided in a fit of madness to commit suicide. Pale, with bloodshot eyes, she rushed through the palace. The hero, who left Dido on the orders of Jupiter (see “Naviget, haec summa (e) sl”), seeing the glow of a funeral pyre from the deck of the ship, felt that something terrible had happened (V, 4-7).
Panem et circenses! - Meal'n'Real!
[panem et circenses!] Usually characterizes the limited desires of ordinary people who are not at all concerned about serious issues in the life of the country. In this exclamation, the poet Juvenal (“Satires”, X, 81) reflected the main demand of the idle Roman mob in the era of the Empire. Having come to terms with the loss of political rights, the poor people were content with the handouts with which dignitaries sought popularity among the people - the distribution of free bread and the organization of free circus shows (chariot races, gladiator fights), and costume battles. Every day, according to the law of 73 BC, poor Roman citizens (there were about 200,000 in the 1st-2nd centuries AD) received 1.5 kg of bread; then they also introduced the distribution of butter, meat, and money.
Parvi liberi, parvum maluni. - Small children are small troubles.
[parvi liberi, parvum malum] Compare: “ Big kids- big and poor”, “With small children, grief, but with big ones - twice”, “A small child sucks the breast, but a big one does not let the heart”, “A small child does not let you sleep, but a big child does not let you live.”
Parvum parva decent. - Small things suit small people.
[parvum parva detsent (parvum parva detsent)] Horace (“Epistle”, I, 7, 44), addressing his patron and friend Maecenas, whose name later became a household name, says that he is completely satisfied with his estate in the Sabine Mountains (see. “Hoc erat in votis”) and he is not attracted to life in the capital.
Pauper ubique jacet. - The poor thing is defeated everywhere.
[pavper ubikve yatset] Compare: “All the cones fall on poor Makar”, “On the poor man the censer smokes.” From Ovid's poem "Fasti" (I, 218).
Pecunia nervus belli. - Money is the nerve (driving force) of war.
[pecunia nervus belli] The expression is found in Cicero (Philippics, V, 2, 6).
Peccant reges, plectuntur Achivi. - The kings sin, and the [ordinary] Achaeans (Greeks) suffer.
[pekkant reges, plektuntur ahivi] Compare: “The bars fight, but the men’s forelocks crack.” It is based on the words of Horace (“Epistle”, I, 2, 14), who tells how the Greek hero Achilles, insulted by King Agamemnon (see “inutil terrae pondus”), refused to participate in the Trojan War, which led to defeat and death many Achaeans.
Pecunia non olet. - Money doesn't smell.
[pekunya non olet] In other words, money is always money, regardless of its source of origin. According to Suetonius (“The Divine Vespasian,” 23), when Emperor Vespasian imposed a tax on public toilets, his son Titus began to reproach his father. Vespasian brought a coin from the first profit to his son’s nose and asked if it smelled. “Non olet” (“It does not smell”), answered Titus.
Per aspera ad astra. - Through thorns (difficulties) to the stars.
[peer aspera ad astra] A call to go towards the goal, overcoming all obstacles along the way. In reverse order: "Ad astra per aspera" is the motto of the state of Kansas.
Pereat mundus, fiat justitia! - Let the world perish, but justice will be done!
[pereat mundus, fiat justitia!] “Fiat justitia, pereat mundus” (“Let justice be done and let the world perish”) is the motto of Ferdinand I, Emperor (1556-1564) of the Holy Roman Empire, expressing the desire to restore justice at any cost. The expression is often quoted with the last word replaced.
Periculum in mora. - The danger is in delay. (Delay is like death.)
[periculum in mora] Titus Livius (“History of Rome from the Founding of the City,” XXXVIII, 25, 13) speaks of the Romans, pressed by the Gauls, who fled, seeing that they could no longer hesitate.
Plaudite, cives! - Applaud, citizens!
[plaudite, tsives!] One of the final addresses of Roman actors to the audience (see also “Valete et plaudite”). According to Suetonius (The Divine Augustus, 99), before his death, Emperor Augustus asked (in Greek) his friends as they entered to clap if, in their opinion, he had played the comedy of life well.
Plenus venter non studet libenter. - A full belly is deaf to learning.
[plenus vanter non studet libenter]
plus sonat, quam valet - more ringing than meaning (more ringing than it weighs)
[plus sonata, quam jack] Seneca (“Moral Letters to Lucilius”, 40, 5) speaks of the speeches of demagogues.
Poete nascuntur, oratores fiunt. - People are born poets, but become orators.
[poete naskuntur, oratbres fiunt] It is based on words from Cicero’s speech “In defense of the poet Aulus Licinius Archias” (8, 18).
pollice verso - with a turned finger (finish him off!)
[pollitse verso] By turning the lowered thumb of the right hand to the chest, the spectators decided the fate of the defeated gladiator: the winner, who received a bowl of gold coins from the organizers of the games, had to finish him off. The expression is found in Juvenal (“Satires”, III, 36-37).
Populus remedia cupit. - People are hungry for medicine.
[populus ramdia will buy] Saying of Galen, personal physician of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161-180), his son-in-law-co-ruler Verus and son Commodus.
Post nubila sol. - After bad weather - the sun.
[post by nubila sol] Compare: “Not everything is bad weather, there will be a red sun.” It is based on a poem by the New Latin poet Alan of Lille (12th century): “After the dark clouds, the sun is more comforting to us than the usual; // so love after quarrels will seem brighter” (translated by the compiler). Compare with the motto of Geneva: “Post tenebras lux” (“After darkness, light”).
Primum vivere, deinde philosophari. - First to live, and only then to philosophize.
[primum vivere, deinde philosophari] A call to experience and experience a lot before talking about life. In the mouth of a person associated with science, it means that the joys of everyday life are not alien to him.
primus inter pares - first among equals
[primus inter pares] On the position of the monarch in a feudal state. The formula dates back to the time of Emperor Augustus, who, fearing the fate of his predecessor, Julius Caesar (he was too clearly striving for sole power and was killed in 44 BC, as see in the article “Et tu, Brute!” ), maintained the appearance of a republic and freedom, calling himself primus inter pares (since his name was in first place on the list of senators), or princeps (i.e., first citizen). Hence, established by Augustus by 27 BC. a form of government when all republican institutions were preserved (Senate, elected offices, national assembly), but in fact power belonged to one person, is called the principate.
Prior tempore - potior jure. - First in time - first in right.
[prior tempore - potior yure] A legal norm called the right of the first owner (first seizure). Compare: “He who ripened, ate.”
pro aris et focis - for altars and hearths [to fight]
[about aris et focis] In other words, to protect everything that is most precious. Found in Titus Livy (“History of Rome from the Founding of the City”, IX, 12, 6).
Procul ab oculis, procul ex mente. - Out of sight, out of mind.
[proculus ab oculis, proculus ex mente]
Procul, profani! - Go away, uninitiated!
[prokul este, profane!] Usually this is a call not to judge things that you don’t understand. Epigraph to Pushkin’s poem “The Poet and the Crowd” (1828). In Virgil (Aeneid, VI, 259), the prophetess Sibyl exclaims this way, hearing the howling of dogs - a sign of the approach of the goddess Hecate, mistress of shadows: “Alien to the mysteries, be gone! Leave the grove immediately!” (translated by S. Osherov). The seer drives away the companions of Aeneas, who came to her to find out how he can go down to the kingdom of the dead and see his father there. The hero himself was already initiated into the mystery of what was happening thanks to the golden branch that he plucked in the forest for the mistress of the underworld, Proserpina (Persephone).
Proserpina nullum caput fugit. - Proserpine (death) spares no one.
[proserpina nullum kaput fugit] It is based on the words of Horace (“Odes”, I, 28, 19-20). About Proserpina, see the previous article.
Pulchra res homo est, si homo est. - A person is beautiful if he is a person.
[pulhra res homo est, si homo est] Compare in Sophocles’ tragedy “Antigone” (340-341): “There are many miracles in the world, // man is the most wonderful of them all” (translated by S. Shervinsky and N. Poznyakov). In the original Greek - the definition is “deinos” (terrible, but also wonderful). The point is that great powers lie hidden in a person, with their help you can do good or evil deeds, it all depends on the person himself.
Qualis artifex pereo! - What artist dies!
[qualis artifex pereo!] About something valuable that is not used for its intended purpose, or about a person who has not realized himself. According to Suetonius (Nero, 49), these words were repeated before his death (68 AD) by Emperor Nero, who considered himself a great tragic singer and loved to perform in theaters in Rome and Greece. The Senate declared him an enemy and sought him out for execution according to the custom of his ancestors (the criminal had his head clamped with a block and whipped with rods until death), but Nero still hesitated to give up his life. He ordered to dig a grave, then to bring water and firewood, all exclaiming that a great artist was dying in him. Only when he heard the approach of the horsemen who were instructed to take him alive, Nero, with the help of the freedman Phaon, plunged a sword into his throat.
Qualis pater, talis filius. - Such is the father, such is the fellow. (Like father, like son.)
[qualis pater, talis filius]
Qualis rex, talis grex. - Like the king, such is the people (i.e., like the priest, such is the parish).
[qualis rex, talis grex]
Qualis vir, talis oratio. - Such is the husband (person), such is the speech.
[qualis vir, talis et orazio] From the maxims of Publilius Sir (No. 848): “Speech is a reflection of the mind: as the husband is, so is speech.” Compare: “To know a bird by its feathers, and a fellow by its speech,” “Like the priest, such is his prayer.”
Qualis vita, et mors ita. - As life is, so is death.
[qualis vita, et mors ita] Compare: “A dog’s death is a dog’s death.”
Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus. - Sometimes the glorious Homer dozes (makes mistakes).
[quandokwe bonus dormitat homerus] Horace (“The Science of Poetry,” 359) says that even in Homer’s poems there are weak spots. Compare: “Even the sun has spots.”
Qui amat me, amat et canem meum. - Whoever loves me loves my dog.
[kwi amat me, amat et kanem meum]
Qui canit arte, canat, ! - He who can sing, let him sing, [he who can drink, let him drink]!
[kwi kanit arte, rope, kwi bibit arte, bibat!] Ovid (“Science of Love”, II, 506) advises the lover to reveal all his talents to his girlfriend.
Qui bene amat, bene castigat. - He who sincerely loves, sincerely (from the heart) punishes.
[kwi bene amat, bene castigat] Compare: “He loves like a soul, but shakes like a pear.” Also in the Bible (Proverbs of Solomon, 3, 12): “Whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and favors, as a father does to his son.”
Qui multum alphabet, plus cupit. - He who has a lot wants [even] more.
[kwi multitum habet, plus buy] Compare: “Whoever is overflowing, give more,” “Appetite comes with eating,” “The more you eat, the more you want.” The expression is found in Seneca (“Moral Letters to Lucilius”, 119, 6).
Qui non zelat, non amat. - He who is not jealous does not love.
[kwi non zelat, non amat]
Qui scribit, bis legit. - He who writes reads twice.
[kwi skribit, bis legit]
Qui terret, plus ipse timet. - He who inspires fear fears himself even more.
[kwi terret, plus ipse timet]
Qui totum vult, totum perdit. - He who wants everything loses everything.
[kwi totum vult, totum perdit]
Quia nominor leo. - For my name is Lion.
[quia nominor leo] About the right of the strong and influential. In the fable of Phaedrus (I, 5, 7), the lion, hunting together with a cow, a goat and a sheep, explained to them why he took the first quarter of the prey (he took the second for his help, the third because he was stronger, and he forbade even touching the fourth).
Quid est veritas? - What is truth?
[quid est varitas?] In the Gospel of John (18, 38) this is the famous question that Pontius Pilate, procurator of the Roman province of Judea, asked Jesus, who was brought before him for trial, in response to His words: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came into the world to testify to the truth; everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:37).
Quid opus nota noscere? - Why try what has been tried and tested?
[quid opus nota nossere?] Plautus (“The Boastful Warrior”, II, 1) speaks of excessive suspicion towards people who have proven themselves well.
Quidquid discis, tibi discis. - Whatever you study, you study for yourself.
[quidquid discis, tibi discis] The expression is found in Petronius (Satyricon, XLVI).
Quidquid latet, apparebit. - Everything secret will become clear.
[quidquid latet, apparebit] From the Catholic hymn “Dies irae” (“Day of Wrath”), which speaks of the coming day of the Last Judgment. The basis of the expression, apparently, was the words from the Gospel of Mark (4, 22; or Luke, 8, 17): “For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest, nor hidden that will not be made known and revealed would".
Legiones redde. - [Quintilius Bap,] return [to me] the legions.
[quintiles ware, legiones redde] Regret over an irretrievable loss or a call to return something that belongs to you (sometimes simply said “Legiones redde”). According to Suetonius (The Divine Augustus, 23), Emperor Augustus exclaimed this repeatedly after the crushing defeat of the Romans under Quintilius Varus from the Germans in the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD), where three legions were destroyed. Having learned about the misfortune, Augustus did not cut his hair or beard for several months in a row, and celebrated the day of defeat every year with mourning. The expression is given in Montaigne’s “Essays”: in this chapter (Book I, Chapter 4) we are talking about human incontinence, worthy of condemnation.
Quis bene celat amorem? -Who successfully hides love?
[quis bene tselat amorem?] Compare: “Love is like a cough: you can’t hide it from people.” Quoted by Ovid (“Heroids”, XII, 37) in the love letter of the sorceress Medea to her husband Jason. She remembers the first time she saw a beautiful stranger who arrived on the ship "Argo" for the golden fleece - the skin of a golden ram, and how Jason instantly felt Medea's love for him.
[quis leget hek?] This is what Persia, one of the most difficult Roman authors to understand, says about his satires (I, 2), arguing that for a poet his own opinion is more important than the recognition of his readers.
Quo vadis? - Are you coming? (Where are you going?)
[quo vadis?] According to church tradition, during the persecution of Christians in Rome under Emperor Nero (c. 65), the Apostle Peter decided to leave his flock and find himself a new place for life and deeds. Leaving the city, he saw Jesus heading to Rome. In response to the question: “Quo vadis, Domine? "("Where are you going, Lord?") - Christ said that he was going to Rome to die again for a people deprived of a shepherd. Peter returned to Rome and was executed along with the Apostle Paul captured in Jerusalem. Considering that he was not worthy to die like Jesus, he asked to be crucified head down. With the question “Quo vadis, Domine?” in the Gospel of John, the apostles Peter (13, 36) and Thomas (14, 5) turned to Christ during the Last Supper.
Quod dubitas, ne feceris. - If you doubt it, don’t do it.
[kvod dubitas, ne fetseris] The expression is found in Pliny the Younger (“Letters”, I, 18, 5). Cicero speaks about this (“On Duties”, I, 9, 30).
Quod licet, ingratum (e)st. - What is permitted does not attract.
[quod litset, ingratum est] In Ovid’s poem (“Love Elegies”, II, 19, 3) the lover asks the husband to guard his wife, if only so that the other would burn hotter with passion for her: after all, “there is no taste in what is permitted, prohibition excites more sharply "(translated by S. Shervinsky).
Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi. - What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull.
[kvod litset yovi, non litset bovi] Compare: “It’s up to the abbot, but it’s up to the brethren!”, “What the lord can do, Ivan can’t.”
Quod petis, est nusquam. “What you crave is nowhere to be found.”
[quod petis, est nusquam] Ovid in the poem “Metamorphoses” (III, 433) addresses the beautiful young man Narcissus this way. Rejecting the love of the nymphs, he was punished for this by the goddess of retribution, having fallen in love with what he could not possess - his own reflection in the waters of the source (since then, a narcissist is called a narcissist).
Quod scripsi, scripsi. - What I wrote, I wrote.
[kvod skripsi, skripsi] Usually this is a categorical refusal to correct or redo your work. According to the Gospel of John (19, 22), this is how the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate responded to the Jewish high priests, who insisted that on the cross where Jesus was crucified, instead of the inscription made by order of Pilate, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (according to Hebrew, Greek and Latin - 19, 19), it was written “He said: “I am the King of the Jews” (19, 21).
Quod uni dixeris, omnibus dixeris. -What you say to one, you say to everyone.
[quod uni dixeris, omnibus dixeris]
Quos ego! - Here I am! (Well, I'll show you!)
[ques ego! (quos ego!)] In Virgil (“Aeneid”, 1.135) these are the words of the god Neptune, addressed to the winds that, without his knowledge, had disturbed the sea in order to smash the ships of Aeneas (the mythical ancestor of the Romans) against the rocks, thereby rendering a service unfavorable to to the hero Juno, wife of Jupiter.
Quot homines, tot sententiae. - How many people, so many opinions.
[quote homines, tot sententie] Compare: “One hundred heads, one hundred minds”, “There is no need for a mind”, “Everyone has a head of their own” (Gregory Skovoroda). The phrase is found in Terence’s comedy “Formion” (II, 4, 454), in Cicero (“On the Boundaries of Good and Evil”, I, 5, 15).
Re bene gesta. - Do - do so,
[re bene gesta]
Rem tene, verba sequentur. - Comprehend the essence (master the essence), and the words will appear.
[rem tene, verba sequintur] The words of an orator and politician of the 2nd century given in a late rhetoric textbook. BC. Cato the Elder. Compare Horace (“The Science of Poetry,” 311): “If the subject becomes clear, the words will be chosen without difficulty” (translated by M. Gasparov). Umberto Eco (“The Name of the Rose.” - M.: Book Chamber, 1989. - P. 438) says that if to write a novel he had to learn everything about a medieval monastery, then in poetry the principle “Verba tene, res sequentur” applies. (“Master the words, and the objects will appear”).
Repetitio est mater studiorum.-Repetition is the mother of learning.
[rapetizio est mater studiorum]
Requiem aeternam. - Eternal peace [grant them, Lord].
[requiem eternam dona eis, domine] The beginning of the Catholic funeral mass, whose first word (requiem - peace) gave the name to many musical compositions written on her words; of these, the most famous are the works of Mozart and Verdi. The set and order of the texts of the requiem were finally established in the 14th century. in the Roman rite and was approved by the Council of Trent (which ended in 1563), which prohibited the use of alternative texts.
Requiescat in pace. (R.I.P.) - May he rest in peace,
[requiescat in patse] In other words, peace be upon his (her) ashes. The closing phrase of a Catholic funeral prayer and a common epitaph. The parody “Requiescat in pice” can be addressed to sinners and enemies - “Let him rest (let him rest) in tar.”
Res ipsa loquitur.-The thing speaks for itself [for itself].
[res ipsa lokvitur] Compare: “A good product praises itself,” “A good piece will find its own mouth.”
Res, non verba. - [We need] deeds, not words.
[res, non verba]
Res sacra miser. - Unfortunate is a sacred matter.
[res sakra miser] Inscription on the building of a former charitable society in Warsaw.
Roma locuta, causa finita. - Rome has spoken, the matter is over.
[roma lokuta, kavza finita] Usually this is a recognition of someone’s right to be the main authority in a given field and to decide the outcome of a case with their opinion. The opening phrase of the bull of 416, where Pope Innocent approved the decision of the Synod of Carthage to excommunicate the opponents of St. Augustine (354-430), a philosopher and theologian. Then these words became a formula (“the papal curia made its final decision”).
Saepe stilum vertas. - Rotate your style more often.
[sepe stylem vertas] Style (stylos) is a stick, with the sharp end of which the Romans wrote on waxed tablets (see “tabula rasa”), and with the other, in the shape of a spatula, they erased what was written. Horace (“Satires”, I, 10, 73) with this phrase calls on poets to carefully finish their works.
Salus populi suprema lex. - The good of the people is the highest law.
[salus populi suprema lex] The expression is found in Cicero (“On the Laws”, III, 3, 8). "Salus populi suprema lex esto" [esto] ("The welfare of the people be the supreme law") is the motto of the state of Missouri.
Sapere aude. - Strive to be wise (usually: strive for knowledge, dare to know).
[sapere avde] Horace (“Epistle”, I, 2, 40) speaks of the desire to rationally arrange one’s life.
Sapienti sat. - Smart enough.
[sapienti sat] Compare: “Intelligent: pauca” [intelligenti pavka] - “Not much [is enough] for someone who understands” (an intellectual is someone who understands), “A smart person will understand at a glance.” It is found, for example, in Terence’s comedy “Formion” (III, 3, 541). The young man instructed a resourceful slave to get money and when asked where to get it, he replied: “Father is here. - I know. What? “That’s enough for the smart one” (translated by A. Artyushkov).
Sapientia governor navis. - Wisdom is the helmsman of the ship.
[sapiencia governor navis] Given in a collection of aphorisms compiled by Erasmus of Rotterdam (“Adagia”, V, 1, 63), with reference to Titinius, a Roman comedian of the 2nd century. BC. (fragment No. 127): “The helmsman steers the ship with wisdom, not strength.” The ship has long been considered a symbol of the state, as can be seen from the poem by the Greek lyricist Alcaeus (VII-VI centuries BC) under the code name “New Shaft”.
Sapientis est mutare consilium. - It is common for a wise person [not to be ashamed] to change [his] opinion.
[sapientis est mutare consultation]
Satis vixi vel vitae vel gloriae. - I have lived enough for both life and glory.
[satis vixie val vitae val glorie] Cicero (“On the return of Marcus Claudius Marcellus,” 8, 25) quotes these words of Caesar, telling him that he has not lived enough for his homeland, which has suffered civil wars, and alone is capable of healing its wounds.
Scientia est potentia. - Knowledge is power.
[scientia est potency] Compare: “Without sciences it’s like without hands.” It is based on the statement of the English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) about the identity of knowledge and human power over nature (“New Organon”, I, 3): science is not an end in itself, but a means to increase this power. S
cio me nihil scire. - I know that I don't know anything.
[scio me nihil scire] Translation into Latin of the famous words of Socrates, quoted by his student Plato (“Apology of Socrates”, 21 d). When the Delphic oracle (the oracle of the temple of Apollo in Delphi) called Socrates the wisest of the Hellenes (Greeks), he was surprised, because he believed that he knew nothing. But then, starting to talk with people who insisted that they knew a lot, and asked them the most important and, at first glance, simple questions(what is virtue, beauty), he realized that, unlike others, he at least knows that he knows nothing. Compare the Apostle Paul (Corinthians, I, 8, 2): “Whoever thinks that he knows something, does not yet know anything as he ought to know.”
Semper avarus eget. - A stingy person is always in need.
[samper avarus eget] Horace (“Epistle”, I, 2, 56) advises to curb your desires: “The greedy is always in need - so set a limit to lusts” (translated by N. Gunzburg). Compare: “The stingy rich man is poorer than the beggar”, “It is not the poor one who has little, but the one who wants a lot”, “It is not the poor one who has nothing, but the one who rakes in”, “No matter how much a dog grabs, a well-fed one cannot happen”, “You can’t fill a bottomless barrel, you can’t feed a greedy belly.” Also from Sallust (“On the Conspiracy of Catalina”, 11, 3): “Greed is not diminished by either wealth or poverty.” Or from Publilius Syrus (Sentences, No. 320): “Poverty lacks little, greed lacks everything.”
semper idem; semper eadem - always the same; always the same (same)
[samper idem; semper idem] “Semper idem” can be considered as a call to maintain peace of mind in any situation, not to lose face, to remain yourself. Cicero in his treatise “On Duties” (I, 26, 90) says that only insignificant people do not know the measure of either sorrow or joy: after all, in any circumstances it is better to have “an even character, always the same facial expression” ( trans. V. Gorenshtein). As Cicero says in “Tusculan Conversations” (III, 15, 31), this is exactly what Socrates was: the grumpy wife of Xanthippe scolded the philosopher precisely because the expression on his face was unchanged, “after all, his spirit, imprinted on his face, did not know changes "(translated by M. Gasparov).
Senectus ipsa morbus.-Old age itself is [already] a disease.
[senectus ipsa morbus] Source - Terence’s comedy “Formion” (IV, 1, 574-575), where Khremet explains to his brother why he was so slow in coming to his wife and daughter, who remained on the island of Lemnos, that when he finally got ready to go there, I learned that they themselves had long ago gone to see him in Athens: “I was detained by illness.” - "What? Which one? - “Here’s another question! Isn’t old age a disease?” (Translated by A. Artyushkova)
Seniores priores. - Elders have advantage.
[seniores priores] For example, this can be said by skipping the eldest in age forward.
Sero venientibus ossa. - Those who come late [get] the bones.
[sero venientibus ossa] A Roman greeting to late guests (the expression is also known in the form “Tarde [tarde] venientibus ossa”). Compare: “The last guest eats a bone,” “The late guest eats bones,” “Whoever is late drinks water.”
Si felix esse vis, esto. - If you want to be happy, be [him].
[si felix essay vis, esto] Latin analogue of the famous aphorism of Kozma Prutkov (this name is a literary mask created by A.K. Tolstoy and the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers; this is how they signed their satirical works in the 1850-1860s).
Si gravis, brevis, si longus, levis. - If [the pain] is severe, then it is short-lived; if it is long-lasting, then it is mild.
[si gravis, brevis, si longus, levis] These words of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who was a very sick man and considered pleasure, which he understood as the absence of pain, to be the highest good, are cited and disputed by Cicero (“On the Boundaries of Good and Evil,” II, 29 , 94). Extremely serious illnesses, he says, can also be long-lasting, and the only way to resist them is courage, which does not allow cowardice. The expression of Epicurus, since it is polysemantic (usually quoted without the word dolor [dolor] - pain), can also be attributed to human speech. It will turn out: “If [the speech] is weighty, then it is short, if it is long (wordy), then it is frivolous.”
Si judicas, cognosce. - If you judge, figure it out (listen)
[si yudikas, cognosse] In Seneca’s tragedy “Medea” (II, 194) these are the words of the main character addressed to the king of Corinth Creon, whose daughter Jason, Medea’s husband, for whom she once betrayed her father (helped the Argonauts take away the golden fleece he kept), left her homeland and killed her brother. Creon, knowing how dangerous Medea's anger is, ordered her to immediately leave the city; but, succumbing to her persuasion, he gave her 1 day of respite to say goodbye to the children. This day was enough for Medea to take revenge. She sent clothes soaked in witchcraft as a gift to the royal daughter, and she, having put them on, burned along with her father, who hastened to her aid.
Si sapis, sis apis.-If you are intelligent, be a bee (that is, work)
[si sapis, sis apis]
Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses. - If you had remained silent, you would have remained a philosopher.
[si takuisses, philosophus mansisses] Compare: “Keep silent and you will pass for smart.” It is based on a story given by Plutarch (“On the Pious Life,” 532) and Boethius (“Consolation of Philosophy,” II, 7) about a man who was proud of the title of philosopher. Someone exposed him, promising to recognize him as a philosopher if he patiently endured all the insults. After listening to his interlocutor, the proud man mockingly asked: “Now do you believe that I am a philosopher?” - “I would have believed it if you had remained silent.”
Si vales, bene est, ego valeo. (S.V.B.E.E.V.) - If you are healthy, that’s good, and I’m healthy.
[si vales, bene est, ego valeo] Seneca (“Moral Letters to Lucilius”, 15, 1), talking about the ancient custom that survived until his time (1st century AD) to begin a letter with these words, he himself addresses Lucilius this way: “If you are engaged in philosophy, that’s good. Because only in her is health” (translated by S. Osherov).
Si vis amari, ama. - If you want to be loved, love [yourself]
[si vis amari, ama] Quoted from Seneca (Moral Letters to Lucilius, 9, 6) the words of the Greek philosopher Hekaton.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. - If you want peace, prepare for war.
[ey vis patsem, para bellum] The saying gave the name to the parabellum - a German automatic 8-round pistol (it was in service with the German army until 1945). “Whoever wants peace, let him prepare for war” - the words of a Roman military writer of the 4th century. AD Vegetia (“A Brief Instruction in Military Affairs”, 3, Prologue).
Sic itur ad astra. - So they go to the stars.
[sik itur ad astra] These words in Virgil (Aeneid, IX, 641) are addressed by the god Apollo to the son of Aeneas Ascanius (Yul), who struck the enemy with an arrow and won the first victory in his life.
Sic transit gloria mundi. - This is how worldly glory passes.
[sic transit gloria mundi] Usually they say this about something lost (beauty, glory, strength, greatness, authority), which has lost its meaning. It is based on the treatise of the German mystic philosopher Thomas a à Kempis (1380-1471) “On the Imitation of Christ” (I, 3, 6): “Oh, how quickly worldly glory passes.” Beginning around 1409, these words are spoken during the ceremony of consecrating a new pope, burning a piece of cloth in front of him as a sign of the fragility and perishability of everything earthly, including the power and glory he receives. Sometimes the saying is quoted with the last word replaced, for example: “Sic transit tempus” (“This is how time passes”).
47 927Latin is the noblest language in existence. Maybe because he's dead? Knowing Latin is not a utilitarian skill, it is a luxury. You won’t be able to speak it, but you won’t be able to shine in society... There is no language that helps so much to make an impression!
1.
Scio me nihil scire
[scio me nihil scire]
“I know that I know nothing,” - according to Plato, this is what Socrates said about himself. And he explained this idea: people usually believe that they know something, but it turns out that they know nothing. Thus, it turns out that, knowing about my ignorance, I know more than everyone else. A phrase for lovers of fog and reflective people.
2. Cogito ergo sum
[kogito, ergo sum]
“I think, therefore I am” is the philosophical statement of Rene Descartes, a fundamental element of Western rationalism of the New Age.
“Cogito ergo sum” is not the only formulation of Descartes’ idea. More precisely, the phrase sounds like “Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum” - “I doubt, therefore I think; I think, therefore I exist.” Doubt is, according to Descartes, one of the modes of thinking. Therefore, the phrase can also be translated as “I doubt, therefore I exist.”
3. Omnia mea mecum portо
[omnia mea mekum porto]
“I carry everything I have with me.” Roman historians say that during the days of the Persian conquest of the Greek city of Priene, the sage Bias calmly walked lightly behind a crowd of fugitives who were barely carrying heavy property. When they asked him where his things were, he grinned and said: “I always carry everything I have with me.” He spoke Greek, but these words have come down to us in a Latin translation.
It turned out, historians add, that he was a real sage; On the way, all the refugees lost their goods, and soon Biant fed them with the gifts that he received, conducting instructive conversations with their inhabitants in cities and villages.
This means that a person’s inner wealth, his knowledge and intelligence are more important and valuable than any property.
4. Dum spiro, spero
[dum spiro, spero]
By the way, this phrase is also the slogan of the underwater special forces - combat swimmers of the Russian Navy.
5. Errare humanum est
[errare humanum est]
“To err is human” is an aphorism by Seneca the Elder. In fact, this is just part of an aphorism, the whole thing goes like this: “Errare humanum est, stultum est in errore perseverare” - “It is human nature to make mistakes, but it is stupid to persist in your mistakes.”
6. O tempora! Oh more!
[o tempora, o mores]
“Oh times! Oh morals! - Cicero's most famous expression from the First Oration against Catiline, which is considered the pinnacle of Roman oratory. Revealing the details of the conspiracy at a Senate meeting, Cicero with this phrase expresses indignation both at the impudence of the conspirator, who dared to appear in the Senate as if nothing had happened, and at the inaction of the authorities.
Usually the expression is used to state the decline of morals, condemning an entire generation. However, this expression may well become a funny joke.
7. In vino veritas, in aqua sanitas
[in wine veritas, in aqua sanitas]
“Truth is in wine, health is in water” - almost everyone knows the first part of the saying, but the second part is not so widely known.
8. Homo homini lupus est
[homo homini lupus est]
“Man is a wolf to man” is a proverbial expression from Plautus’s comedy “Donkeys.” They use it when they want to say that human relationships are pure selfishness and hostility.
In Soviet times, this phrase characterized the capitalist system, in contrast to which, in the society of the builders of communism, man is friend, comrade and brother to man.
9. Per aspera ad astra
[translated by aspera ed astra]
"Through hardship to the stars". The option “Ad astra per aspera” - “To the stars through thorns” is also used. Perhaps the most poetic Latin saying. Its authorship is attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca, an ancient Roman philosopher, poet and statesman.
10. Veni, vidi, vici
[veni, vidi, vichi]
“I came, I saw, I conquered” - this is what Gaius Julius Caesar wrote in a letter to his friend Amyntius about the victory over one of the Black Sea fortresses. According to Suetonius, these are the words that were written on the board that was carried during Caesar's triumph in honor of this victory.
11. Gaudeamus igitur
[gaudeamus igitur]
“So let us be merry” is the first line of the student anthem of all times. The hymn was created in the Middle Ages in Western Europe and, contrary to church-ascetic morality, praised life with its joys, youth and science. This song goes back to the genre of drinking songs of vagants - medieval wandering poets and singers, among whom were students.
12.
Dura lex, sed lex
[stupid lex, sad lex]
There are two translations of this phrase: “The law is harsh, but it is the law” and “The law is the law.” Many people think that this phrase dates back to Roman times, but this is not true. The maxim dates back to the Middle Ages. In Roman law there was a flexible legal order that allowed the letter of the law to be softened.
13. Si vis pacem, para bellum
[se vis pakem para bellum]
14. Repetitio est mater studiorum
[repetitio est mater studiorum]
One of the most beloved proverbs by the Latins is also translated into Russian by the proverb “Repetition is the mother of learning.”
15. Amor tussisque non celantur
[amor tusiskwe non tselantur]
“You can’t hide love and a cough” - there are actually a lot of sayings about love in Latin, but this one seems to us the most touching. And relevant on the eve of autumn.
Fall in love, but be healthy!
A contrario
On the contrary
In logic, a method of proof that involves proving the impossibility of a proposition that contradicts what is being proven.
Ab ovo usque ad mala
“From eggs to apples”, i.e. from beginning to end
Lunch among the ancient Romans usually began with an egg and ended with fruit.
Abyssus abyssum invocat
The abyss calls to the abyss
Like leads to like, or one disaster leads to another disaster.
Ad notice
“For a note”, for your information.
Ad patres
“To the forefathers”, i.e. to the next world, Bible, book of Kings, 4, 22, 20
Aditum nocendi perfido praestat fides
Trust placed in a treacherous person gives him the opportunity to do harm
Seneca, “Oedipus”
Advocatus diaboli
Devil's Advocate
In an extended sense, the devil's advocate is the defender of a hopeless cause in which the person defending it does not believe.
Alea jacta est
"The die is cast", there is no turning back, all bridges are burned
In 44 BC. e. Julius Caesar decided to seize sole power and crossed the Rubicon River with his troops, thereby breaking the law and starting a war with the Roman Senate.
Aliis inserviendo consumor
I waste myself in serving others
The inscription under the candle as a symbol of self-sacrifice, cited in numerous editions of collections of symbols and emblems.
Amicus Socrates, sed magis amica veritas
Socrates is my friend, but truth is dearer
The expression goes back to Plato and Aristotle.
Amor non est medicabilis herbis
Love cannot be treated with herbs, i.e. there is no cure for love
Ovid, “Heroids”
Anni currentis
Current year
Anno Domini
From the birth of Christ, into the year of the Lord
Form of date designation in Christian chronology.
Ante annum
Last year
Aquila non captat muscas
An eagle does not catch flies, Latin proverb
Asinus Buridani inter duo prata
Buridanov's donkey
A person hesitating between two equal possibilities. It is believed that the philosopher Buridan, proving the inconsistency of determinism, cited next example: A hungry donkey, flanked by two identical and equidistant armfuls of hay, will not be able to prefer either of them and will eventually die of hunger. This image is not found in the writings of Buridan.
Aurea mediocritas
Golden mean
The formula of practical morality, one of the main provisions of Horace’s everyday philosophy, which found expression in his lyrics; also used to describe mediocre people.
Horace
Auribus tento lupum
I hold the wolf by the ears
I'm in a hopeless situation. , Latin proverb
Out Caesar, out nihil
Either Caesar or nothing
Wed. Russian It's either hit or miss. The source of the motto was the words of the Roman Emperor Caligula, who explained his immoderate extravagance by the fact that “you must live either by denying yourself everything, or like a Caesar.”
Ave Caesar, imperator, morituri te salutant
Hello Caesar, Emperor, those going to death salute you
Greeting from Roman gladiators addressed to the emperor.
Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 5:3
Benefacta male locata malefacta arbitror
I consider blessings done to an unworthy person to be evil deeds.
Cicero
Cadmea victoria
"Cadmus' victory", a victory won at an excessively high cost and tantamount to defeat, or a victory disastrous for both sides
The expression arose on the basis of a legend about a duel in the fight for Thebes, founded by Cadmus, the sons of Oedipus - Eteocles and Polyneices. This duel ended with the death of both warring brothers.
Caesarem decet stantem mori
It is fitting for Caesar to die standing, Suetonius's account of the last words of Emperor Vespasian
Calamitas virtutis occasio
Adversity is the Touchstone of Valor
Seneca
Cantus cycneus
a swan song
“He says that just as the swans, having sensed the gift of prophecy from Apollo, to whom they are dedicated, foresee what a gift death will be for them, and die singing and with joy, so should all the good and wise do the same.”
Cicero, Tusculan Conversations, I, 30, 73
Castigat ridento mores
“Laughter castigates morals”
Motto of the Comedy Theater (Opera Comique) in Paris. Originally, the motto of the Italian troupe of comic actor Dominic (Dominico Brancolelli) in Paris, composed for it by the New Latin poet Santel (XVII century).
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse
And besides, I maintain that Carthage must be destroyed
A persistent reminder, a tireless call for something. The Roman senator Marcus Porcius Cato, no matter what he had to express his opinion on in the Senate, added: “And besides, I believe that Carthage should not exist.”
Charta (epistula) non erubescit
Paper (letter) does not turn red
Citius, altius, fortius!
Faster, higher, stronger!
The motto of the Olympic Games, adopted in 1913 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Clipeum post vulnera sumere
Take up a shield after being wounded
Wed. Russian After a fight they don’t wave their fists.
Cloaca maxima
Great cesspool, great cesspool
In ancient Rome there was a large canal for draining city waste.
Cogitations poenam nemo patitur
No one is punished for thoughts, One of the provisions of Roman law (Digests)
Cogito, ergo sum
I think therefore I am
The position on which the French philosopher and mathematician Descartes tried to build a system of philosophy free from elements of faith and based entirely on the activity of reason.
René Descartes, Elements of Philosophy, I, 7, 9
Concordia parvae res crescunt, discordia maximae dilabuntur
With agreement (and) small states (or affairs) grow, with discord (and) great ones are destroyed
Sallust, "Jugurthine War"
Conscientia mille testes
Conscience is a thousand witnesses, Latin proverb
Consuetudo est altera natura
Habit is second nature
Habit creates, as it were, a kind of second nature.
Cicero, “On the Supreme Good and the Supreme Evil,” V, 25, 74 (in a statement of the views of the philosophers of the Epicurean school)
Cornu copiae
Cornucopia
The origin of the expression is associated with the Greek myth of the goddess Amalthea, who fed the baby Zeus with goat's milk. The goat broke off its horn on a tree, and Amalthea, filling it with fruits, offered it to Zeus. Subsequently, Zeus, having overthrown his father, Kronos, turned the goat that fed him into a constellation and its horn into a wonderful “horn of plenty.”
Ovid, "Fasti"
Corruptio optimi pessima
The fall of the good is the most evil fall
Credat Judaeus Apella
“Let the Jew Apella believe this,” that is, let anyone believe it, just not me
Horace, "Satires"
Credo, quia verum
I believe it because it's ridiculous
A formula that clearly reflects the fundamental opposition between religious faith and scientific knowledge of the world and is used to characterize blind, non-reasoning faith.
De gustibus non disputandum est
Tastes could not be discussed
Wed. Russian There is no comrade for the taste and color.
De mortuis aut bene, aut nihil
About the dead it's either good or nothing
A probable source is Chilo’s saying “do not speak ill of the dead.”
Decies repetita placebit
And if you repeat it ten times you will like it
Horace, “The Science of Poetry”
Decipimur specie recti
We are deceived by the appearance of what is right
Horace, “The Science of Poetry”
Deest remedii locus, ubi, quae vitia fuerunt, mores fiunt
There is no place for medicine where what was considered a vice becomes a custom
Seneca, “Letters”
Delirium tremens
"Trembling delirium", delirium tremens
An acute mental illness resulting from prolonged alcohol abuse.
Desire in loco
Go crazy where it's appropriate
Horace, “Odes”
Deus ex machina
God ex machina
A technique of ancient tragedy, when a tangled intrigue received an unexpected outcome through the intervention of a god who appeared through a mechanical device.
In modern literature, the expression is used to indicate an unexpected resolution of a difficult situation.
Dies diem docet
Day teaches day
A brief formulation of the thought expressed in the verse of Publilius Sirus: “The next day is the student of the previous day.”
Dies irae, dies illa
That day, the day of wrath
The beginning of a medieval church hymn is the second part of a funeral mass, a requiem. The hymn is based on the biblical prophecy of the day of judgment, "The Prophecy of Zephaniah", 1, 15.
Diluvii testes
Witnesses of the flood (i.e., ancient times)
About people with outdated, archaic views.
Divide et impera
Divide and rule
The Latin formulation of the principle of imperialist policy, which arose in modern times.
Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat?
Who will decide between cunning and valor when dealing with the enemy?
Virgil, Aeneid, II, 390
Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt
Fate leads those who want to go, but drags those who don’t want to go
The saying of Cleanthes, translated into Latin by Seneca.
Dura lex, sed lex
The law is harsh, but it's the law
No matter how harsh the law is, it must be respected.
Ecce spectaculum dignum, ad quod respiciat intentus operai suo deus
Here is a sight worthy of God looking back at his creation
Seneca, “On Providence”
Edite, bibite, post mortem nulla voluptas!
Eat, drink, there is no pleasure after death!
From an old student song. A common motif of ancient inscriptions on tombstones and table utensils.
Ego sum rex Romanus et supra grammaticos
I am the Roman Emperor and I am above the grammarians
Words said, according to legend, at the Council of Constance by Emperor Sigismund in response to an instruction given to him that by using the word schisma in the feminine gender, he violated Latin grammar.
Ergo bibamus
So let's have a drink
Title and greeting of Goethe's drinking song.
Esse oportet ut vivas, non vivere ut edas
You have to eat to live, not live to eat
A medieval maxim paraphrasing the ancient sayings of Quintilian: “I eat to live, but I do not live to eat” and Socrates: “Some people live to eat, but I eat to live.”
Et tu quoque, Brute!
And you Brute!
Words allegedly spoken by Caesar before his death, stabbed to death by twenty-three swords of the conspirators.
Etiam innocentes cogit mentiri dolor
Pain makes even the innocent lie
Publilius, “Sentences”
Ex ipso fonte bibere
Drink from the source itself, i.e. go to the original source
Cicero, "On Duties"
Ex malis eligere minima
Choose the least of two evils
Ex nihilo nihil fit
Paraphrase of the main position of Epicurean philosophy in Lucretius
Fac-simile(from fac+simile “do like this”)
Exact copy
Peren. display of one phenomenon in another.
Facilis descensus Averni
The path through Avernus is easy, that is, the path to the underworld
Lake Avernus near the city of Cuma in Campania was considered the threshold of the underworld.
Feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes
I did everything I could, whoever can do it better
A paraphrase of the formula with which the Roman consuls concluded their reporting speech, transferring powers to their successor.
Fiat lux
Let there be light
And God said: Let there be light. And there was light. , Bible, Genesis, I, 3
Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui
To be able to enjoy the life you have lived means to live twice
Martial, "Epigrams"
Homo homini lupus est
Man is a wolf to man
Plautus, "Donkeys"
Homo proponit, sed deus disponit
Man proposes, but God disposes
Goes back to Thomas a à Kempis, whose source was the Bible, Proverbs of Solomon “A man’s heart determines his way, but it is up to the Lord to direct his steps.”
Igni et ferro
Fire and iron
The original source of the expression goes back to the first aphorism of Hippocrates: “What medicine cannot cure, iron cures; what iron cannot cure, fire cures.” Cicero and Livy used the expression “to destroy with fire and sword.” Bismarck proclaimed the policy of unifying Germany with iron and blood. The expression became widely known after the publication of the novel “With Fire and Sword” by Henryk Sienkiewicz.
Ignoscito saepe alteri, nunquam tibi
Forgive others often, never forgive yourself.
Publilius, Sentences
Imperitia pro culpa habetur
Ignorance is imputable, Roman Law Formula
In pace leones, in proelio cervi
In time of peace - lions, in battle - deer
Tertullian, "On the Crown"
In sensu strictiori
In a narrower sense
In silvam non ligna feras insanius
Less madness would be to carry firewood into the forest
Horace, "Satires"
In vino veritas
The truth is in the wine
Wed. Pliny the Elder: “It is generally accepted to attribute truthfulness to wine.”
In vitium ducit culpae fuga
The desire to avoid a mistake draws you into another
Horace, "The Science of Poetry"
Infelicissimum genus infortunii est fuisse felicem
The greatest misfortune is to be happy in the past
Boethius
Intelligentsi pauca
For those who understand, a little is enough
Ira furor brevis est
Anger is a momentary insanity
Horace, "Epistle"
Is fecit cui prodest
Made by someone who benefits
Jus primae noctis
First night right
A custom according to which a feudal lord or landowner could spend the first wedding night with the bride of his beloved vassal or serf.
Leave fit, quote bene fertus onus
The load becomes light when you carry it with humility
Ovid, “Love Elegies”
Lucri bonus est odor ex re qualibet
The smell of profit is pleasant, no matter where it comes from
Juvenal, "Satires"
Manus manum lavat
Hand washes hand
A proverbial expression dating back to the Greek comedian Epicharmus.
Margaritas ante porcos
Cast pearls before swine
“Do not give holy things to dogs; and do not cast pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.” , Gospel of Matthew, 7, 6
Memento mori
memento Mori
A form of greeting exchanged upon meeting between monks of the Trappist order, founded in 1664. It is used both as a reminder of the inevitability of death, and in a figurative sense - of the threatening danger.
Nigra in candida vertere
Turn black into white
Juvenal, "Satires"
Nihil est ab omni parte beatum
“There is nothing prosperous in all respects,” i.e. there is no complete well-being
Horace, "Odes"
Nihil habeo, nihil curo
I have nothing - I don’t care about anything
Nitinur in vetitum semper, cupimusque negata
We always strive for the forbidden and desire the forbidden
Ovid, "Love Elegies"
Non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum
“Not every person manages to get to Corinth,” expensive things are not accessible to everyone
The Corinthian hetaera* Laida, famous for her beauty, was accessible only to the rich who came to her from all over Greece, which is why the widespread Greek saying arose: “not everyone gets to sail to Corinth.” One day Demosthenes secretly came to Laida, but when she asked him to give ten thousand drachmas**, he turned away with the words: “I do not pay ten thousand drachmas for repentance.”
* - in Dr. Greece educated unmarried woman leading a free, independent lifestyle.
** - approximately the price of four kilograms of gold.
Nunc est bibendum
Now I need to drink
Horace, "Odes"
O imitatores, servum pecus!
O imitators, slave herd!
Horace, "Epistle"
O sancta simplicitas!
Oh holy simplicity
A phrase attributed to the Czech reformer, hero of the national liberation movement Jan Hus. According to legend, Hus, being burned at the stake, uttered these words when some old woman, out of pious motives, threw an armful of brushwood into the fire.
O tempora! Oh more!
O times! O morals!
“Speech against Catiline”, “O times! O morals! The Senate understands this, the consul sees it, and he [Catiline] lives.”
Cicero
Oderint dum metuant
Let them hate, as long as they are afraid
Words of Atreus from the tragedy Actium named after him. According to Suetonius, this was the favorite saying of Emperor Caligula.
Omne ignotum pro magnifico est
Everything unknown seems majestic
Tacitus, “Agricola”
Omnia mea mecum porto
I carry everything that’s mine with me
When the city of Priene was taken by the enemy and the inhabitants in flight tried to grab more of their things, someone advised the sage Biant to do the same. “That’s what I do, because I carry everything I have with me,” he answered, referring to his spiritual wealth.
Optimum medicamentum quies est
The best medicine is peace
Medical aphorism, authored by the Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus.
Panem et circenses
Meal'n'Real
An exclamation that expressed the basic demands of the Roman crowd in the era of the Empire.
Per aspera ad astra
"Through hardship to the stars"; through difficulties to a high goal
Per risum multum debes cognoscere stultum
You should recognize a fool by his frequent laughter, Medieval proverb
Periculum in mora
“The danger is in delay”, i.e. delay is dangerous
Titus Livius, “History”, “When there was already more danger in delay than in violating military order, everyone fled in disorder.”
Persona grata
Desirable or trusted person
Post scriptum(abbreviated P.S.)
After what was written
Postscript at the end of the letter.
Primus inter pares
First among equals
A formula characterizing the position of the monarch in a feudal state.
Pro et contra
Pros and cons
Quae sunt Caesaris Caesari
Caesar's to Caesar
“Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's”—Jesus's answer to the Pharisees who asked whether Caesar (i.e., the Roman emperor) should be paid the wages he demanded. , Gospel of Luke, 20, 25
Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat
He who has ears to hear, let him hear, Matthew 11, 15
Qui tacet – consentire videtur
He who remains silent is considered to have agreed
Wed. Russian Silent means consent.
Quid brevi fortes jaculamur aevo multa?
Why should we strive for so much in a fast-paced life?
Horace, "Odes"
Quot capita, tot sensus
So many heads, so many minds
Wed. Terence, “Formion”: So many people, so many opinions.
Rideamus!
Let's laugh!
Risus sardonicus
Sardonic laughter
According to the explanation of the ancients, laughter resembles a convulsive grimace caused by poisoning with a poisonous herb growing on the island of Sardinia.
Salus reipublicae – suprema lex
The good of the state is the highest law
Paraphrase from “Let the good of the people be the supreme law.”
Salve, maris stella
Hello, Star of the Sea
Option initial words Catholic church hymn “Ave, maris stella” (9th century) - Mary was considered a guide to sailors due to the erroneous convergence of her name (ancient Hebrew Mirjam) with the Latin word mare “sea”.
Scio me nihil scire
I know that I know nothing
Latin translation of the freely interpreted words of Socrates.
Wed. Russian Learn forever, you'll die a fool.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
If you want peace, prepare for war
Source – Vegetius. Also Wed. Cicero: “If we want to enjoy the world, we have to fight” and Cornelius Nepos: “Peace is created by war.”
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appelant
They create a desert and call it peace
From the speech of the British leader Kalgak, calling on his fellow tribesmen to decisively oppose the Romans who invaded their country.
Tacitus, Agricola
Summa summarum
“Sum of sums”, i.e. the final total or overall total
In ancient times, the phrase was used to mean “a set of things” or “the universe.”
Suum cuique
To each his own, that is, to each what belongs to him by right, to each according to his deserts, Provision of Roman law
Tarde venientibus ossa
He who comes late gets bones, Latin proverb
Tempus edax rerum
All-consuming time
Ovid, “Metamorphoses”
Terra incognita
Unknown land; trans. something completely unknown or inaccessible area
On vintage geographical maps This is how unexplored parts of the earth's surface were designated.
Tertium non datur
There is no third; there is no third
In formal logic, this is how one of the four laws of thinking is formulated - the law of the excluded middle. According to this law, if two diametrically opposed positions are given, one of which affirms something, and the other, on the contrary, denies it, then there cannot be a third, middle judgment between them.
Tibi et igni
“For you and fire”, i.e. read and burn
Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
Fear the Danaans, even those who bring gifts
Words of the priest Laocoon, referring to a huge wooden horse, built by the Greeks (Danaans) supposedly as a gift to Minerva.
Tranquillas etiam naufragus horret aquas
The shipwrecked man fears still waters
Wed. Russian Burnt child dreads the fire.
Ovid, "Epistle from Pontus"
Urbi et orbi
"To the city and the world"; to the whole world, to everyone
Usus tyrannus
Custom is a tyrant
Varietas delectat
Variety is fun
Phaedrus, "Fables"
Veni, vidi vici
I came, I saw, I conquered
According to Plutarch, with this phrase Julius Caesar reported in a letter to his friend Amyntius about his victory in the battle of Zela in August 47 BC. e. over the Pontic king Pharnaces.
Victoria nulla est, Quam quae confessos animo quoque subjugat hostes
True victory is only when the enemies themselves admit defeat.
Claudian, "On the sixth consulate of Honorius"
Viva vox alit plenius
“Living speech nourishes more abundantly,” that is, what is presented orally is more successfully absorbed than what is written
Audaces fortuna juvat - Happiness favors the brave.
Cave! - Be careful!
Contra spem spero - I hope without hope.
Cum deo - With God.
Debellare superbos - Suppress pride, the rebellious.
Dictum factum - No sooner said than done.
Errare humanum est - To err is human.
Est quaedam flere voluptas - There is something of pleasure in tears.
Ex voto - By promise; by vow.
Faciam ut mei memineris - I will make sure that you remember me!
Fatum - Fate, fate.
Fecit - Made, fulfilled.
Finis coronat opus - The end crowns the matter.
Fortes fortuna adjuvat - Fate helps the brave.
Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus - Let us rejoice while we are young.
Gutta cavat lapidem - A drop chisels a stone.
Naes fac ut felix vivas - Do this to live happily.
Hoc est in votis - This is what I want.
Homo homini lupus est - Man is a wolf to man.
Homo liber - Free person.
Homo res sacra - Man is a sacred thing.
Ignoti nulla cupido - What they don’t know about, they don’t want.
In hac spe vivo - I live in this hope.
In vino veritas - The truth is in wine.
Juravi lingua, mentem injuratam gero - I swore with my tongue, but not with my thought.
Jus vitae ac necis - The right to dispose of life and death.
Magna res est amor - Love is a great thing.
Malo mori quam foedari - Better death than dishonor.
Malum necessarium - necessarium - Necessary evil - inevitable.
Memento mori - Remember death!
Memento quod es homo - Remember that you are human.
Me quoque fata regunt - I also submit to fate.
Mortem effugere nemo potest - No one can escape death.
Ne cede malis - Don't be discouraged by misfortune.
Nil inultum remanebit - Nothing will remain unavenged.
Noli me tangere - Don't touch me.
Oderint, dum metuant - Let them hate, as long as they are afraid.
Omnia mea mecum porto - I carry everything that is mine with me.
Omnia vanitas - Everything is vanity!
Per aspera ad astra - Through thorns to the stars.
Pisces natare oportet - The fish needs to swim.
Potius sero quam nunquam - Better late than never.
Procul negotiis - Get out of trouble.
Qui sine peccato est - Who is without sin.
Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi - What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull.
Quod principi placuit, legis habet vigorem - Whatever the ruler pleases has the force of law.
Requiescit in pace - Rest in peace.
Sic itur ad astra - This is how they go to the stars.
Sic volo - That's how I want it.
Silentium Silence.
Supremum vale - Last farewell.
Suum cuique - To each his own.
Trahit sua quemque voluptas - Everyone is attracted by his passion.
Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito - Do not submit to trouble, but boldly go towards it.
Ubi bene, ibi patria - Where it is good, there is the homeland.
Unam in armis salutem - The only salvation is in the struggle.
Vale et me ama - Farewell and love me.
Veni, vidi, vici - I came, I saw, I conquered.
Via sacra - Holy path.
Virginity is a luxury - Virginity is a luxury.
Vita sene libertate nlhil - Life without freedom is nothing.
Vivere militare est - To live means to fight.
Such a tattoo provides a wonderful opportunity to express yourself, declare your way and meaning of life, talk about your feelings and beliefs, express and affirm your life position, emphasize the hidden line of the soul and the strength of the human spirit.
Such an inscription can be used as a signature or commentary on a drawing, or as an independent tattoo. But in the case of Latin phrases for tattoos, they carry much more meaning than any drawing.
In fact, there are a lot of popular and, I would say, already hackneyed phrases in Latin, but I advise you not to repeat other people’s thoughts and someone’s styles, but to express only your own, and let them be understandable only to you, or to a narrow circle of your acquaintances, but they will carry a special meaning. With Latin tattoos you can express all your thoughts and feelings in any way you like. Often, without resorting to meaning, people simply take advantage of the simple beauty of Latin letters, depicting names, dates or titles on themselves. Although the catalogs contain a lot of offers of ready-made thoughts, words and phrases and their images, a skilled tattoo artist will be able to fill you with any expression in any handwriting and font. This kind of tattoo can, in principle, be placed on any part of the body, in any shape, and in different colors. It all depends only on the client’s desires and style of self-expression.
Winged expressions, Latin proverbs, quotes from the Bible and other books are used as tattoos. But only in such a way that they fit perfectly and become another personal characteristic of the tattoo wearer.
There are moments in a conversation when ordinary words are no longer enough, or they seem inconspicuous in front of the deep meaning that you want to convey, and then they come to the rescue winged sayings, - the Latin ones are the most significant in terms of power of thought and brevity.
alive!
A great many words and phrases in different languages of the world are borrowed from Latin. They are so deeply rooted that they are used all the time.
For example, the well-known aqua (water), alibi (proof of innocence), index (index), veto (prohibition), persona non grata (a person who was not wanted to be seen and was not expected), alter ego (my second self), alma mater (mother-nurse), capre diem (seize the moment), as well as the well-known postscript (P.S.), used as a postscript to the main text, and a priori (relying on experience and faith).
Based on the frequency of use of these words, it is too early to say that the Latin language has long died. He will live in Latin sayings, words and aphorisms for a long time.
The most famous sayings
A small list of the most popular works on history known to many fans and philosophical conversations over a cup of tea. Many of them are almost similar in frequency of use:
Dum spiro, spero. - While I breathe I hope. This phrase first appears in Cicero’s Letters and also in Seneca.
De mortus out bene, out nihil. - It’s good about the dead, or nothing. It is believed that Chilo used this phrase as early as the fourth century BC.
Vox populi, vox Dia. - The voice of the people is the voice of God. A phrase heard in Hesiod’s poem, but for some reason it is attributed to the historian William of Malmesbury, which is completely wrong. IN modern world The movie “V for Vendetta” brought fame to this saying.
Memento mori. - Memento Mori. This expression was once used as a greeting by Trapist monks.
Note bene! - A call to pay attention. Often written in the margins of the texts of great philosophers.
Oh tempora, oh mores! - Oh times, oh morals. from Cicero's Oration against Catiline.
After the fact. - Often used to denote an action after an already accomplished fact.
About this contra. - Pros and cons.
In bono veritas. - The truth is good.
Volens, nolens. - Willy-nilly. Can also be translated as “whether you like it or not”
The truth is in the wine
One of the most famous Latin sayings sounds like “in vino veritas”, in which the truth is veritas, in vino - the wine itself. This is a favorite expression of people who often drink a glass, in such a cunning way they justify their craving for alcohol. The authorship is attributed to the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, who died in the eruption of Vesuvius. At the same time, his authentic version sounds somewhat different: “Truth has drowned in wine more than once,” and the subtext is that a drunk person is always more truthful than a sober one. The great thinker was often quoted in his works by the poet Blok (in the poem “Stranger”), the writer Dostoevsky in the novel “Teenager” and some other authors. Some historians claim that the authorship of this Latin proverb belongs to a completely different person, the Greek poet Alcaeus. There is also a similar Russian proverb: “What a sober man has on his mind, a drunk man has on his tongue.”
Quotes from the Bible translated from Latin into Russian
Many phraseological units used today are drawn from the greatest book of the world and are grains of great wisdom that pass from century to century.
He who does not work does not eat (from 2nd Paul). Russian analogue: he who does not work does not eat. The meaning and sound are almost identical.
Let this cup pass from me. - This is taken from the Gospel of Matthew. And from the same source - The student is not higher than his teacher.
Remember that you are dust. - Taken from the book of Genesis, this phrase reminds everyone who is proud of their greatness that all people are made from the same “dough.”
The abyss calls the abyss (Psalter.) The phrase in Russian has an analogue: trouble does not come alone.
Do what you plan (Gospel of John). - These are the words spoken by Jesus to Judas before his betrayal.
Phrases for every day
Latin sayings with transcription in Russian (for easier reading and memorization) can be used in ordinary conversation, decorating your speech with wise aphorisms, giving it special poignancy and uniqueness. Many of them are also familiar to most:
Diez diem dotset. - Every previous day teaches a new one. Authorship is attributed to someone who lived in the first century BC.
Ecce homo! - Behold the Man! The expression is taken from the Gospel of John, the words of Pontius Pilate about Jesus Christ.
Elephantem ex muca fascis. - You make an elephant out of a molehill.
Errare humanum est. - To err is human (these are also the words of Cicero)..
Essay kvam videri. - Be, not seem to be.
Ex animo. - From the bottom of my heart, from the soul.
Exitus of the act of trial. - The result justifies the means (action, act, deed).
Look for who benefits
Quid bono and quid prodest. - The words of the Roman consul, who was often quoted by Cicero, who in turn is universally quoted by detectives in modern films: “Who benefits, or look for who benefits.”
Researchers of ancient treatises on history believe that these words belong to the lawyer Cassian Ravilla, who in the first century of our century investigated a crime and addressed the judges with these words.
Words of Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero is a great and political figure who played a leading role in exposing the Catiline conspiracy. He was executed, but many of the thinker’s sayings continue to live among us for a long time, like Latin sayings, and few people know that he was the author.
For example, everyone knows:
Ab igne ignam. - From the fire, fire (Russian: from the fire to the fire).
A true friend is found in a wrong deed (in a treatise on friendship)
To live is to think (Vivere eats Kogitare).
Either let him drink or leave (out bibat, out abeat) - a phrase often used at Roman feasts. In the modern world it has an analogue: they don’t go to someone else’s barracks with their own regulations.
Habit is second nature (treatise “On the Highest Good”). This statement was also picked up by the poet Pushkin:
The habit has been given to us from above...
The letter does not blush (epistula non erubescit). From a letter from Cicero to a Roman historian, in which he expressed his satisfaction that he could express much more on paper than in words.
Everyone makes mistakes, but only a fool persists. Taken from the work "Philippics"
About love
This subsection contains Latin sayings (with translation) about the highest feeling - love. Having reflected on their deep meaning, one can trace the thread that connects all times: Trahit sua quemque voluptas.
Love cannot be cured with herbs. Ovid's words, later paraphrased by Alexander Pushkin:
The disease of love is incurable.
Femina nihil pestilentius. - There is nothing more destructive than a woman. Words belonging to the great Homer.
Amor omnibus let's go. - Part of Virgil's saying, “love is the same for all.” There is another variation: all ages are submissive to love.
Old love must be knocked out with love, like a stake. Words of Cicero.
Analogues of Latin and Russian expressions
A lot of Latin sayings have identical meanings to proverbs in our culture.
The eagle doesn't catch flies. - Each bird has its own nest. It hints that you need to adhere to your moral principles and rules of life, without falling below your level.
Excess food interferes with mental acuity. - Words that have a related proverb among Russians: a full belly is deaf to science. This is probably why many great thinkers lived in poverty and hunger.
Every cloud has a silver lining. There is an absolutely identical saying in our country. Or maybe some Russian fellow borrowed it from the Latins, and from then on it was the same?
Like the king, so is the crowd. Analogue - such is the pop, such is the arrival. And more about the same:
What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull. About the same thing: to Caesar is what is Caesar's.
Whoever has done half the work has already begun (attributed to Horace: “Dimidium facti, qui tsopit, khabet”). Plato has the same meaning: “The beginning is half the battle,” as well as the old Russian proverb: “A good beginning covers half the battle.”
Patrie fumus igne alieno luculentzior. - The smoke of the fatherland is brighter than the fire of a foreign land (Russian - The smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us).
Mottos of great people
Latin sayings have also been used as mottos of famous individuals, communities and fraternities. For example, “to the eternal glory of God” is the motto of the Jesuits. The motto of the Templars is “non nobis, Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam,” which translates: “Not to us, Lord, but to your name, give glory.” And also the famous “Capre diem” (seize the moment) - this is the motto of the Epicureans, taken from Horace’s opus.
“Either Caesar or nothing,” is the motto of Cardinal Borgia, who took the words of Caligula, the Roman emperor famous for his exorbitant appetites and desires.
"Faster, higher, stronger!" - Since 1913 it has been a symbol of the Olympic Games.
“De omnibus dubito” (I doubt everything) is the motto of Rene Descartes, a scientist-philosopher.
Fluctuat nec mergitur (floats, but does not sink) - on the coat of arms of Paris there is this inscription under the boat.
Vita sine libertate, nihil (life without freedom is nothing) - Romain Roland, a famous French writer, walked through life with these words.
Vivere eat militare (to live means to fight) - the motto of the great Lucius Seneca the Younger, and philosopher.
About how useful it is to be a polyglot
There is a story floating around the Internet about a resourceful medical student who witnessed how... unknown girl a gypsy woman became attached with calls to “gild the pen and tell fortunes.” The girl was quiet and shy and could not correctly refuse a beggar. The guy, sympathizing with the girl, came up and began shouting out the names of diseases in Latin, waving his arms widely around the gypsy. The latter hastily retreated. After some time, the guy and the girl got happily married, recalling the comical moment of their acquaintance.
Origins of language
The Latin language gets its name from the Lanites, who lived in Latium, a small region in the center of Italy. The center of Latium was Rome, which grew from a city to the capital of the Great Empire, and Latin was recognized as the official language over a vast territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in parts of Asia, North Africa and the Euphrates River valley.
In the second century BC, Rome conquered Greece, the ancient Greek and Latin languages mixed, giving rise to many Romance languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, among which Sardinian is considered the closest in sound to Latin).
In the modern world, medicine is unthinkable without Latin, because almost all diagnoses and medications are spoken in this language, and philosophical works ancient thinkers in Latin are still an example of the epistolary genre and cultural heritage of the highest quality.
