Latin is a language in which you can talk about anything, and always sound especially smart and sublime. If you've ever studied it, it probably wasn't the brightest, most fun time of your life, but it was rewarding all the same.
But if you haven’t had the chance to study such a subject, then catch the 25 most famous Latin sayings. Remember at least a few of them, and then, having successfully inserted one or two phrases into a conversation, you will be known as a very intelligent and well-read person. And don’t forget to close your eyes languidly when quoting great philosophers.
25. "Ex nihilo nihil fit."
Nothing comes from nothing.
24. “Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.”
The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived.
Photo: pixabay
23. "Memento mori".
Remember that you are mortal.
Photo: pixabay
22. “Etiam si omnes, ego non.”
Even if that’s all, then I’m not.
Photo: shutterstock
21. “Audiatur et altera pars.”
Let the other side be heard too.
Photo: B Rosen / flickr
20. “Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.”
If you were silent, you would remain a philosopher.
Photo: Maik Meid/wikimedia commons
19. "Invictus maneo".
I remain undefeated.
Photo: naveenmendi / wikimedia commons
18. “Fortes fortuna adiuvat.”
Fate helps the brave.
Photo: pixabay
17. “Dolor hic tibi proderit olim.”
Bear with it and be strong, this pain will benefit you someday.
Photo: Steven Depolo / flickr
16. "Cogito Ergo Sum".
I think, therefore I exist.
Photo: pixabay
15. “Oderint dum metuant.”
Let them hate, as long as they are afraid.
Photo: K-Screen shots / flickr
14. “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”
Who will guard the watchmen themselves?
Photo: John Kees/flickr
13. “Sic transit gloria.”
This is how worldly glory passes.
Photo: pixabay
12. "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus."
Never tickle a sleeping dragon.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
11. "Utinam barbari spacium proprium tuum invadant."
Let the barbarians invade your personal space.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
10. “In vino veritas.”
The truth is in the wine.
Photo: Quinn Dombrowski / flickr
9. “Si vis pacem, para bellum.”
If you want peace, prepare for war.
Photo: Σταύρος / flickr
8. "Pacta sunt servanda."
Treaties must be respected.
Photo: pixabay
7. “Non ducor, duco.”
I am not a follower, I lead.
Photo: nist6dh / flickr
6. “Quando omni flunkus moritati.”
If everyone has fallen, pretend to be dead too.
Photo: Pete Markham / flickr
5. “Quid quid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.”
Those who speak Latin see the highest peaks.
Photo: Tfioreze / wikimedia commons
4. "Dum Spiro, Spero."
While I breathe I hope.
Photo: pixabay
3. “Tua mater latior quam Rubicon est.”
Your mother is wider than the Rubicon (Italian river).
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
2. "Carpe diem."
Seize the moment.
Photo: pixabay
1. “Aut viam inveniam, aut faciam.”
Either I will find the road, or I will make it myself.
Photo: www.publicdomainpictures.net
A posteriōri. "From what follows"; based on experience, based on experience. In logic, an inference made on the basis of experience.
A priōri. “From the previous”, based on previously known. In logic, an inference based on general provisions accepted as true.
Ab altĕro expectes, altĕri quod fecĕris. Expect from another what you yourself did to another (cf. As it comes back, so it will respond).
Ab ovo usque ad mala. From Eggs to Apples, from start to finish. Lunch among the ancient Romans usually began with an egg and ended with fruit.
Ab urbe condita. From the founding of the city (i.e. Rome; the founding of Rome dates back to 754–753 BC). The era of the Roman chronology. This was the name of the historical work of Titus Livy, which outlined the history of Rome from its legendary foundation to 9 AD.
Ad hoc. “For this purpose”, “in relation to this”, especially for this occasion.
Ad libitum. At will, at<своему>discretion (in music - tempo piece of music, provided at the discretion of the performer).
Ad majōrem dei gloriam. “To the greater glory of God”; often in paraphrases to glorify, for the glory, in the name of the triumph of someone, something. Motto of the Jesuit Order, founded in 1534 by Ignatius of Loyola.
Alea jacta est. “The die is cast” is about an irrevocable decision, about a step that does not allow retreat or return to the past. The words of Julius Caesar, who decided to seize sole power, said before crossing the Rubicon River, which marked the beginning of the war with the Senate.
Alma mater. “Nourishing mother” (traditional figurative name educational institutions, more often higher).
Alter ego. Another me, a second me (about friends). Attributed to Pythagoras.
Amīcus certus in re incertā cernĭtur. “A true friend is found in a wrong deed,” i.e. a true friend is known in trouble (Cicero, “Treatise on Friendship”).
Amīcus Plato, sed magis amīca verĭtas. Plato is my friend, but truth is an even greater friend. The expression goes back to Plato and Aristotle.
Amōrem canat aetas prima. Let youth sing of love (Sextus Propertius, “Elegies”).
Aquila non captat muscas. An eagle does not catch flies (Latin proverb).
Ars longa, vita brevis. Science is vast (or Art is vast) but life is short. From the first aphorism of the ancient Greek physician and naturalist Hippocrates (translated into Latin).
Audiātur et altĕra pars. The other (or opposing) side should also be heard. On impartial consideration of disputes. The expression goes back to the judicial oath in Athens.
Aurea mediocritas. Golden mean. The formula of practical morality, one of the main provisions of the everyday philosophy of Horace (“Odes”).
Auri sacra fames. Damn thirst for gold. Virgil, "Aeneid".
Out Caesar, out nihil. Either Caesar or nothing (cf. Russian: Either pan or gone). Motto of Cesare Borgia, Italian cardinal and military adventurer. The source for this motto was words attributed to the Roman emperor Caligula (12–41), known for his extravagance.
Ave Caesar,
Bellum omnium contra omnes. A war of all against all. T. Hobbes, "Leviathan", about the natural state of people before the formation of society.
Carpe diem. “Seize the day”, i.e. take advantage of today, seize the moment. The motto of Epicureanism. Horace, "Odes".
Cetĕrum censeo Carthagĭnem esse delendam. And besides, I maintain that Carthage must be destroyed. Persistent reminder; the expression represents the words of Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder, which he added at the end of every speech in the Senate, no matter what he had to speak about.
Cibi, potus, somni, venus omnia moderāta sint. Food, drink, sleep, love - let everything be in moderation (saying of the Greek physician Hippocrates).
Citius, altius, fortius! Faster, higher, stronger! The motto of the Olympic Games, adopted in 1913.
Cogĭto, ergo sum. I think, therefore I exist. R. Descartes, “Principles of Philosophy.”
Consuetūdo est altĕra natūra. Habit is second nature. Cicero, “On the Supreme Good and the Supreme Evil.”
Credo. "I believe." The so-called “symbol of faith” is a prayer beginning with this word, which is a brief summary of the dogmas of Christianity. In a figurative sense: basic principles, the foundations of someone’s worldview, the basic principles of someone.
Cujusvis homĭnis est errāre; nullīus, sine insipientis, in irrōre perseverāre. It is common for every person to make mistakes, but it is common for no one but a fool to persist in a mistake. Marcus Tullius Cicero, Philippiki.
Curriculum vitae. “The Path of Life”, short biography.
De gustĭbus non est disputandum. There is no arguing about tastes (cf. There are no comrades for taste and color).
De jure. De facto. By right, legally. In fact, in fact.
De mortuis aut bene, aut nihil. About the dead it’s either good or nothing. Saying of Chilo, one of the seven wise men of antiquity.
Divide et impĕra. Divide and rule. Latin formulation of the principle of imperialist policy.
Docendo discĭmus. By teaching, we learn ourselves. Seneca, "Letters".
Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt. Fate leads those who want to go, and drags those who do not want to go. A saying of the Greek Stoic philosopher Cleanthes, translated into Latin by Lucius Annaeus Seneca in his Letters.
Dum spiro, spero. While I breathe I hope. A modern formulation of thought found in Cicero's Letters to Atticus and Seneca's Letters.
Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt. Fools, avoiding vices, fall into the opposite vices (Quintus Horace Flaccus).
Dura lex, sed lex. “The law is harsh, but the law”, i.e. whatever harsh law, it must be followed.
Epistŭla non erubescit. The letter does not turn red. In a letter you can express what you would be ashamed to say in person.
Errāre humānum est. “To err is human”, it is human nature to make mistakes. Marcus Annaeus Seneca the Elder, “Controversions.”
Eruditio aspĕra optĭma est. Rigorous training is the best.
Est modus in rebus. There is a measure in things, i.e. there is a measure for everything. Horace, "Satires".
Ex libris. “From Books”, bookplate. The name of a bookmark affixed to the inside of the front cover of a book or the cover of a book and containing the name of the owner of the book.
Ex ungue leōnem. “By the claw of a lion” (they recognize), i.e. You can judge the whole by the part, or you can recognize the master by the hand. Lucian, Hermotim.
Exempli gratiā (e.g.). For the sake of example, for example.
Feci, quod potui, faciant meliōra potentes. I did everything I could, let anyone who can do it do better. A poetic paraphrase of the formula with which the Roman consuls concluded their reporting speech, transferring powers to their successor.
Femĭna nihil pestilentius. There is nothing more destructive than a woman. Homer.
Festina lente. “Hurry slowly,” do everything slowly. Latin translation of the Greek proverb (speude bradeōs), which Suetonius gives in Greek form as one of the usual sayings of Augustus ("Divine Augustus").
Fiat justitia et pereat mundus. May justice be done and may the world perish. Motto of the German Emperor Ferdinand I.
Fiat lux. Let there be light. Genesis 1:3.
Finis corōnat opus. End crowns the work; the end is the crown of the matter. Proverbial expression.
Gaudeāmus igĭtur juvĕnes dum sumus. Let us rejoice while we are young (beginning of a student song derived from the Latin drinking songs of the vagantes).
Gútta cavát lapidém non ví sed sáepe cadéndo. A drop chisels a stone not by force, but by frequent falling. Ovid, "Epistle from Pontus".
Habent sua fata libelli. Books have their own destiny (depending on how the reader receives them). Terentian Maurus, “On Letters, Syllables and Meters.”
Hoc est (h.e.). This means, that is.
Homo novus. New person. A person of humble birth who has achieved a high position in society.
Homo sum: humāni nihil a me aliēnum puto. I am a human being and I believe that nothing human is alien to me. It is used when you want to emphasize the depth and breadth of interests, involvement in everything human, or to mean: I am a human being and am not immune from any human delusions and weaknesses. Terence, “Punishing Himself.”
Honōres mutant mores. Honors change morals. Plutarch, Life of Sulla.
Honōris causā. “For the sake of honor,” i.e. taking into account merit; sometimes - for the sake of one’s honor, for prestige, or for the sake of honor alone, disinterestedly. Most often used to refer to the custom of awarding an academic degree without defending a dissertation, on the basis of merit.
Ignorantia non est argumentum. Ignorance is not an argument. Benedict Spinoza, Ethics.
Malum nullum est sine alĭquo bono. Every cloud has a silver lining. Latin proverb.
Manus manum lavat. The hand washes the hand. Proverbial expression.
Memento mori. Memento Mori. A form of greeting exchanged when meeting monks of the Trappist order.
Memento quia pulvis est. Remember that you are dust. Genesis 3:19.
Mens sana in corpŏre sano. In a healthy body healthy mind. Juvenal, "Satires".
Multos timere debet, quem multi timent. The one whom many fear should be afraid of many. Publius Sir.
Mutātis mutandis. By changing what needs to be changed; with appropriate changes.
Nam sine doctrinā vita est quasi mortis imāgo. For without science, life is like a semblance of death. The original source has not been established; found in J.B. Moliere, "The Bourgeois among the Nobility."
Ne quid nimis! Nothing extra! Don't break the rules! Publius Terentius Afr, "The Girl from Andros".
Nomen est omen. “A name is a sign,” a name foreshadows something, says something about its bearer, characterizes him. Plautus, "Persian".
Non est discipǔlus super magistrum. A student is not higher than his teacher. Gospel of Matthew.
Non olet. "It doesn't smell"<деньги>don't smell. Suetonius, "The Divine Vespasian".
Nosce te ipsum. Know yourself. Latin translation of the Greek saying gnōthi seauton, attributed to Thales and inscribed on the pediment of the temple at Delphi.
Nota bene! (NB!). “Notice well”, pay attention. A mark used to draw attention to some particularly noteworthy part of the text.
Nulla dies sine lineā. Not a day without a touch; not a day without a line (used in the “Natural History” of Gaius Pliny Caecilius the Elder in relation to the ancient Greek painter Apelles).
O tempura! Oh more! O times! O morals! Cicero, "Speech against Catiline."
O sancta simplicitas! Oh, holy simplicity! The phrase is attributed to the Czech Protestant 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.
Omnia mea mecum porto. I carry everything that’s mine with me. Words attributed by Cicero to Biantus, one of the Seven Wise Men.
Omnia víncit amór et nós cedámus amóri. Love conquers everything, and we submit to love (Virgil, Eclogues).
Omnis ars imitatio est natūrae. All art is an imitation of nature. Seneca, "Epistle".
Optimum medicamentum quies est. The best medicine is peace. Statement of Aulus Cornelius Celsus, Roman physician.
Panem et circenses. Meal'n'Real. A cry that expressed the basic demands of the Roman crowd, which had lost political rights during the era of the Empire and was content with the free distribution of bread and free circus shows.
Parturiunt montes, nascētur ridicŭlus mus. The mountains give birth, and a funny mouse is born; the mountain gave birth to a mouse (Quintus Horace Flaccus in “The Science of Poetry” ridicules writers who begin their works with pompous promises that are subsequently not justified).
Parva leves capiunt animos. Trifles seduce the souls of the frivolous. Publius Ovid Naso.
Per aspĕra ad astra. “Through thorns to the stars”, through difficulties to a high goal. Modification of a fragment from Seneca's Furious Hercules.
Per fas et nefas. “With the help of what is permitted and not permitted by the gods,” by hook or by crook. Titus Livius, "History".
Pereant, qui ante nos nostra dixērunt. May those who said before us what we say perish! A humorous aphorism. The original source is unknown.
Periclum in moro. “The danger is in delay”, i.e. delay is dangerous. Titus Livius, "History".
Persōna (non)grata. (Un)desirable person (international law term). In a broad sense, a person (not) trusted.
Post factum. “After the fact”, i.e. after the event has occurred; backdating, with delay.
Post scriptum (P.S.). “After what was written” or “After what was written”, a postscript at the end of the letter.
Pro et contra. Pros and cons.
Prosit! Cheers! Cheers!
Qualis rex, talis grex. Like the king, so is the crowd. Latin proverb. Wed. What is the pop, such is the arrival.
Qui non labōrat, non mandūcet. He who does not work, should not eat. 2nd Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians 3:10.
Qui pro quo. One instead of the other, i.e. confusion of concepts, confusion; misunderstanding.
Quia nomĭnor leo. For I am called a lion. Words from the fable of Phaedrus. Lion and Donkey share the spoils after the hunt. The lion took one third for himself as the king of beasts, the second - as a participant in the hunt, the third - because he is a lion.
Quídquid agís, prudénter agás et réspĭce fínem. Whatever you do, do it wisely and have the outcome in mind. "Roman Deeds".
Quo vadis? Where are you going? Who are you coming? Gospel of John; the words Peter spoke to Jesus.
Quod erat demonstrandum (q.e.d.). Q.E.D. The traditional formula that completes the proof.
Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi. What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull. Latin proverb.
Repetitio est mater studiōrum. Repetition is the mother of learning. Latin proverb.
Salus popŭli - suprēma lex. The welfare of the people is the highest law. Cicero, “On the Laws.
Salus popŭli suprēma lex. The welfare of the people is the highest law. Cicero, "On the Laws".
Sapĕre aude. Decide to be wise. Horace, "Epistle".
Sapienti sat. Enough for those who understand<того, что уже было сказано>. Titus Maccius Plautus, Persian.
Scientia est potentia. Knowledge is power. An aphorism based on a statement by F. Bacon in the New Organon.
Scio me nihil scire. I know that I know nothing. Translation into Latin of the words of Socrates given in Plato’s work “Apology of Socrates”.
Semper homo bonus tiro est. A decent person is always a simpleton. Martial.
Sero venientĭbus ossa. Whoever comes late (i.e. is late) gets bones. Latin proverb.
Sic transit gloria mundi. This is how worldly glory passes. A phrase with which the future Pope is addressed during his elevation to this rank, while burning a piece of cloth in front of him as a sign of the illusory nature of earthly existence.
Sine irā et studio. Without anger and partiality. Tacitus, "Annals".
Sint ut sunt aut non sint. Let it remain as it is, or not at all. The words of Pope Clement XIII, spoken by him to the French envoy in 1761 in response to the demand to change the charter of the Jesuit Order.
Sit tibi terra levis (STTL). “May the earth be easy for you,” may the earth rest in peace to you (the usual form of Latin epitaphs).
Sit venia verbo. Let it be permitted to say; if I may say so. Latin phraseological unit.
Solus cum solā non cogitabuntur orāre “Pater noster.” A man and a woman alone will not think to recite the Lord’s Prayer. The original source has not been established; found in V. Hugo, “Notre Dame,” “Les Miserables.”
Status quo. “The situation in which”, the existing situation; used etc. in meaning "previous position"
Sub rosā. “Under the Rose”, secretly, secretly. For the ancient Romans, the rose was an emblem of mystery. If a rose was hung from the ceiling under the banquet table, then everything that was said “under the rose” should not have been disclosed.
Sub specie aeternitātis. “Under the guise of eternity, under the form of eternity”; from the point of view of eternity. An expression from Spinoza’s Ethics, which proves that “it is the nature of reason to comprehend things under some form of eternity.”
Sublatā causā, tollĭtur morbus. If the cause is eliminated, then the disease will go away. Attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates.
Suum cuīque. To each his own, i.e. to each what belongs to him by right, to each according to his deserts. The position of Roman law.
Temerĭtas est florentis aetātis. Frivolity is characteristic of a blooming age. Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Terra incognita. Unknown land. Peren. something completely unknown or an inaccessible, incomprehensible region.
Tertium non datur. The third is not given; there is no third. The formulation of one of the four laws of thinking - the law of the excluded middle - in formal logic.
Trahit sua quemque voluptas. Everyone is attracted by his passion (Publius Virgil Maro, Bucolics).
Transeat a me calix iste. Let this cup pass from me (Matthew 26:39).
Tu vivendo bonos, scribendo sequāre perītos. In your lifestyle follow well-meaning people, in writing - follow good people (the original source has not been established; found in J.B. Moliere, “The Vexation of Love”).
Ultĭma ratio regum. "The last argument of kings", the last resort of kings. Inscription on French cannons, made under Louis XIV at the behest of Cardinal Richelieu.
Ultra posse nemo obligātur. No one should be obliged beyond his capabilities. Legal norm.
Urbi et orbi. “To the city (i.e. Rome) and the world”; to the whole world, to the whole world, to everyone and everyone. Words included in the adopted in the XIII-XIV centuries. the formula for blessing the newly elected Pope, as the head of the Catholic Church for the city of Rome and the whole world, and which became the formula for blessing the Pope to the entire Catholic world on holidays.
Vade mecum. “Walk with me,” vademekum. The traditional name for guidebooks and reference publications that serve as a constant companion in something.
Vae victis. Woe to the vanquished. During the Gauls' siege of Rome, the city's inhabitants had to pay a ransom of a thousand pounds of gold. One Gaul put his heavy sword on the scales where the weights stood, saying: “Woe to the vanquished.” Titus Livius, "History".
Veni, vidi, vici. I came, I saw, I conquered. According to Plutarch in his Comparative Biography, Julius Caesar used this phrase in a letter to his friend Amyntius to announce his victory in the battle of Zela.
Veto. “I forbid”; ban, veto. To "veto" someone's decision means to suspend its execution.
Vim vi repellĕre licet. Violence is allowed to be repelled by force (one of the provisions of Roman civil law).
Virtūtem primam esse puta compescĕre linguam. Consider the ability to bridle the tongue as the first virtue (a saying from the collection “Moral Couples for a Son” by Dionysius Cato).
Vita sine libertate nihil. Life without freedom is nothing (the original source has not been established; found in R. Roland, “Against Italian Fascism”).
Vivĕre est cogitāre. Living means thinking. Cicero, Tusculan Conversations. Voltaire's motto
Vivĕre est militāre. To live is to fight. Seneca, "Letters".
Volens nolens. Like it or not, willy-nilly.
Latin 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.
This phrase in Soviet time characterized the capitalist system, in contrast to which in the society of the builders of communism, man is a 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 anthem was created in the Middle Ages in Western Europe and, contrary to church-ascetic morality, he 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!
The most complete list!
Selection beautiful phrases and popular aphorisms in Latin, sayings and quotes with translation for tattoos. Lingua latina is one of the most ancient languages, the appearance of which dates back to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e.
Wise Latin sayings are often used by contemporaries as inscriptions for tattoos or as independent tattoos in a beautiful font.
Phrases for tattoos in Latin
Audaces fortuna juvat.
(translation from Latin)
Happiness favors the brave.
Contra spent spero.
I hope without hope.
Debellare superbos.
Crush the pride of the rebellious.
Errare humanum est.
Est quaedam flere voluptas.
There is something of pleasure in tears.
Ex veto.
By promise, by vow.
Faciam ut mei memineris.
Quote from the work of the ancient Roman author Plautus.
I'll make sure you remember me.
Fatum.
Fate, rock.
Fecit.
I did it, I did it.
Finis coronat opus.
End crowns the work.
Gaudeamus igitur, Juvenes dum sumus!.
Let's have fun while we're young.
Gutta cavat Lapidem.
A drop wears away a stone.
Literally: Gutta cavat lapidem, consumitur anulus usu – A drop chisels a stone, the ring wears out from use. (Ovid)
Hoc est in votis.
That's what I want.
Homo homini Lupus est.
Man is a wolf to man.
Homo Liber.
Free man.
In hac spe vivo.
I live by this hope.
The truth is in the wine.
Magna res est amor.
Love is a great deal.
Malo mori quam foedari.
Better death than dishonor.
Ne cede malls.
Don't be discouraged by misfortune.
Noll me tangere.
Dont touch me.
Omnia mea mecum Porte.
I carry everything that’s mine with me.
Per aspera ad astra.
Through hardship to the stars.
The option is also used Ad astra per aspera– to the stars through thorns.
The famous saying is attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca, an ancient Roman philosopher.
Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi.
What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull.
A Latin phraseological unit that defines that there is no and cannot be equality among people.
Suum cuique.
To each his own.
Ubi bene, ibi patria.
Where it is good, there is homeland.
The original source appears to be in the comedy Plutus by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes.
Vale et me ama.
Farewell and love me.
Cicero ended his letters with this phrase.
I came, I saw, I conquered!
Laconic notice of Caesar about his victory over Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, at Cela, 47 BC.
Vlvere militare est.
Live means fight.
Vivere est cogitare
Living means thinking.
Words of the Roman statesman, writer and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC)
Ab altero expectes, alteri quod feceris.
Expect from another what you yourself have done to another.
Abiens, abi!
Leaving go!
Adversa fortuna.
Evil rock.
Aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem.
Try to maintain presence of mind even in difficult circumstances.
Aetate fruere, mobili cursu fugit.
Take advantage of life, it is so fleeting.
Ad pulchritudinem ego excitata sum, elegantia spiro et artem efflo.
I am awakened to beauty, breathe grace and radiate art.
Actum ne agas.
What you're done with, don't come back to.
Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, a tergo nostra sunt.
Other people's vices are before our eyes, ours are behind our backs.
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.
Amantes sunt amentes.
Lovers are mad.
Amicos res secundae parant, adversae probant.
Friends are made by happiness, misfortune tests them.
Amor etiam deos tangit.
Even the gods are subject to love.
Amor non est medicabilis herbis.
Love cannot be cured with herbs. (i.e. there is no cure for love. Ovid, “Heroids”)
Amor omnia vincit.
Love conquers everything.
Amor, ut lacrima, ab oculo oritur, in cor cadit.
Love, like a tear, is born from the eyes and falls on the heart.
Antiquus amor cancer est.
Old love is not forgotten.
Audi, multa, loquere pauca.
Listen a lot, talk little.
Audi, vide, sile.
Listen, watch and be silent.
Audire ignoti quom imperant soleo non auscultare.
I'm ready to listen to stupidity, but I won't listen.
Aut viam inveniam, aut faciam.
Either I’ll find a way, or I’ll pave it myself.
Aut vincere, aut mori.
Either win or die.
Aut caesar, aut nihil.
Either Caesar or nothing.
Beatitudo non est virtutis praemium, sed ipsa virtus.
Happiness is not a reward for valor, but it is valor itself.
Castigo te non quod odio habeam, sed quod amem.
I punish you not because I hate you, but because I love you.
Certum voto pete finem.
Set yourself only clear goals (i.e. achievable).
Cogitationes poenam nemo patitur.
No one is punished for thoughts.
(One of the provisions of Roman law (Digest)
Cogito, ergo sum.
I think, therefore I exist. (The position based 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, “Principles of Philosophy”, I, 7, 9.)
Conscientia mille testes.
Conscience is a thousand witnesses. (Latin proverb)
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. (Cleanthes' saying, translated into Latin by Seneca.)
Esse oportet ut vivas, non vivere ut edas.
You have to eat to live, not live to eat. (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.”)
Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse priore frui.
To be able to enjoy the life you have lived means to live twice. (Martial, "Epigrams")
Etiam innocentes cogit mentiri dolor.
Pain makes even the innocent lie. (Publius, "Sentences")
Ignoscito saepe alteri, nunquam tibi.
Forgive others often, never forgive yourself. (Publius, "Sentences")
Infandum renovare dolorem.
To resurrect the terrible, unspeakable pain again, to talk about the sad past. (Virgil, "Aeneid")
Homo homini lupus est.
Man is a wolf to man. (Plautus, “Donkeys”)
Consultor homini tempus utilissimus.
Time is the most useful adviser to a person.
Corrige praeteritum, praesens rege, cerne futurum.
Correct the past, manage the present, provide for the future.
Cui ridet Fortuna, eum ignorat Femida.
Whoever Fortune smiles on, Themis does not notice.
Cujusvis hominis est errare; nullius, nisi insipientis in errore perseverare.
It is common for every person to make mistakes, but only a fool tends to persist in a mistake.
Cum vitia present, paccat qui recte facit.
When vices flourish, those who live honestly suffer.
Damant, quod non intelegunt.
They judge because they don't understand.
De gustibus non disputandum est.
Tastes could not be discussed. (The Russian equivalent is the proverb “There is no friend according to taste”)
De mortuis aut bene, aut nihil.
About the dead it’s either good or nothing. (A probable source is Chilon’s saying “Do not slander the dead”)
Descensus averno facilis est.
The path to hell is easy.
Deus ipse se fecit.
God created himself.
Divide et impera.
Divide and rule. (Latin formulation of the principle of imperialist policy, which arose in modern times.)
Dura lex, sed lex.
The law is harsh, but it is the law. The meaning of the Latin phrase is: No matter how severe the law, it must be obeyed.
While I breathe I hope!
Dum spiro, amo atque credo.
As long as I breathe, I love and believe.
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.
Educa te ipsum!
Educate yourself!
Esse quam videri.
Be, not seem to be.
Ex nihilo nihil fit.
Nothing comes from nothing.
Ex malis eligere minima.
Choose the least of two evils.
Ex ungue leonem.
You can recognize a lion by its claws.
Ex ungua leonem cognoscimus, ex auribus asinum.
We recognize a lion by its claws, and a donkey by its ears.
Experientia est optima magistra.
Experience is the best teacher.
Facile omnes, cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damus.
When we are healthy, we easily give good advice to the sick.
Facta sunt potentiora verbis.
Acts are stronger than words.
Factum est factam.
What's done is done (a fact is a fact).
Famaclamosa.
Loud glory.
Fama volat.
The earth is full of rumors.
Feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes.
I did everything I could, let anyone who can do it do better.
(A paraphrase of the formula with which the Roman consuls concluded their reporting speech, transferring powers to their successor.)
Felix, qui quod amat, defendere fortiter audet.
Happy is he who boldly takes under his protection what he loves.
Feminae naturam regere desperare est otium.
Having decided to pacify a woman’s temperament, say goodbye to peace!
Festina lente.
Hurry up slowly.
Fide, sed cui fidas, vide.
Be vigilant; trust, but be careful who you trust.
Fidelis et forfis.
Loyal and brave.
Finis vitae, sed non amoris.
Life ends, but not love.
Flagrante delicto.
At the crime scene, red-handed.
Forsomnia versas.
Blind chance changes everything (the will of blind chance).
Fortes fortuna adjuvat.
Fate helps the brave.
Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo.
Firm in action, gentle in handling.
(Persistently achieve the goal, acting gently.)
Fortunam citius reperis, quam retineas.
Happiness is easier to find than to maintain.
Fortunam suam quisque parat.
Everyone finds their own destiny.
Fructus temporum.
Fruit of time.
Fuge, late, tace.
Run, hide, be silent.
Fugit irrevocabile tempus.
Irreversible time is running out.
Gaudeamus igitur.
So let's have fun.
Gloria victoribus.
Glory to the winners.
Gustus legibus non subiacet.
Taste does not obey laws.
Gutta cavat lapidem.
A drop wears away a stone.
Heu conscienta animi gravis est servitus.
Worse than slavery is remorse.
Heu quam est timendus qui mori tutus putat!
He is terrible who considers death to be good!
Homines amplius oculis, quam auribus credunt.
People believe their eyes more than their ears.
Homines, dum docent, discunt.
People learn by teaching.
Hominis est errare.
Humans tend to make mistakes.
Homines non odi, sed ejus vitia.
It is not the person I hate, but his vices.
Homines quo plura habent, eo cupiunt ampliora.
The more people have, the more they want to have.
Homo hominis amicus est.
Man is a friend to man.
Homo sum et nihil humani a me alienum puto.
I am a man, and nothing human is alien to me.
Ibi potest valere populus, ubi leges valent.
Where the laws are in force, the people are strong.
Igne natura renovatur integra.
With fire, all nature is renewed.
Imago animi vultus est.
The face is the mirror of the soul.
Imperare sibi maximum imperium est.
To command oneself is the greatest power.
Forever, forever.
In Daemon Deus!
There is God in the Demon!
In dubio abstine.
When in doubt, refrain.
Infelicissimum genus infortunii est fuisse felicem.
The greatest misfortune is to be happy in the past.
Incertus animus dimidium sapientiae est.
Doubt is half of wisdom.
In pace.
In peace, in peace.
Incedo per ignes.
I walk among the fire.
Incertus animus dimidium sapientiae est.
Doubt is half of wisdom.
Injuriam facilius facias guam feras.
It's easy to offend, harder to endure.
In me omnis spes mihi est.
All my hope is in myself.
In memoriam.
In mind.
In pace leones, in proelio cervi.
In times of peace - lions, in battle - deer. (Tertullian, “On the Crown”)
Inter arma silent legs.
When weapons thunder, the laws are silent.
Inter parietes.
Within four walls.
In tyrannos.
Against tyrants.
The truth is in the wine. (Cf. Pliny the Elder: “It is generally accepted to attribute truthfulness to wine.”) A very common phrase in tattoos!
In vino veritas, in aqua sanitas.
Truth is in wine, health is in water.
In vitium ducit culpae fuga.
The desire to avoid a mistake draws you into another. (Horace, "The Science of Poetry")
In venere semper certat dolor et gaudium.
In love, pain and joy always compete.
Ira initium insaniae est.
Anger is the beginning of madness.
Jactantius maerent, quae minus dolent.
Those who show their grief the most are those who mourn the least.
Jucundissimus est amari, sed non minus amare.
It is very pleasant to be loved, but it is no less pleasant to love yourself.
Leve fit, quod bene fertur 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”)
Lupus non mordet lupum.
A wolf will not bite a wolf.
Lupus pilum mutat, non mentem.
The wolf changes its fur, not its nature.
Manus manum lavat.
The hand washes the hand.
(A proverbial expression dating back to the Greek comedian Epicharmus.)
Mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omnium sermo.
My conscience is more important to me than all the gossip.
Mea vita et anima es.
You are my life and soul.
Melius est nomen bonum quam magnae divitiae.
A good name is better than great wealth.
Meliora spero.
Hoping for the best.
Mens sana in corpore sano.
In a healthy body healthy mind.
Memento mori.
Memento Mori.
(A form of greeting that was exchanged when meeting monks of the Trappist Order. It is used both as a reminder of the inevitability of death and, in a figurative sense, of threatening danger.)
Memento quia pulvis est.
Remember that you are dust.
Mores cuique sui fingit fortunam.
Our fate depends on our morals.
Mors nescit legem, tollit cum paupere regem.
Death knows no law; it takes both the king and the poor.
Mors omnia solvit.
Death solves all problems.
Mortem effugere nemo potest.
No one can escape death.
Natura abhorret vacuum.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
Naturalia non sunt turpia.
Natural is not shameful.
Nihil est ab omni parte beatum.
Nothing is good in every way
(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")
Nolite dicere, si nescitis.
Don't say if you don't know.
Non est fumus absque igne.
There is no smoke without fire.
Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco.
Having experienced misfortune, I learned to help those who suffer. (Virgil)
Non progredi est regredi.
Not moving forward means going backwards.
Nunquam retrorsum, semper ingrediendum.
Not one step back, always forward.
Nusquam sunt, qui ubique sunt.
Those who are everywhere are nowhere.
Oderint dum metuant.
Let them hate, as long as they are afraid. (The words of Atreus from the tragedy Actium named after him. According to Suetonius, this was the favorite saying of the Emperor Caligula.)
Odi et amo.
I hate it and love it.
Omne ignotum pro magnifico est.
Everything unknown seems majestic. (Tacitus, Agricola)
Omnes homines agunt histrionem.
All people are actors on the stage of life.
Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat.
Every hour hurts, the last one kills.
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 capture 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, meaning your spiritual wealth.)
Omnia fluunt, omnia mutantur.
Everything flows, everything changes.
Omnia mors aequat.
Death equals everything.
Omnia praeclara rara.
Everything beautiful is rare. (Cicero)
Omnia, quae volo, adipiscar.
I achieve everything I want.
Omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori.
Love conquers everything, and we submit to love.
Optimi consiliarii mortui.
The best advisors are dead.
Optimum medicamentum quies est.
The best medicine is peace.
(Medical aphorism, authored by the Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus.)
Pecunia non olet.
Money doesn't smell.
Per aspera ad astra.
Through hardship to the stars. (Through difficulties to a high goal.)
Per fas et nefas.
By hook or by crook.
Per risum multum debes cognoscere stultum.
You should recognize a fool by his frequent laughter. (Medieval set expression.)
Perigrinatio est vita.
Life is a journey.
Persona grata.
A desirable or trusted person.
Petite, et dabitur vobis; quaerite et invenietis; pulsate, et aperietur vobis.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. (Matt. 7:7)
First among equals. (A formula characterizing the position of the monarch in a feudal state.)
Quae fuerant vitia, mores sunt.
What were vices are now morals.
Quae nocent - docent.
What harms, it teaches.
Qui nisi sunt veri, ratio quoque falsa sit omnis.
If the feelings are not true, then our whole mind will turn out to be false.
Qui tacet – consentire videtur.
Whoever remains silent is considered to have agreed. (Russian analogy: Silence is a sign of consent.)
Quid quisque vitet, nunquam homini satis cautum est in horas.
No one can know when to look out for danger.
Quo quisque sapientior est, eo solet esse modestior.
The smarter a person is, the more modest he is usually.
Quod cito fit, cito perit.
What is soon done, soon falls apart.
Quomodo fabula, sic vita; non quam diu, sed quam bene acta sit refert.
Life is like a play in a theater; It's not how long it lasts that matters, but how well it's played.
Respue quod non es.
Throw away what is not you.
Scio me nihil scire.
I know that I know nothing.
(Latin translation of the freely interpreted words of Socrates. Compare Russian. Learn for a century, die a fool.)
Sed semel insanivimus omnes.
We all get mad someday.
Semper mors subest.
Death is always near.
Sequere Deum.
Follow the will of God.
Si etiam omnes, ego non.
Even if everything is, it’s not me. (i.e. Even if everyone does, I won't)
Si vis amari, ama.
If you want to be loved, love.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
(Source - Vegetius. Also cf. Cicero: “If we want to enjoy the world, we have to fight” and Cornelius Nepos: “Peace is created by war.”)
Sibi imperare maximum imperium est.
The highest authority- power over oneself.
Similis simili gaudet.
Like rejoices in like.
Sic itur ad astra.
This is how they go to the stars.
Sol lucet omnibus.
The sun is shining for everyone.
Sola mater amanda est et pater honestandus est.
Only a mother is worthy of love, only a father is worthy of respect.
Sua cuique fortuna in manu est.
Everyone has their own destiny in their hands.
Suum cuique.
To each his own
(i.e. to each what belongs to him by right, to each according to his deserts, Provision of Roman law).
Tanta vis probitatis est, ut eam etiam in hoste diligamus.
The power of honesty is such that we value it even from an enemy.
Tanto brevius omne tempus, quanto felicius est.
The faster time flies, the happier it is.
Tantum possumus, quantum scimus.
We can do as much as we know.
Tarde venientibus ossa.
Those who come late get bones. (Latin proverb)
Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis.
Times change, and we change with them.
Tempus fugit.
Time is running out.
Terra incognita.
Unknown land
(trans. something completely unknown or an inaccessible area on ancient 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, one of the four laws of thinking is formulated this way - 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, then there will be a third, middle judgment between them can not.)
Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito!
Do not submit to trouble, but boldly go towards it!
Ubi nihil vales, ibi nihil velis.
Where you are not capable of anything, you should not want anything.
Ut ameris, amabilis esto.
To be loved, be worthy of love.
Utatur motu animi qui uti ratione non potest.
He who cannot follow the dictates of the mind, let him follow the movements of the soul.
Varietas delectat.
Variety is fun.
Verae amititiae sempiternae sunt.
True friendship is eternal.
A well-known and very popular phrase for tattoos:
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 over the Pontic king Pharnaces.)
Veni, vidi, fugi.
He came, he saw, he ran away.
Phrase for a tattoo with humor :)
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”)
Vita sine libertate, nihil.
Life without freedom is nothing.
Viva vox alit plenius.
Living speech nourishes more abundantly
(i.e., what is presented orally is more successfully absorbed than what is written).
Vivamus atque amemus.
Let's live and love.
Vi veri vniversum vivus vici.
I conquered the universe with the power of truth during my lifetime.
Vivere est agere.
To live means to act.
Vivere est vincere.
To live means to win.
Carpe diem!
The winged Latin expression translates as “live in the present”, “seize the moment”.
The entire phrase goes like this: “ Aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. - Time: seize the moment, trust the future as little as possible.”
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 winged sayings come to the rescue - 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. It will live on 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 the modern world, the movie “V for Vendetta” brought fame to this saying.
Memento mori. - Memento Mori. This expression was once used as a greeting among 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 saying 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, but 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 circulating on the Internet about a resourceful medical student who witnessed how a gypsy woman became attached to an unfamiliar girl with calls to “gild her pen and tell fortunes.” The girl was quiet and shy and could not properly 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 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 the philosophical works of ancient thinkers in Latin are still an example of the epistolary genre and cultural heritage highest quality.