Famous Latin Quotations

8/10/2019 Famous Latin Quotations

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Latin proverbs: wisdom from ancient to modern times

By Waldo E. Sweet

Famous LatinQuotations

Ipsa scientia potestas est. ~ Knowledge itself is power.----Bacon

Gutta cavat lapidem. ~ Dripping hollows out rock.----Ovid

In virtute sunt multi ascensus. ~ In excellence there are many degrees.----Cicero

Aspirat primo Fortuna labori. ~ Fortune smiles upon our first effort.----ir!il

Ab ovo us"ue ad mala. ~ From the egg right to the fruits.(From soup tonuts.)----#orace

$%citabat fluctus in simpulo. ~ He was stirring up billows in a ladle.(He wasraising a tempest in a teapot.)----Cicero

&ullum saeculum ma!nis in!eniis clausum est. ~ o great talents no era isclosed.----'eneca

'aepe creat molles aspera spina rosas. ~ !ften the prickly thorn producestender roses.----Ovid

(edici !raviores morbos asperis remediis curant. ~ Doctors cure the moreserious diseases with harsh remedies.----Curtius )ufus

&um barbarorum )omulus re% fuit* ~ "omulus was not a king of

barbarians# was he$----Cicero

+ivina natura dedit a!ros, ars umana aedificavit urbes. ~ he di%inenature produced the fields# human skill has built cities.----ibullus

Colossus ma!nitudinem suam servabit etiam si steterit in puteo. ~& giantwill keep his si'e e%en though he will ha%e stood in a well.----'eneca


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/ui non est odie cras minus aptus erit. ~ He who is not prepared todaywill be less so tomorrow.----Ovid

Ora et labora. ~ ray and labor.----'t.Benedict

Otium sine litteris mors est et ominis vivi sepultra. ~ eisure withoutliterature is death# or rather the burial of a li%ing man .----'eneca

(ateriam superabat opus. ~ he workmanship was better than the sub*ectmatter.----Ovid

O praeclarum custodem ovium lupum0 ~&n excellent protector of sheep#the wolf+----Cicero

arditas et procrastinatio odiosa est. ~ Delay,,putting things off untiltomorrow,,is hateful.----Cicero

/uos amor verus tenuit, tenebit. ~ hose whom true lo%e has held# it willgo on holding.----'eneca

1atria est communis omnium parens. ~ !ur nati%e land is the commonparent of us all.----Cicero

Amor tussis"ue non celantur. ~ o%e# and a cough# are not concealed.----Ovid

A cane non ma!no saepe tenetur aper. ~& boar is often held by a not,so,

large dog.----Ovid

&on est ad astra mollis e terris via. ~ here is no easy way from the earth tothe stars.----'eneca

$tiam capillus unus abet umbram. ~ -%en one hair has a shadow.----1ublilius '2rus

Culpam poena premit comes. ~ unishment closely follows crime as itscompanion.----#orace

raimur omnes laudis studio. ~ e are all led by our eagerness forpraise.----Cicero

Gladiator in arena consilium capit. ~ he gladiator is making his plan in thearena(i.e.# too late).----'eneca

)ident stolidi verba Latina. ~ Fools laugh at the atin language.----Ovid


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Inumanitas omni aetate molesta est. ~ Inhumanity is harmful in e%eryage.----Cicero

os vestros servate, meos mii lin"uite mores. ~/ou cling to your ownways and lea%e mine to me.----1etrarc

&on omnes "ui abent citaram sunt citaroedi. ~ 0ot all those who own amusical instrument are musicians.----arro

/uid rides*...+e te fabula narratur. ~ hat are you laughing at$ he *oke1son you.----#orace

3t sementem feceris ita metes. ~&s you sow so will you reap.----Cicero

+ente lupus, cornu taurus petit. ~ he wolf attacks with his fang# the bullwith his horn.----#orace

&on est ars "uae ad effectum casu venit. ~ hat which achie%es its effectby accident is not art.----'eneca

Fallaces sunt rerum species. ~ he appearances of things are decepti%e.----'eneca

'tultum est timere "uod vitare non potes. ~ It is foolish to fear that whichyou cannot a%oid.----1ublilius '2rus

)isu inepto res ineptior nulla est. ~ here is nothing more foolish than a

foolish laugh.----Catullus

'imia "uam similis, turpissima bestia, nobis0 ~ How like us is that %ery uglybeast the monkey+----Cicero

Bonitas non est pessimis esse meliorem. ~ It is not goodness to be betterthan the worst.----'eneca

Canis timidus veementius latrat "uam mordet. ~& timid dog barks more%iolently than it bites.----Curtius )ufus

+ili!entia ma%imum etiam mediocris in!eni subsidium. ~ Diligence is a%ery great help e%en to a mediocre intelligence .----'eneca

Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent. ~ !ther people1s things are morepleasing to us# and ours to other people.----1ublilius '2rus

Ali"uando et insanire iucundum est. ~ It is sometimes pleasant e%en to actlike a madman.----'eneca


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1otest e% casa ma!nus vir e%ire. ~& great man can come from a cabin.----'eneca

1erfer et obdura4 dolor ic tibi proderit olim. ~ 6e patient and tough3 someday this pain will be useful to you.----Ovid

Cito fit "uod dii volunt. ~ hat the gods want happens soon.----1etronius

Omnia iam fient fieri "uae posse ne!abam. ~ -%erything which I used tosay could not happen will happen now.----Ovid

(endacem oportet esse memorem. ~& liar must be good atremembering.----/uintilian

Leve fit, "uod bene fertur, onus. ~ he burden which is borne well becomeslight.----Ovid

(us uni non fidit antro. ~& mouse does not rely on *ust one hole.----1lautus

/uaedam iura non scripta sed omnibus scriptis certiora sunt. ~ 7ome lawsare unwritten but they are better established than all written ones.----'eneca )etor

itanda est improba siren desidia. ~ !ne must steer clear of the wickedtemptress# a'iness.----#orace

imendi causa est nescire. ~ Ignorance is the cause of fear.----'eneca

&il actum reputa si "uid superest a!endum. ~ Don1t consider that anythinghas been done if anything is left to be done .----Lucan

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Famous Latin Quotations