Latin and Roman proverbs and sayings (in alphabetical order):
Would someone provide English translations? Do we need some pattern for proverb pages? It would be nice to get authors, too, for those that have them.
See also:
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A
- Absentem laedit, qui cum ebrio litigat.
(He who quarrels with a drunk hurts an absentee.)
- Ad multos annos!
(On many years!; Many happy returns!)
- Aegroto dum anima est, spes est.
(As long as a sick person is conscious, there is still hope.)
- Amor patriae nostra lex.
(Love of the fatherland is our law.)
- Alea iacta est.
(The die is cast!)
- A pedibus usque ad caput.
(From feet to head.)
- Ars longa, vita brevis.
(Art is long, life is short.)
- Asinus asinorum in saecula saeculorum.
(The greatest jackass in eternity.)
- Audiatur et altera pars.
(The other part should be heard, too.)
- Auri sacra fames.
(Accursed hunger for gold.)
B
- Beatus, qui prodest, quibus potest.
(He is lucky who helps everyone he can.)
- Bene diagnoscitur, bene curatur.
(Something that is well diagnosed can be cured well.)
- Bis dat, qui cito dat.
(He who gives quickly gives twice.)
- Bona diagnosis, bona curatio.
(Good diagnosis, good cure.)
- Bona valetudo melior est quam maximae divitiae.
(Good health is worth more than the greatest wealth.)
C
- Cibi condimentum est fames.
(Hunger is a spice for any meal.)
- Concordia civium murus urbium.
(Harmony of citizens is the wall of cities.)
- Conditio sine qua non.
(Condition without which not; indispensable condition)
- Consuetudinis vis magna est.
(The power of habit is great.)
- Consuetudo altera natura est.
(Habit is second nature.)
- Contraria contrariis curantur.
- Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis.
(There's no herb against the power of death.)
- Cura, ut valeas!
D
- De gustibus non est disputandum.
(Matters of taste ought not to be disputed.)
- De mortuis nihil nisi bene.
(Of the dead, nothing but good.; Say only good things about the dead.)
- Divide et impera.
(Divide and conquer.)
- Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. -- Horace, Odes III, 2, 13
(It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland.)
- Dum spiro, spero.
(As long as I breathe, I hope.)
- Dura lex, sed lex.
(It may be a hard law, but it still is a law.)
- Dura necessitas.
E
- E fructu arbor cognoscitur.
(The tree can be recognized by its fruits.)
- Errare humanum est.
(To err is human.)
F
- Festina lente !
(Hasten slowly!)
- Flagrante delicto.
(Caught redhanded.)
G
- Gloria victis.
(Glory to the defeated.)
- Gutta cavat lapidem non vi, sed saepe cadendo.
(A drop drills the rock not with force but with perseverance.)
H
- Homo homini lupus est.
(Man is man's wolf.)
- Habent sua fata libelli.
(Books have their fate.)
- Hannibal ante portas.
(Hannibal before the gates.)
- Hic Rhodus, hic salta.
(It's Rhodos, jump here.)
- Hodie mihi, eras tibi.
(What's to me, to you.)
- Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto.
(I'm human and nothing that is human is to me strange.)
- Horribile dictu.
(Horrible to say.)
I
- Ignorantia iuris nocet.
(Being ignorant of law harms.)
- Ignoti nulla cupido.
(Unknown will not tempt.)
- Incredibile dictu.
(Incredible to say.)
- Inter arma silent leges (Musae).
(During wars laws (arts) are silent.)
- In vino veritas.
(There is truth in wine.)
- Is fecit, cui prodest.
(Done by the one who profits from it.)
- Iunctis viribus.
(Concerted effort.)
- Iurare in verba magistri.
(Swear by teacher's words.)
L
- Laborare est orare.
(To work is to pray.)
M
- Manus manum lavat.
(One hand washes the other.)
- Medicus curat, natura sanat.
- Memento mori.
(Remember your mortality.)
- Mens sana in corpore sano.
(A healthy spirit in a healthy body.1)
- Mutatis mutandis.
(With the necessary modifications.)
N
- Nec Hercules contra plures.
- Neque ignorare niedicum oportet quae sit aegri natura.
- Nihil lacrima citius arescit.
(Nothing dries more quickly than a tear.)
- Nomen est omen.
(A name is an omen)
- Nondum amabam, et amare amabam.
(I did not love, but I yearned to love)
- Non omnia possumus omnes.
- Non scholae, sed vitae discimus.
(We don't learn for school but for life.)
- Non, ut edam, vivo sed ut vivam, edo.
(I don't eat to eat but to live.)
- Non vestimentum virum ornat, sed vir vestimentum.
(Not the raiment graces the man, but the man the raiment.)
- Non vini vi no, sed vi no aquae.
- Nosce te ipsum!
- Nulla dies sine linea.
- Nulla est medicina sine lingua Latina.
- Nulla regula sine exceptione.
(No rule without exception.)
- Nulla res tam necessaria est quam medicina.
O
- Oculi plus vident quam oculus.
(Some eyes see more than only one.)
- Omnes homines sibi sanitatem cupiunt, saepe autem omnia, quae valetudini contraria sunt, faciunt.
(All men wish to be healthy, but often they do everything that's disadvantageous to their health.)
- Omnia mea mecum porto.
(All that's mine I carry with me.)
- Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est.
(Medicine is the noblest of all arts.)
- Optimum medicamentum quies est.
(Peace is the best medicine.
- Ora et labora.
(Pray and work)
P
- Pax melior est quam iustissimum bellum.
(Peace is better than the most just war.)
- Per aspera ad astra.
(Through hardships to the stars.)
- Per scientiam ad salutem aegroti.
- Plenus venter non studet libenter.
(A full belly doesn't like studying.)
- Plures crapula quam gladius perdidit.
- Post cenam non stare sed mille passus meare.
- Post hoc non est propter hoc.
(After is not because.)
- Praesente medico nihil nocet.
(In the presence of a doctor nothing can harm.)
- Praevenire melius est quam praeveniri.
- Primum non nocere.
(The first [principle for a doctor] is not to harm.)
Q
- Quidquid agis, prudenter agas, et respice finem!
- Quidquid discis, tibi discis.
- Qui prodest.
(Who profits? Who gains?)
- Qui rogat, non errat.
(Who asks isn't wrong.)
- Qui scribit, bis legit.
(What he writes, he reads twice).
- Qui tacet, consentire videtur.
(Who is silent seems to agree.)
- Quod licet Iovis, non licet bovis.
(All that is allowed to Juppiter is not necessarily allowed to an ox.)
- Quod medicina aliis, aliis est acre venenum.
- Quot capita, tot sententiae.
R
- Repetitio est mater studiorum.
(Repetition is the mother of study.)
S
- Saepe morborum gravium exitus incerti sunt.
- Salus aegroti suprema lex.
(The well-being of the patient is the most important law.)
- Sic transit gloria mundi.
- Simila similibus curantur.
- Sine labore non erit panis in ore.
(Without work there won't be any bread in your mouth.)
- Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses.
(If you had kept your silence, you would have stayed a philosopher.)
- Si vis pacem, para bellum.
(If you want peace, prepare war.)
- Si vis pacem, para iustitiam.
(If you want peace, prepare justice.)
T
- Tarde venientibus ossa.
- Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis.
- Tres faciunt collegium.
(Three makes a company.)
U
- Ubi concordia, ibi victoria.
(Where there is harmony, there is victory.)
- Ubi tu Gaius, ibi ego Gaia.
(Where you are, Gaius, there I, Gaia, will be.2)
- Unum castigabis, centum emendabis.
- Usus magister est optimus.
- Ut ameris, amabilis esto.
(Be amiable, then you'll be loved.)
- Ut sis nocte levis, sit cena brevis !
- Vade mecum!
(Come with me!)
- Verba docent, exempla trahunt.
1 This quote is out of context: As quoted here, it appears to say that a healthy body is the prerequisite for a healthy spirit, but that's not how it was meant initially. The complete quote is "orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano", which means "Let's hope that there is a healthy spirit in a healthy body."
2 This is said to have been a nuptial formula, but it is only known from Greek sources.