Memorable latin and greek quotes

[Adrian]

A thread where you can post you favourite latin or classical greek quotes, citations, proverbs etc.


Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt
Destiny carries the willing man, and drags the unwilling
― Seneca, Epistulae Morales XVIII

τῶν ὄντων τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν, τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν
tō̃n óntōn tà mén estin eph᾽ hēmĩn, tà dè ouk eph᾽ hēmĩn
of things some are in our power, and some are not
- Epictetus, Enchiridion I, 1

 

[Adrian]

nisi impunitatis cupido retinuisset, magnis semper conatibus adversa.
but desire of escape, always a foe to great enterprises, held him back
- Tacitus Annales, XV, 50

 

[Adrian]

ὁ κόσμος ἀλλοίωσις ὁ βίος ὑπόληψις
ho kόsmos alloíōsis ho bíos hupόlēpsis.
the universe is change, (the) life is assumption

- Marci Aurelii Antonini Ad Se Ipsum Libri XII, IV.3​

 

[Adrian]

Cum dubia incertis versetur vita periclis,​

Pro lucro tibi pone diem quicumque laboras​

While fickle life turns on uncertain perils,​

Regard each day you struggle through a gain.​

- Catonis Disticha, I.33​

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Omnium rerum principia parva sunt.​

The beginnings of all things are small ​

- Cicero, De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, V.5​

Salus populi suprema lex esto.​

The wellbeing of people is to be the supreme law​

- Cicero, De legibus, III,​

 

[Adrian]

καὶ σύ τέκνον (kaì sú téknon)
You too (my) child ?

- Suetonius, Divus Iulius 82​

​

Qui se ultro morti offerant facilius reperiuntur quam qui dolorem patienter ferant
Those who volunteer to die are easier found than those who (are willing to) patiently endure pain.

- Caesar, De Bello Gallico, VII.77​

 

[Adrian]

Invenias, quod quisque velit. Non omnibus unum est, Quod placet. Hic spinas colligit, ille rosas.
Everyone will find what he's looking for. Nothing pleases everyone. this man gathers thorns, that one roses.
― Petronius, Satiricon (Fragmenta Petronii XXV)

 

[Adrian]

Iuris praecepta sunt haec: honeste vivere, alterum non laedere, suum cuique tribuere
The precepts of law are these: honest living, not hurting other person, giving to each his due

- Domitius Ulpianus (Ulpian), Digesta​

 

[Adrian]

[...] externus timor*, maximum concordiae vinculum, quamvis suspectos infensosque inter se iungebat animos
external dred *- the strongest tie of concord, united the minds however much distrustful and hostile they were

- Titus Livius (Livy), Ab Urbe Condita, II.39​

*i.e. Fear of foreign enemy

 

[Adrian]

δόκος δ' ἐπὶ πᾶσι τέτυκται (dόkos d' epì pãsi tétuktai)
lit. Perception is tilled on all things ( everything is a matter of perception)

- Xenophanes, fr. B 34​

 

[Adrian]

Quae se laudari gaudent verbis subdolis,
serae dant poenas turpi paenitentia.
Those who reyoce being praised with deceptive words
pay late the penalty with schameful remorse

- Phaedrus, Fabulae, I. XIII​

 

[Adrian]

nam et ipsa scientia potestas est
because also knowledge itself is power

- Francis Bacon, Meditationes Sacrae​

 

[Adrian]

Quo magis in dubiis hominem spectare periclis
convenit adversisque in rebus noscere qui sit;
nam verae voces tum demum pectore ab imo
eliciuntur et eripitur persona, manet res.
The more it's surer to observe a man in doubtful perils, mark him as he is in adversities; for then true voices are drawn from the bottom of his heart; the mask is stripped off , reality remains.

-Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, III.55-58​

 

[Adrian]

[...] non qui parum habet sed qui plus cupit pauper est
it is not he who has too little but he who craves more that is poor

- Seneca, Epistulae Morales ad Lucium Lucilium, II​

​

Edit: Corrected as noted by Dantius (gratias tibi Danti ago quod mendum meum animadvertisti)

 

[Dantius]

that should say ad Lucilium, should it not?

 

[Adrian]

Auream quisquis mediocritatem ​

diligit, tutus caret obsoleti​

sordibus tecti, caret invidenda​

sobrius aula.​

- Horace, Odes, II.10​

english translation​

​

​

nam vitiis nemo sine nascitur; optimus ille est, ​

qui minimis urgetur.​

For no one is born without vices; best is he ​

who is burdened with the least​

- Horace, Sermones I.3.68​

 

[Adrian]

Quid rides?
Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur.
Why do you laugh?
With the name changed, the story is being told about you.
- Horace, Sermones, I.1.69

 

[Adrian]

Sed res docuit, id verum esse, quod in carminibus Appius ait, fabrum esse suae quemque fortunae.
But experience has demonstrated that what Appius stated in his verses is true, that every man is the fashioner of his own fortune.
- Sallust, Epistola ad Caesarem II.

 

[Glabrigausapes]

Οὐχ ἁμῖν τὰ καλὰ πράτοις καλὰ φαίνεται εἶμεν
οἳ θνατοὶ πελόμεσθα τὸ δ' αὔριον οὐκ ἐσορῶμες.
- Theocritus XIII
(At first good things do not seem so to us
who mortal are & don't foresee the morn.)

 

[Adrian]

καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος χλωρός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ὁ Θάνατος, καὶ ὁ ἅδης ἠκολούθει μετ' αὐτοῦ.
kaì eĩdon, kaì idoù híppos khlōrós, kaì ho kathḗmenos epánō autoũ ónoma autō̃ͅ ho Thánatos, kaì ho hádēs ēkoloúthei met' autoũ
And I saw and behold (a) horse "pale green"; and the (one) sitting on it, (the) name of him - the Death, and hades was following after him.

et ecce equus pallidus et qui sedebat desuper nomen illi Mors et inferus sequebatur eum.
And behold a horse pale and he who was sitting upon it , his name - (the) Death, and infernal region was following him.

- Saint John, Book of Revelation 6.8

 

[Issacus Divus]

Καὶ εἶδον ἕνα ἄγγελον ἑστῶτα ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ;

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun;


Revelation 19:17