I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 53
702. What is lighter than the wind? (This comparison is included in this famous chain of comparisons: Quid pluma levius? Pulvis. Quid pulvere? Ventus. Quid vento? Mulier. Quid muliere? Nihil., "What is lighter than a feather? Dust. What is lighter than dust? The wind. What is lighter than wind? A woman. What is lighter than a woman? Nothing.")
703. What is lighter than smoke? (This comparison is included in this famous chain of comparisons: Quid levius fumo? Flamen. Quid flamine? Ventus. Quid vento? Mulier. Quid muliere? Nihil., "What is lighter than smoke? A gale. What is lighter than a gale? The wind. What is lighter than the wind? A woman. What is lighter than a woman? Nothing.")
704. What is brighter than the sun? (You will find this phrase in the Biblical Book of Ecclesiasticus, also known as The Wisdom of Ben Sira.)
705. What is brighter than the stars? (This is the Baillie family motto.)
706. What is more sluggish than a worm? (This is a sying you will find in Seneca's letters.)
707. What is lighter than a feather? ((This comparison is included in this famous chain of comparisons: Quid pluma levius? Pulvis. Quid pulvere? Ventus. Quid vento? Mulier. Quid muliere? Nihil., "What is lighter than a feather? Dust. What is lighter than dust? The wind. What is lighter than wind? A woman. What is lighter than a woman? Nothing.")
708. What is more stubborn than an ox? (This is a saying you can find in Ovid.)
709. What is stronger than a lion? (This forms part of the famous riddle of Samson in the Book of Judges.)
710. What is more fawning than a dog? (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Praise of Folly.)
711. What is more precius than freedom? (You can find this expression in one of the letters of Pliny?)
712. Who is more friendly than a brother to his brother? (You can find this expression in Sallust.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
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Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 52
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 52
689. The fear of death is worse than death. (Notice the nice juxtposition of mortis / morte in the Latin, which is simply not possible in English word order.)
690. A living dog is better than a dead lion. (You can find this saying in the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes.)
691. Certain peace is better than uncertain victory. (Compare a similar saying, Melior est certa pax quam sperata victoria, "a certain peace is better than a hoped for victory," a saying you will find in Livy.)
692. Forethought is better than regret. (You will also frequently find the Latin word paenitentia spelled poenitentia in medieval texts.)
693. In times of danger, a friend is preferable to money. (You can find this in a long list of sayings about friendship in Boissard's emblem book of 1593.)
694. The smoke of the fatherland is brighter than a foreign fire. (This saying made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 1.2.16.)
695. Your own little fireplace is more precious than lots of gold. (The word foculus is a diminutive of the word focus, meaning "fireplace, hearth," which used to be the "focus" of the house (via French, the Latin focus ultimately gives us the word "foyer.")
696. People's good reputation is more dependable than money. (This is a saying attributed to Publilius Syrus.)
697. A free man without resources is more fortunate than a rich servant. (Notice that this is the Latin adjective, liber, meaning "a free person," not to be confused with liber meaning book.)
698. Desire for money is more oppressive than any tyrant. (Notice the use of the subjective genitive with cupiditas, "desire for money," cupiditas pecuniarum.)
699. A wicked tongue is sharper than the point of a sword. (Compare a similar saying, Multo quam ferrum lingua atrocior ferit, "How much more savagely does the tongue wound than does the sword's steel!")
700. False witnesses are worse than thieves. (This is a saying from the Roman juridical tradition.)
701. Many students are more excellent than their teachers. (This is a saying found in Erasmus's Adagia 3.5.23, citing the letters of Cicero.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 52
689. The fear of death is worse than death. (Notice the nice juxtposition of mortis / morte in the Latin, which is simply not possible in English word order.)
690. A living dog is better than a dead lion. (You can find this saying in the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes.)
691. Certain peace is better than uncertain victory. (Compare a similar saying, Melior est certa pax quam sperata victoria, "a certain peace is better than a hoped for victory," a saying you will find in Livy.)
692. Forethought is better than regret. (You will also frequently find the Latin word paenitentia spelled poenitentia in medieval texts.)
693. In times of danger, a friend is preferable to money. (You can find this in a long list of sayings about friendship in Boissard's emblem book of 1593.)
694. The smoke of the fatherland is brighter than a foreign fire. (This saying made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 1.2.16.)
695. Your own little fireplace is more precious than lots of gold. (The word foculus is a diminutive of the word focus, meaning "fireplace, hearth," which used to be the "focus" of the house (via French, the Latin focus ultimately gives us the word "foyer.")
696. People's good reputation is more dependable than money. (This is a saying attributed to Publilius Syrus.)
697. A free man without resources is more fortunate than a rich servant. (Notice that this is the Latin adjective, liber, meaning "a free person," not to be confused with liber meaning book.)
698. Desire for money is more oppressive than any tyrant. (Notice the use of the subjective genitive with cupiditas, "desire for money," cupiditas pecuniarum.)
699. A wicked tongue is sharper than the point of a sword. (Compare a similar saying, Multo quam ferrum lingua atrocior ferit, "How much more savagely does the tongue wound than does the sword's steel!")
700. False witnesses are worse than thieves. (This is a saying from the Roman juridical tradition.)
701. Many students are more excellent than their teachers. (This is a saying found in Erasmus's Adagia 3.5.23, citing the letters of Cicero.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 51
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 51
677. A force united is stronger. (This is the motto of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in England.)
678. The first love is better. (Literally, the word potior means "more capable, more possible," although the comparative form generally means "preferable" or "better.")
679. The race is faster at the finish. (You can also find a similar saying, motus in fine velocior, "the movement at the end goes faster.")
680. Turbid water is more full of fish. (You can find this saying illustrated in the Aesop's fable about the man who wanted to go fishing, and the man who was angry that his drinking water was being roiled.)
681. The more fertile crop is in another's field. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.6.72. You can find a similar saying in Ovid's Ars Amatoria.)
682. Reverence is greater from a distance. (You can find this saying expressed in Tacitus's Annales.)
683. Every dog is more bold in his own doorway. (You can find a commentary on a related saying in the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
684. The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley. (Notice the coordinated use of the so-called "ablative of degree of difference" used with the comparative adjectve, quo...tanto, "by so much... that much...")
685. The higher the climb, the greater the fall. (Compare the English saying, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." The Latin gradus literally means "step," but it also means "a stair step" or a "gradation, a grade, rank.")
686. The more thorny the rose, the more sweet-smelling. (This is a saying from the tradition of family heraldry and mottoes.)
687. Stolen waters are sweeter. (This is a saying from the Biblical book of Proverbs: Aquae furtivae dulciores sunt et panis absconditus suavior, "stolen waters are sweeter and hidden bread is more tasty.")
688. Newer brooms are always better. (Compare the English saying, "new brooms sweep clean." There's a great variant on the English saying, too: "New brooms sweep clean, but an old broom knows the corners.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 51
677. A force united is stronger. (This is the motto of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in England.)
678. The first love is better. (Literally, the word potior means "more capable, more possible," although the comparative form generally means "preferable" or "better.")
679. The race is faster at the finish. (You can also find a similar saying, motus in fine velocior, "the movement at the end goes faster.")
680. Turbid water is more full of fish. (You can find this saying illustrated in the Aesop's fable about the man who wanted to go fishing, and the man who was angry that his drinking water was being roiled.)
681. The more fertile crop is in another's field. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.6.72. You can find a similar saying in Ovid's Ars Amatoria.)
682. Reverence is greater from a distance. (You can find this saying expressed in Tacitus's Annales.)
683. Every dog is more bold in his own doorway. (You can find a commentary on a related saying in the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
684. The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley. (Notice the coordinated use of the so-called "ablative of degree of difference" used with the comparative adjectve, quo...tanto, "by so much... that much...")
685. The higher the climb, the greater the fall. (Compare the English saying, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." The Latin gradus literally means "step," but it also means "a stair step" or a "gradation, a grade, rank.")
686. The more thorny the rose, the more sweet-smelling. (This is a saying from the tradition of family heraldry and mottoes.)
687. Stolen waters are sweeter. (This is a saying from the Biblical book of Proverbs: Aquae furtivae dulciores sunt et panis absconditus suavior, "stolen waters are sweeter and hidden bread is more tasty.")
688. Newer brooms are always better. (Compare the English saying, "new brooms sweep clean." There's a great variant on the English saying, too: "New brooms sweep clean, but an old broom knows the corners.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 50
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 50
666. The gods give better things to pious people. (The nominative di and dative piis expresses the meaning of this proverb without a verb, but you have to supply a verb in English, e.g. the gods give, may the gods give, the gods will give, etc. You can find the sentiment expressed in Vergil's Georgics.)
667. Hard things become softer with use. (The Latin does not have a verb, but a verb needs to be supplied in the English. You can find this saying illustrated in Whitney's emblems, citing the Aesopic fable of the lion and the fox.) Dura usu molliora.
668. Deeds are stronger than words. (I've also seen a more full version of the saying as follows: facta potentiora verbis; fructu non foliis arborem aestima, "deeds are more powerful than words; judge the tree by the fruit, not the leaves.")
669. Deeds are more challenging than words. (You can find this saying expressed in a letter of Cicero.)
670. The remedies are more grievous than the dangers. (This is a saying of Publilius Syrus. Compare the English saying: "the cure is worse than the disease.")
671. Things that are few but sure are better than things that are not sure. (Compare a similar saying: praesentia incertis meliora, "present things are better than things that are not sure.")
672. From bad to worse. (This is the title of an epigram by John Owen, which begins: Incidit in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charybdim / Qui morbum fugiens incidit in medicum., "Wanting to avoid Charybdis, he falls into Scylla; he who flees a disease runs into the doctor."
673. Alas alack, it's getting worse every day. (The Latin does not have a verb, but you need to supply a verb in the English. You can find this expression in Petronius.)
674. Faster, higher, stronger. (This is the motto of the Olympics, as proposed by the International Olympic Committee in 1894.)
675. Old age is a burder weightier than Mount Aetna. (This saying is adapted from Cicero's De Senectute. Mount Aetna is an active volcano in Sicily.)
676. The lard is fatter in the neighbor's pot. (Compare the English saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 50
666. The gods give better things to pious people. (The nominative di and dative piis expresses the meaning of this proverb without a verb, but you have to supply a verb in English, e.g. the gods give, may the gods give, the gods will give, etc. You can find the sentiment expressed in Vergil's Georgics.)
667. Hard things become softer with use. (The Latin does not have a verb, but a verb needs to be supplied in the English. You can find this saying illustrated in Whitney's emblems, citing the Aesopic fable of the lion and the fox.) Dura usu molliora.
668. Deeds are stronger than words. (I've also seen a more full version of the saying as follows: facta potentiora verbis; fructu non foliis arborem aestima, "deeds are more powerful than words; judge the tree by the fruit, not the leaves.")
669. Deeds are more challenging than words. (You can find this saying expressed in a letter of Cicero.)
670. The remedies are more grievous than the dangers. (This is a saying of Publilius Syrus. Compare the English saying: "the cure is worse than the disease.")
671. Things that are few but sure are better than things that are not sure. (Compare a similar saying: praesentia incertis meliora, "present things are better than things that are not sure.")
672. From bad to worse. (This is the title of an epigram by John Owen, which begins: Incidit in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charybdim / Qui morbum fugiens incidit in medicum., "Wanting to avoid Charybdis, he falls into Scylla; he who flees a disease runs into the doctor."
673. Alas alack, it's getting worse every day. (The Latin does not have a verb, but you need to supply a verb in the English. You can find this expression in Petronius.)
674. Faster, higher, stronger. (This is the motto of the Olympics, as proposed by the International Olympic Committee in 1894.)
675. Old age is a burder weightier than Mount Aetna. (This saying is adapted from Cicero's De Senectute. Mount Aetna is an active volcano in Sicily.)
676. The lard is fatter in the neighbor's pot. (Compare the English saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 49
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 49
653. Love is more precious than gold. (The comparison pretiosior auro, "more precious than gold" is used for various objects of comparison: virtus fulvo pretiosior auro, "virtue is more precious than yellow gold," etc.)
654. Freedom is more precious than gold. (This saying is also found in the expanded form: Libertas fulvo pretiosior auro, "freedom is more precious than yellow gold.")
655. The mind more splendid than gold. (You can find this saying in the ancient Latin poem, Laus Pisonis, a poem probably written by Titus Calpurnius Siculus.)
656. Peace is preferable to war. (You will also see the neuter form of potior, being used as an adverb meaning "rather," potius.)
657. Truth is more brilliant than the sun. (The word sole is from the noun sol, meaning "sun." It is not from the adjective solus, "only.")
658. Prudence is greater than fate. (This is a phrase found in Vergil's Georgics which, taken out of that context, has come to have an independent meaning in the emblem tradition.)
659. Prudence is greater than force. (This is the moral to the Aesop's fable of the crow and the pitcher, as told by the poet Avianus.)
660. Good is more powerful than evil. (Notice that this is the use of the substantive adjective in Latin: bonum, translated here as "good," means literally "a good thing.")
661. The hammer is wiser than the handle. (This is a saying found in Plautus's Epidicus.)
662. Blood is thicker than water. (This is a Latin motto that circulates on the Internet, although it does not appear to have an ancient source and is probably a translation of the familiar English saying. The Romans placed a high value on kinship by blood, of course, so this is a proverb they would have liked, I suspect.)
663. The frog is wiser than the tadpole. (This is a phrase that makes its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 2.1.34. You will also find tadpole as a feminine noun, gyrina. The word is from Greek, as the tell-tale "y' indicates, and in Greek the word is decidedly masculine, as is the word for frog.)
664. The just man is stronger than a lion. (This is a saying from the tradition of family heraldry.)
665. The eyes are more trustworthy than the ears. (In other words, don't believe everything you hear!)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 49
653. Love is more precious than gold. (The comparison pretiosior auro, "more precious than gold" is used for various objects of comparison: virtus fulvo pretiosior auro, "virtue is more precious than yellow gold," etc.)
654. Freedom is more precious than gold. (This saying is also found in the expanded form: Libertas fulvo pretiosior auro, "freedom is more precious than yellow gold.")
655. The mind more splendid than gold. (You can find this saying in the ancient Latin poem, Laus Pisonis, a poem probably written by Titus Calpurnius Siculus.)
656. Peace is preferable to war. (You will also see the neuter form of potior, being used as an adverb meaning "rather," potius.)
657. Truth is more brilliant than the sun. (The word sole is from the noun sol, meaning "sun." It is not from the adjective solus, "only.")
658. Prudence is greater than fate. (This is a phrase found in Vergil's Georgics which, taken out of that context, has come to have an independent meaning in the emblem tradition.)
659. Prudence is greater than force. (This is the moral to the Aesop's fable of the crow and the pitcher, as told by the poet Avianus.)
660. Good is more powerful than evil. (Notice that this is the use of the substantive adjective in Latin: bonum, translated here as "good," means literally "a good thing.")
661. The hammer is wiser than the handle. (This is a saying found in Plautus's Epidicus.)
662. Blood is thicker than water. (This is a Latin motto that circulates on the Internet, although it does not appear to have an ancient source and is probably a translation of the familiar English saying. The Romans placed a high value on kinship by blood, of course, so this is a proverb they would have liked, I suspect.)
663. The frog is wiser than the tadpole. (This is a phrase that makes its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 2.1.34. You will also find tadpole as a feminine noun, gyrina. The word is from Greek, as the tell-tale "y' indicates, and in Greek the word is decidedly masculine, as is the word for frog.)
664. The just man is stronger than a lion. (This is a saying from the tradition of family heraldry.)
665. The eyes are more trustworthy than the ears. (In other words, don't believe everything you hear!)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 48
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 48
639. Whiter than snow. (The Latin grammar of Donatus cites this as an example of hyperbole.)
640. Harder than adamant. (Adamant is a proverbially hard substance. Vergil tells us, for example, that Tartarus is sealed behind columns of adamant.)
641. Lighter than cork. (This is a phrase which made its way into Eramsus's Adagia, 2.4.7.)
642. More grasping than a cat. (To see the predatory cat at work, you can read about the adventures of the cat, the eagle, and the sow in this Aesop's fable.)
643. More timid than a rabbit. (An Aesop's fable tells us that the rabbits were so scared that they were ready to commit suicide, although they changed their minds when they realized the frogs were even greater cowards than the rabbits.)
644. Sleepier than a dormouse. (The proverbially sleepy dormouse was made immortal, of course, in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.)
645. More rare than a phoenix. (The mythological phoenix was a rare, solitary bird, with the new phoenix born out of the ashes of the old phoenix's funeral pyre.)
646. More changing than a chameleon. (The chameleon is a lizard able to change its color, using its chromatophore cells.)
647. Stronger than Samson. (You can read about the amazing strength of Samson in the Biblical Book of Judges.)
648. Wiser than Solomon. (The wisdom of Solomon is proverbial in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions.)
649. Stronger than Milo. (Milo of Croton was an ancient Greek athlete who was renowned for his strength, who supposedly trained by carrying a newborn calf around on his back.)
650. More fortunate than the king of the Persians. (You can find this saying in Horace.)
651. More irksome than leftover cabbage. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
652. Sweeter than sweet honey. (You can find this saying used in Plautus's Asinaria.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 48
639. Whiter than snow. (The Latin grammar of Donatus cites this as an example of hyperbole.)
640. Harder than adamant. (Adamant is a proverbially hard substance. Vergil tells us, for example, that Tartarus is sealed behind columns of adamant.)
641. Lighter than cork. (This is a phrase which made its way into Eramsus's Adagia, 2.4.7.)
642. More grasping than a cat. (To see the predatory cat at work, you can read about the adventures of the cat, the eagle, and the sow in this Aesop's fable.)
643. More timid than a rabbit. (An Aesop's fable tells us that the rabbits were so scared that they were ready to commit suicide, although they changed their minds when they realized the frogs were even greater cowards than the rabbits.)
644. Sleepier than a dormouse. (The proverbially sleepy dormouse was made immortal, of course, in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.)
645. More rare than a phoenix. (The mythological phoenix was a rare, solitary bird, with the new phoenix born out of the ashes of the old phoenix's funeral pyre.)
646. More changing than a chameleon. (The chameleon is a lizard able to change its color, using its chromatophore cells.)
647. Stronger than Samson. (You can read about the amazing strength of Samson in the Biblical Book of Judges.)
648. Wiser than Solomon. (The wisdom of Solomon is proverbial in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions.)
649. Stronger than Milo. (Milo of Croton was an ancient Greek athlete who was renowned for his strength, who supposedly trained by carrying a newborn calf around on his back.)
650. More fortunate than the king of the Persians. (You can find this saying in Horace.)
651. More irksome than leftover cabbage. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
652. Sweeter than sweet honey. (You can find this saying used in Plautus's Asinaria.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 47
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 47
629. More sharp-tongued than Momus. (Momus was a mythological complainer, as you can see in this fable about Momus and the gods' inventions.)
630. With more money than Crassus. (Crassus was a Roman general and politician, renowned for his wealth.)
631. More poor than Irus. (Irus was a beggar employed by the suitors of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey.)
632. More savage than Atreus. (Atreus, the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, is most notorious for cooking up the sons of Thyestes, his own brothers, and serving their cooked bodies to him at a banquet.)
633. More changing than Proteus. (The mythological Proteus was capable of changing his shape.)
634. More voluble than a cricket. (This saying made its way into Erasmus's Adagia 1.9.100, and you can read an Aesop's fable about the revenge of the owl upon a noisy cricket.) Cicada vocalior.
635. More stinging than a wasp. (You can read the complaint of the butterfly against the stinging wasp in this Aesop's fable.) Vespa acerbior.
636. More blinder than a mole. (The proverbial blindness of the mole is one of the errors refuted by Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica.)
637. More absorbent than a sponge. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
638. More thirsty than the sands. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 47
629. More sharp-tongued than Momus. (Momus was a mythological complainer, as you can see in this fable about Momus and the gods' inventions.)
630. With more money than Crassus. (Crassus was a Roman general and politician, renowned for his wealth.)
631. More poor than Irus. (Irus was a beggar employed by the suitors of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey.)
632. More savage than Atreus. (Atreus, the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, is most notorious for cooking up the sons of Thyestes, his own brothers, and serving their cooked bodies to him at a banquet.)
633. More changing than Proteus. (The mythological Proteus was capable of changing his shape.)
634. More voluble than a cricket. (This saying made its way into Erasmus's Adagia 1.9.100, and you can read an Aesop's fable about the revenge of the owl upon a noisy cricket.) Cicada vocalior.
635. More stinging than a wasp. (You can read the complaint of the butterfly against the stinging wasp in this Aesop's fable.) Vespa acerbior.
636. More blinder than a mole. (The proverbial blindness of the mole is one of the errors refuted by Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica.)
637. More absorbent than a sponge. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
638. More thirsty than the sands. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
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Thursday, March 15, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 46
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features another set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 46
618. He is swifter than Pegasus. (Pegasus is the winged horse of Greek mythology who helped Bellerophon battle the monstrous Chimera.)
619. More winding than a labyrinth. (The first labyrinth was built by the craftsman Daedalus to imprison the monstrous Minotaur, half-man and half-bull.)
620. Brighter than electrum. (Electrum is a naturally occuring alloy of gold and silver.)
621. Smoother than oil. (This phrase shows up in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.7.35, who explains that the phrase is used to describe people who are slow to get angry, agreeable, etc.)
622. More naked than an egg. (I think this is a delightful way to express the sheer nakedness of something: what could be more naked than an egg? Humpty Dumpty excepted, of course.)
623. Dumber than a donkey. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
624. More prickly than a hedgehog. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
625. More shaggy than a bear. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
626. More lusty than a billy-goat. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
627. More rare than a white crow. (You can find this saying used in Juvenal.)
628. More rare than a black swan. (Juvenal refers to the black swan as a rara avis, "a rare bird.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 46
618. He is swifter than Pegasus. (Pegasus is the winged horse of Greek mythology who helped Bellerophon battle the monstrous Chimera.)
619. More winding than a labyrinth. (The first labyrinth was built by the craftsman Daedalus to imprison the monstrous Minotaur, half-man and half-bull.)
620. Brighter than electrum. (Electrum is a naturally occuring alloy of gold and silver.)
621. Smoother than oil. (This phrase shows up in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.7.35, who explains that the phrase is used to describe people who are slow to get angry, agreeable, etc.)
622. More naked than an egg. (I think this is a delightful way to express the sheer nakedness of something: what could be more naked than an egg? Humpty Dumpty excepted, of course.)
623. Dumber than a donkey. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
624. More prickly than a hedgehog. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
625. More shaggy than a bear. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
626. More lusty than a billy-goat. (Erasmus includes this comparison in the introduction to his Adagia, under the heading De Figuris proverbialibus, "About Proverbial Figures of Speech.")
627. More rare than a white crow. (You can find this saying used in Juvenal.)
628. More rare than a black swan. (Juvenal refers to the black swan as a rara avis, "a rare bird.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 45
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features the first set of proverbial sayings based on the comparative form of the adjective.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 45
607. Higher! (You can read a commentary on this saying, which is the state motto of New York, at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
608. Balder than a pumpkin. (You can read a commentary on this saying at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
609. Milder than a dove. (You can read a commentary on this saying at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
610. More talkative than a jackdaw. (There are a variety of proverbially noisy birds in Latin, and you will also find the sayings turdo loquacior, "more talkative than a thrush," and turture loquacior, "more talkative than a turtle dove.")
611. Richer than Croesus. (You can read a commentary on this saying, with information about King Croesus of Lydia, at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
612. More deaf than stones. (You can find a similar saying, scopulis surdior, "more deaf than rocky crags," in Horace.)
613. Swifter than the deer. (The proverbially swift stag can be found in Horace.)
614. Swifter than a hawk. (This is a saying that made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 3.8.88)
615. Softer than mushrooms. (The Latin word fungus meant mushroom, although of course it also gives us the English word "fungus." In Italian, it still means "mushroom," so if you want mushrooms on your pizza, ask for pizza ai funghi!) Mollior fungis.
616. Sweeter beyond honey and honeycomb. (This is a phrase you will find in the Biblical Book of Psalms.)
617. Both birth and worth, unless there is achievement, are more cheaper than seaweed. (You can find this saying in Horace.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 45
607. Higher! (You can read a commentary on this saying, which is the state motto of New York, at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
608. Balder than a pumpkin. (You can read a commentary on this saying at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
609. Milder than a dove. (You can read a commentary on this saying at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
610. More talkative than a jackdaw. (There are a variety of proverbially noisy birds in Latin, and you will also find the sayings turdo loquacior, "more talkative than a thrush," and turture loquacior, "more talkative than a turtle dove.")
611. Richer than Croesus. (You can read a commentary on this saying, with information about King Croesus of Lydia, at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
612. More deaf than stones. (You can find a similar saying, scopulis surdior, "more deaf than rocky crags," in Horace.)
613. Swifter than the deer. (The proverbially swift stag can be found in Horace.)
614. Swifter than a hawk. (This is a saying that made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 3.8.88)
615. Softer than mushrooms. (The Latin word fungus meant mushroom, although of course it also gives us the English word "fungus." In Italian, it still means "mushroom," so if you want mushrooms on your pizza, ask for pizza ai funghi!) Mollior fungis.
616. Sweeter beyond honey and honeycomb. (This is a phrase you will find in the Biblical Book of Psalms.)
617. Both birth and worth, unless there is achievement, are more cheaper than seaweed. (You can find this saying in Horace.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 44
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features the final set of sayings that feature fifth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 44
593. Rome is the head of things. (You can find this statement in Livy.)
594. Peace is the best of things. (You can find this sentiment expressed in Silius Italicus. This is part of a long passage in praise of peace which begins pax optima rerum quas homini nouisse datum est, pax una triumphis innumeris potior, "peace is the best of things which it is given to man to know, a single peace is more powerful than countless triumphs," etc.)
595. Freedom is the best of things. (This phrase was the personal motto of William Wallace, the great Scottish patriot and warrior of the 13th century. The full version of the quote is dico tibi verbum: libertas optima rerum; nunquam servili sub nexo vivito, fili, "I tell you a true thing: freedom is the best of things; never live under the bond of slavery, my son.")
596. The tongue is the best of things, and the worst. (There is an incident in the Life of Aesop where Aesop's master, Xanthus the philosopher, orders Aesop to prepare the best possible banquet for his philosopher friends, so Aesop served course after course of tongues, boiled, fried, in a soup, and so on. Xanthus was furious, and ordered Aesop to serve the worst possible dish the next day. So, on the next day, Aesop served tongue again, because the tongue is both the best and the worst of things.)
597. Memory is the storehouse of all things and their guardian. (This phrase is adapted from Cicero's De Oratore.)
598. Nature is the mother of all things. (Compare a similar saying in Cicero: mater omnium bonarum rerum sapientia, "wisdom is the mother of all good things.")
599. The beginnings of all things are small. (This is also a saying from Cicero.)
600. Time is the eater of things. (This is a saying from Ovid's Metamorphoses.)
601. Time is the ruler of things. (This is an inscription you will commonly find on sundials.)
602. Time is the best judge of all things. (You can read a commentary about a very similar saying, Tempus est optimus iudex, at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
603. Money alone is the rudder of all affairs. (This is a saying from Publilius Syrus.)
604. Death is the final boundary of things. (This is a saying you will find in Horace.) Mors ultima linea rerum est.
605. There are tears for things. (This phrase is found in Book I of Vergil's Aeneid: "sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt." Aeneas speaks these words as he looks at a depiction of the Trojan War on the walls of a Carthaginian temple. Aeneas is moved when he sees these things depicted, and it makes him remember his dead friends. The phrase can be translated as "There is weeping for the business of the world, and mortal things touch the heart.")
606. A sea of words, a drop of action. (This is a very vivid way to describe someone who is all talk, and no action.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 44
593. Rome is the head of things. (You can find this statement in Livy.)
594. Peace is the best of things. (You can find this sentiment expressed in Silius Italicus. This is part of a long passage in praise of peace which begins pax optima rerum quas homini nouisse datum est, pax una triumphis innumeris potior, "peace is the best of things which it is given to man to know, a single peace is more powerful than countless triumphs," etc.)
595. Freedom is the best of things. (This phrase was the personal motto of William Wallace, the great Scottish patriot and warrior of the 13th century. The full version of the quote is dico tibi verbum: libertas optima rerum; nunquam servili sub nexo vivito, fili, "I tell you a true thing: freedom is the best of things; never live under the bond of slavery, my son.")
596. The tongue is the best of things, and the worst. (There is an incident in the Life of Aesop where Aesop's master, Xanthus the philosopher, orders Aesop to prepare the best possible banquet for his philosopher friends, so Aesop served course after course of tongues, boiled, fried, in a soup, and so on. Xanthus was furious, and ordered Aesop to serve the worst possible dish the next day. So, on the next day, Aesop served tongue again, because the tongue is both the best and the worst of things.)
597. Memory is the storehouse of all things and their guardian. (This phrase is adapted from Cicero's De Oratore.)
598. Nature is the mother of all things. (Compare a similar saying in Cicero: mater omnium bonarum rerum sapientia, "wisdom is the mother of all good things.")
599. The beginnings of all things are small. (This is also a saying from Cicero.)
600. Time is the eater of things. (This is a saying from Ovid's Metamorphoses.)
601. Time is the ruler of things. (This is an inscription you will commonly find on sundials.)
602. Time is the best judge of all things. (You can read a commentary about a very similar saying, Tempus est optimus iudex, at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
603. Money alone is the rudder of all affairs. (This is a saying from Publilius Syrus.)
604. Death is the final boundary of things. (This is a saying you will find in Horace.) Mors ultima linea rerum est.
605. There are tears for things. (This phrase is found in Book I of Vergil's Aeneid: "sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt." Aeneas speaks these words as he looks at a depiction of the Trojan War on the walls of a Carthaginian temple. Aeneas is moved when he sees these things depicted, and it makes him remember his dead friends. The phrase can be translated as "There is weeping for the business of the world, and mortal things touch the heart.")
606. A sea of words, a drop of action. (This is a very vivid way to describe someone who is all talk, and no action.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 43
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features some more sayings with fifth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 43
583. For the citizen and for the republic. (This is the motto of the university where I currently teach, the University of Oklahoma.)
584. Moderation is best in every business. (You can find a fuller form of this saying in Erasmus: Mensuram serva, modus in re est optimus omni, under the heading Ne quid nimis, "Nothing in excess," 1.6.96. He also cites Plautus: Modus omnibus in rebus, soror, est optimus, "Moderation in all things, sister, is best")
585. Forcefully in action and gently in style. (The Latin word modus has many meanings, as you can see in the many English words derived from it, such as "moderation," "mode," and even the word "model.")
586. So many wars throughout the world, so many faces of criminality. (You can find this saying in Vergil's Georgics.)
587. All the days of a poor man are evil. (Please note that there is a typographical error in the first printed text of the book. It should read: Omnes dies pauperis mali. The word pauperis is genitive singular, while mali is nominative plural. The saying comes from the book of Proverbs in the Bible, 15.15)
588. Our days are like a shadow. (This saying comes from the Book of Job in the Bible.)
589. Like an hour are our days upon the earth. (This is an inscription found on sundials. Compare the Biblical saying from the Book of Job, sicut umbra dies nostri sunt super terram, "our days upon the earth are like a shadow.")
590. Human affairs are frail and fleeting. (This is a saying you can find in Cicero's De Amicitia.)
591. Not with words, but with deeds. (This saying can refer to human action, i.e., "don't tell me - show me." This is also the idea behind the English rebus, a message or word expressed in pictures or symbols, without using words.)
592. O how great an emptiness there is in things! (This is an expression from one of the satires of Persius.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 43
583. For the citizen and for the republic. (This is the motto of the university where I currently teach, the University of Oklahoma.)
584. Moderation is best in every business. (You can find a fuller form of this saying in Erasmus: Mensuram serva, modus in re est optimus omni, under the heading Ne quid nimis, "Nothing in excess," 1.6.96. He also cites Plautus: Modus omnibus in rebus, soror, est optimus, "Moderation in all things, sister, is best")
585. Forcefully in action and gently in style. (The Latin word modus has many meanings, as you can see in the many English words derived from it, such as "moderation," "mode," and even the word "model.")
586. So many wars throughout the world, so many faces of criminality. (You can find this saying in Vergil's Georgics.)
587. All the days of a poor man are evil. (Please note that there is a typographical error in the first printed text of the book. It should read: Omnes dies pauperis mali. The word pauperis is genitive singular, while mali is nominative plural. The saying comes from the book of Proverbs in the Bible, 15.15)
588. Our days are like a shadow. (This saying comes from the Book of Job in the Bible.)
589. Like an hour are our days upon the earth. (This is an inscription found on sundials. Compare the Biblical saying from the Book of Job, sicut umbra dies nostri sunt super terram, "our days upon the earth are like a shadow.")
590. Human affairs are frail and fleeting. (This is a saying you can find in Cicero's De Amicitia.)
591. Not with words, but with deeds. (This saying can refer to human action, i.e., "don't tell me - show me." This is also the idea behind the English rebus, a message or word expressed in pictures or symbols, without using words.)
592. O how great an emptiness there is in things! (This is an expression from one of the satires of Persius.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 42
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group features, for the first time, fifth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 42
568. Hope is the last goddess. (In other words, when all the other gods have deserted you, Hope is the last one who stands by you.)
569. A friend is a rare thing. (You can find many variations on this saying such as: Amicus verus, res rara, "A true friend is a rare thing," or Amicus certus, rara avis, "A sure friend is a rare bird.")
570. Love is a credulous thing. (You can find this phrase in Ovid.)
571. Beauty is a thing that is fleeting. (You will find this phrase in Seneca's play, Phaedra.)
572. No day without a line. (This famous saying is attributed to the painter Apelles. The line referred to is the line of a drawing, or a line of writing; every artist needs to do some work, even just a little bit, every day.)
573. No day is altogether bad. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia 4.10.88.)
574. Hope is the best nurse of the soul. (You can find this motto illustrated in the emblems of Otto Vaenius.)
575. The face is the mirror of the mind. (You can find this in an epigram of Godfrey of Winchester: Est speculum mentis facies, oculique revelant / Qualia sunt intus mens animusque hominis., "The face is the mirror of the mind, and the eyes reveal what the mind and thinking of a person are inwardly.")
576. Desire is a limitless thing. (You can see this illustrated in the emblems of Jacob Cats, with an image of the dog who holds a piece of meat in his mouth, but who longs for something bigger.)
577. While there is life, there is hope. (Notice the use of Latin est to mean "there is" or "there exists," without a predicate.)
578. In the heart is hope, strength, and life. (The Latin word vis appears in only a few forms; vis is the nominative singular, with vim the accusative singular, and you will also commonly see vires the plural form, nominative and accusative.)
579. While the sick person still has breath, there is hope. (This is a phrase adapted from Cicero's letters.)
580. O the credulous hope oflovers, O deceptive love! (This is phrase from Seneca's play, Phaedra.)
581. The following day is the student of the day gone by. (This is a saying found in Publilius Syrus.)
582. Daytime is the image of life, night is the image of death. (I like this proverb very much, because the notion of sleep or night being the image of death is common, but here it is paired with the idea of the waking day as the image of life.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 42
568. Hope is the last goddess. (In other words, when all the other gods have deserted you, Hope is the last one who stands by you.)
569. A friend is a rare thing. (You can find many variations on this saying such as: Amicus verus, res rara, "A true friend is a rare thing," or Amicus certus, rara avis, "A sure friend is a rare bird.")
570. Love is a credulous thing. (You can find this phrase in Ovid.)
571. Beauty is a thing that is fleeting. (You will find this phrase in Seneca's play, Phaedra.)
572. No day without a line. (This famous saying is attributed to the painter Apelles. The line referred to is the line of a drawing, or a line of writing; every artist needs to do some work, even just a little bit, every day.)
573. No day is altogether bad. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia 4.10.88.)
574. Hope is the best nurse of the soul. (You can find this motto illustrated in the emblems of Otto Vaenius.)
575. The face is the mirror of the mind. (You can find this in an epigram of Godfrey of Winchester: Est speculum mentis facies, oculique revelant / Qualia sunt intus mens animusque hominis., "The face is the mirror of the mind, and the eyes reveal what the mind and thinking of a person are inwardly.")
576. Desire is a limitless thing. (You can see this illustrated in the emblems of Jacob Cats, with an image of the dog who holds a piece of meat in his mouth, but who longs for something bigger.)
577. While there is life, there is hope. (Notice the use of Latin est to mean "there is" or "there exists," without a predicate.)
578. In the heart is hope, strength, and life. (The Latin word vis appears in only a few forms; vis is the nominative singular, with vim the accusative singular, and you will also commonly see vires the plural form, nominative and accusative.)
579. While the sick person still has breath, there is hope. (This is a phrase adapted from Cicero's letters.)
580. O the credulous hope oflovers, O deceptive love! (This is phrase from Seneca's play, Phaedra.)
581. The following day is the student of the day gone by. (This is a saying found in Publilius Syrus.)
582. Daytime is the image of life, night is the image of death. (I like this proverb very much, because the notion of sleep or night being the image of death is common, but here it is paired with the idea of the waking day as the image of life.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 41
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group is the last set of fourth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 41
555. The outcomes of wars are uncertain. (You can find this saying in Cicero. Compare the use of the singular exitus in Proverb 549. Varius et dubius est belli eventus.)
556. Long are the hands of kings. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.2.3, who cites Ovid: an nescis longas regibus esse manus?, "Don't you know that kings have long hands?")
557. The hands of the body are its workers, and the fingers are the pluckers of its strings. (This phrase is adapted from the delightful dialogue of Pipipin and Albin.)
558. The fingers of the hand are not equal to one another, but they are all useful. (Notice that manus here is genitive: manus digiti, "the fingers of the hand." The word usus is dative: "for a use, useful.")
559. Through the waves to the shore. (Notice that fluctus is accusative plural, with the preposition per.)
560. After so many shipwrecks, the harbor. (Notice that portum is in the accusative, so you can supply a verb in English, such as "we reach the harbor," "we find a haven," etc.)
561. In the harbor, calm. (You can also add a verb to the English translation: "In the harbor, there is calm.")
562. Now after great effort, great trifles. (This is a saying adapted from Terence. Notice that nugas is in the accusative, so that you can supply a verb in English: I've ended up with great trifles, you've got great trifles, etc.)
563. In troubles, there is need, not of grief, but of remedy. (This saying appears in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.9.41.)
564. Wisdom is the daughter of practice and of memory. (You will find this saying in Aulus Gellius, who cites Afranius.)
565. Lions at home, foxes abroad. (You can find this saying in Petronius.)
566. An Argus at home, a mole outdoors. (Argus was a hundred-eyed giant, referred to as Argus Panoptes, "Argus the All-Seeing." The mole, on the other hand, was proverbial for its poor eyesight.)
567. Weapons are of little value abroad, unless there is deliberation at home. (You can find this saying in Cicero.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 41
555. The outcomes of wars are uncertain. (You can find this saying in Cicero. Compare the use of the singular exitus in Proverb 549. Varius et dubius est belli eventus.)
556. Long are the hands of kings. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.2.3, who cites Ovid: an nescis longas regibus esse manus?, "Don't you know that kings have long hands?")
557. The hands of the body are its workers, and the fingers are the pluckers of its strings. (This phrase is adapted from the delightful dialogue of Pipipin and Albin.)
558. The fingers of the hand are not equal to one another, but they are all useful. (Notice that manus here is genitive: manus digiti, "the fingers of the hand." The word usus is dative: "for a use, useful.")
559. Through the waves to the shore. (Notice that fluctus is accusative plural, with the preposition per.)
560. After so many shipwrecks, the harbor. (Notice that portum is in the accusative, so you can supply a verb in English, such as "we reach the harbor," "we find a haven," etc.)
561. In the harbor, calm. (You can also add a verb to the English translation: "In the harbor, there is calm.")
562. Now after great effort, great trifles. (This is a saying adapted from Terence. Notice that nugas is in the accusative, so that you can supply a verb in English: I've ended up with great trifles, you've got great trifles, etc.)
563. In troubles, there is need, not of grief, but of remedy. (This saying appears in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.9.41.)
564. Wisdom is the daughter of practice and of memory. (You will find this saying in Aulus Gellius, who cites Afranius.)
565. Lions at home, foxes abroad. (You can find this saying in Petronius.)
566. An Argus at home, a mole outdoors. (Argus was a hundred-eyed giant, referred to as Argus Panoptes, "Argus the All-Seeing." The mole, on the other hand, was proverbial for its poor eyesight.)
567. Weapons are of little value abroad, unless there is deliberation at home. (You can find this saying in Cicero.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 40
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group again features fourth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 40
543. Man is God's plaything. (Notice that there is a four-declension noun lusus, "playing, sport," formed from the verb ludere, "to play," while there is also a second-declension noun, ludus, meaning a "game.")
544. Long is the hand of the law. (Luckily the English translation captures the alliteration of the Latin, legis...longa.)
545. Chance is changeable. (Notice that the fourth-declension noun casus is a verbal noun from the verb cadere, "to fall," so chance is what "falls" or "falls out," like something that falls from the sky.)
546. Easy is the descent to Avernus. (Avernus is the legendary gateway to the underworld. The ascent, of course, is not so easy! This is a phrase from Vergil's Aeneid.)
547. After joys, grief. (A fuller form of this phrase is Gaudia post luctus veniunt, post gaudia luctus / Semper in ambiguo, speve metuve, sumus., "Joys come after griefs, and after joys, grief. / We are always in doubt, either hope or fear." This is one of John Owen's epigrams.)
548. Beneath his mask, the grief of the heir is laughter. (This is one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus. You can read about the fascinating word persona in this Bestiaria Latina blog post.)
549. The outcome of a battle is changeable and uncertain. (Compare 2 Samuel: varius enim eventus est proelii et nunc hunc nunc illum consumit gladius, "Various is the outcome of battle, and the sword devours now this man, now that man.")
550. The outcome is the teacher of fools. (You can read a commentary on this proverb at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
551. Oaks come from tiny acorns. (Without a verb, you cannot be sure whether quercus is nominative singular or nominative plural. I've translated it here as plural: what do you think? Here's a traditional English translation: "Great oaks from little acorns grow.")
552. Glory is the fruit of effort. (You can see this saying illustrated in the emblems of Otto Vaenius.) Fructus laboris gloria.
553. Learning is the sweet fruit of a bitter root. (Compare this similar saying: Litterarum radices amarae, fructus dulces, "The roots of scholarship are bitter, its fruits are sweet.") Doctrina est fructus dulcis radicis amarae.
554. This body is not a home but a temporary lodging. (The saying is adapted from Seneca.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 40
543. Man is God's plaything. (Notice that there is a four-declension noun lusus, "playing, sport," formed from the verb ludere, "to play," while there is also a second-declension noun, ludus, meaning a "game.")
544. Long is the hand of the law. (Luckily the English translation captures the alliteration of the Latin, legis...longa.)
545. Chance is changeable. (Notice that the fourth-declension noun casus is a verbal noun from the verb cadere, "to fall," so chance is what "falls" or "falls out," like something that falls from the sky.)
546. Easy is the descent to Avernus. (Avernus is the legendary gateway to the underworld. The ascent, of course, is not so easy! This is a phrase from Vergil's Aeneid.)
547. After joys, grief. (A fuller form of this phrase is Gaudia post luctus veniunt, post gaudia luctus / Semper in ambiguo, speve metuve, sumus., "Joys come after griefs, and after joys, grief. / We are always in doubt, either hope or fear." This is one of John Owen's epigrams.)
548. Beneath his mask, the grief of the heir is laughter. (This is one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus. You can read about the fascinating word persona in this Bestiaria Latina blog post.)
549. The outcome of a battle is changeable and uncertain. (Compare 2 Samuel: varius enim eventus est proelii et nunc hunc nunc illum consumit gladius, "Various is the outcome of battle, and the sword devours now this man, now that man.")
550. The outcome is the teacher of fools. (You can read a commentary on this proverb at the Latin Audio Proverbs blog.)
551. Oaks come from tiny acorns. (Without a verb, you cannot be sure whether quercus is nominative singular or nominative plural. I've translated it here as plural: what do you think? Here's a traditional English translation: "Great oaks from little acorns grow.")
552. Glory is the fruit of effort. (You can see this saying illustrated in the emblems of Otto Vaenius.) Fructus laboris gloria.
553. Learning is the sweet fruit of a bitter root. (Compare this similar saying: Litterarum radices amarae, fructus dulces, "The roots of scholarship are bitter, its fruits are sweet.") Doctrina est fructus dulcis radicis amarae.
554. This body is not a home but a temporary lodging. (The saying is adapted from Seneca.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
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Monday, March 05, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 39
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group again features, for the first time, fourth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 39
533. The face is the image of the mind, the eyes are its indicators. (This saying is adapted from Cicero. The word animus is notoriously difficult to translate; you can read some notes about both animus and anima in this Latin Audio Proverbs blog post.)
534. The face is the door of the mind and its writing-tablet. (The Latin word tabula means "board, plank," but it is also the "writing tablet," the little plank or board on which letters were written.)
535. Speech is the face of the mind. (Compare this saying in Publilius Syrus: Imago animi sermo est, "Speech is the image of the mind." Likewise, compare this saying in Seneca: Oratio cultus animi est, "Speech is the cultivation of the mind.")
536. As sight in the eyes, so is the mind in the soul. (The word anima is notoriously difficult to translate; you can read some notes about both animus and anima in this Latin Audio Proverbs blog post.)
537. One's own house is the best house. (There is a delightful Aesop's fable about how the gods got angry at the tortoise for expressing this sentiment, and therefore condemned the tortoise to carry its house around with it, wherever it went.)
538. Small house, small trouble. (My husband and I are currently looking for a house, and this is definitely one of the mottoes governing my house search!)
539. Small house, great calm. (You can find this motto on one of the many lovely terracotta tiles for sale at Black Dog of Wells.)
540. This hand is an enemy to tyrants. (This phrase is part of a larger saying: Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem, "This hand, an enemy to tyrants, seeks with the sword calm peace in freedom." The second part of this saying is the state motto of Massachusetts.)
541. Here is Rhodes, here is your jump. (This is from an Aesop's fable about a boastful athlete who returned home bragging about the great long-jump he had made at an athletic festival at Rhodes. Aesop challenged the man to stop talking and put on a demonstration: "Here is Rhodes, here is your jump," said Aesop.)
542. Beauty is a flower, fame is a puff of a wind. (In other words, they are both fleeting! And be sure to note the lovely alliteration in the Latin.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 39
533. The face is the image of the mind, the eyes are its indicators. (This saying is adapted from Cicero. The word animus is notoriously difficult to translate; you can read some notes about both animus and anima in this Latin Audio Proverbs blog post.)
534. The face is the door of the mind and its writing-tablet. (The Latin word tabula means "board, plank," but it is also the "writing tablet," the little plank or board on which letters were written.)
535. Speech is the face of the mind. (Compare this saying in Publilius Syrus: Imago animi sermo est, "Speech is the image of the mind." Likewise, compare this saying in Seneca: Oratio cultus animi est, "Speech is the cultivation of the mind.")
536. As sight in the eyes, so is the mind in the soul. (The word anima is notoriously difficult to translate; you can read some notes about both animus and anima in this Latin Audio Proverbs blog post.)
537. One's own house is the best house. (There is a delightful Aesop's fable about how the gods got angry at the tortoise for expressing this sentiment, and therefore condemned the tortoise to carry its house around with it, wherever it went.)
538. Small house, small trouble. (My husband and I are currently looking for a house, and this is definitely one of the mottoes governing my house search!)
539. Small house, great calm. (You can find this motto on one of the many lovely terracotta tiles for sale at Black Dog of Wells.)
540. This hand is an enemy to tyrants. (This phrase is part of a larger saying: Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem, "This hand, an enemy to tyrants, seeks with the sword calm peace in freedom." The second part of this saying is the state motto of Massachusetts.)
541. Here is Rhodes, here is your jump. (This is from an Aesop's fable about a boastful athlete who returned home bragging about the great long-jump he had made at an athletic festival at Rhodes. Aesop challenged the man to stop talking and put on a demonstration: "Here is Rhodes, here is your jump," said Aesop.)
542. Beauty is a flower, fame is a puff of a wind. (In other words, they are both fleeting! And be sure to note the lovely alliteration in the Latin.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 38
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group again features third declension adjectives, with more forms of the adjective omnis - this is the last third-declension group; the next group will be fourth-declension nouns.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 38
519. War of all against all. (This is the motto of Thomas Hobbes's philosophical treatise, Leviathan.)
520. Earth is the devourer of all things. (This is a phrase from the wonderful dialogue of Pippin and Albin.)
521. Death is the end of all things. (This is a saying you can find in Thomas a Kempis's Imitation of Christ.)
522. Death is the final physician of all illnesses. (Notice the word order here, putting special emphasis on the word ultimus, agreeing with medicus.)
523. Reason is the queen and the mistress of all things. (You will find this phrase in Cicero's Tusculan Disputations.)
524. Pride is the start of all evils. (Compare a similar statement in Ecclesiasticus: initium omnis peccati est superbia. )
525. Pleasure is the mother of all evils. (This is a sentiment you will find expressed in Cicero.)
526. Greed is the root of all evils. (You can also find a different arrangement - "Radix Omnium Malorum Avaritia" - which is an acronym for ROMA, Rome, used in attacks on the Catholic Church during the Reformation.)
527. The root of all evils is desire. (This is a saying you will find in 1 Timothy.)
528. The root of all evils is the love of money. (This is a variation on 1 Timothy, providing a gloss on the Greek word filarguria, the amor pecuniae, love of money.)
529. Laziness is the nurse of all vices. (Compare a similar sentiment in the "Robinson" Latin textbook from 1794: Industria plurimarum virtutum mater, pigritia vero omnium vitiorum fons est., "Hard word is the mother of so many virtues, while laziness is the source of all vices." )
530. Leisure is the origin of all evils. (Notice the great use of alliteration with the letter "o" in this saying.)
531. Love is the root of all good things. (You can find this in Saint Augustine, Sermon 72)
532. The world is a giant temple of all the gods. (This is a saying adapted from Seneca.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 38
519. War of all against all. (This is the motto of Thomas Hobbes's philosophical treatise, Leviathan.)
520. Earth is the devourer of all things. (This is a phrase from the wonderful dialogue of Pippin and Albin.)
521. Death is the end of all things. (This is a saying you can find in Thomas a Kempis's Imitation of Christ.)
522. Death is the final physician of all illnesses. (Notice the word order here, putting special emphasis on the word ultimus, agreeing with medicus.)
523. Reason is the queen and the mistress of all things. (You will find this phrase in Cicero's Tusculan Disputations.)
524. Pride is the start of all evils. (Compare a similar statement in Ecclesiasticus: initium omnis peccati est superbia. )
525. Pleasure is the mother of all evils. (This is a sentiment you will find expressed in Cicero.)
526. Greed is the root of all evils. (You can also find a different arrangement - "Radix Omnium Malorum Avaritia" - which is an acronym for ROMA, Rome, used in attacks on the Catholic Church during the Reformation.)
527. The root of all evils is desire. (This is a saying you will find in 1 Timothy.)
528. The root of all evils is the love of money. (This is a variation on 1 Timothy, providing a gloss on the Greek word filarguria, the amor pecuniae, love of money.)
529. Laziness is the nurse of all vices. (Compare a similar sentiment in the "Robinson" Latin textbook from 1794: Industria plurimarum virtutum mater, pigritia vero omnium vitiorum fons est., "Hard word is the mother of so many virtues, while laziness is the source of all vices." )
530. Leisure is the origin of all evils. (Notice the great use of alliteration with the letter "o" in this saying.)
531. Love is the root of all good things. (You can find this in Saint Augustine, Sermon 72)
532. The world is a giant temple of all the gods. (This is a saying adapted from Seneca.)
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Latin Via Proverbs 37
I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group again features third declension adjectives, with more forms of the adjective omnis.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 37
504. The whole hedgehog is prickly. (Notice that omnis can mean "all, every," but also "all, entire." So in Erasmus's Adagia, you can find this version of the same saying: Totus echinus asper, 2.9.59.)
505. From god comes every remedy. (This is a saying from the Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus.)
506. All excellence consists in moderation. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)
507. All slavery is wretched. (You can find this saying in Cicero.)
508. The beginning of every sin is pride. (Another saying from Ecclesiasticus.)
509. The hindrance to every excellence is fear. (This is a saying of Publilius Syrus.)
510. We are all earth. (Notice that omnes here agrees with the implied subject of sumus, "we all.")
511. We are all easily broken. (This saying can be found in Thomas à Kempis.)
512. All people are either free or slaves. (This is a saying from the Roman legal tradition: Summa itaque de iure personarum divisio haec est, quod omnes homines aut liberi sunt aut servi, "Thus the chief division of persons by law is that all people are either free or slaves.")
513. We are all citizens of the world. (Again, note that omnes agrees with the implied subject of sumus, "we all.")
514. Not all fields are fruitful. (You will find this saying in Cicero.)
515. Oh, if only all people acted so! (Although the verb is only implied in the Latin, it is hard to translate this saying into English without supplying a verb.)
516. Justice for all. (This is the motto of the District of Columbia.)
517. Death is common to all. (You can find this sentiment embedded in a little speech by Patridge in Fielding's Tom Jones: "Ay, sure, Mors omnibus communis: but there is a great difference between dying in one's bed a great many years hence, like a good Christian, with all our friends crying about us, and being shot to-day or to-morrow, like a mad dog; or, perhaps, hacked in twenty pieces with the sword, and that too before we have repented of all our sins. O Lord, have mercy upon us!") Mors omnibus communis.
518. A friend to everybody, a friend to nobody. (Compare this similar saying Inimicus sibi, amicus nemini, "An enemy to oneself, a friend to nobody.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own.
Group 37
504. The whole hedgehog is prickly. (Notice that omnis can mean "all, every," but also "all, entire." So in Erasmus's Adagia, you can find this version of the same saying: Totus echinus asper, 2.9.59.)
505. From god comes every remedy. (This is a saying from the Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus.)
506. All excellence consists in moderation. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)
507. All slavery is wretched. (You can find this saying in Cicero.)
508. The beginning of every sin is pride. (Another saying from Ecclesiasticus.)
509. The hindrance to every excellence is fear. (This is a saying of Publilius Syrus.)
510. We are all earth. (Notice that omnes here agrees with the implied subject of sumus, "we all.")
511. We are all easily broken. (This saying can be found in Thomas à Kempis.)
512. All people are either free or slaves. (This is a saying from the Roman legal tradition: Summa itaque de iure personarum divisio haec est, quod omnes homines aut liberi sunt aut servi, "Thus the chief division of persons by law is that all people are either free or slaves.")
513. We are all citizens of the world. (Again, note that omnes agrees with the implied subject of sumus, "we all.")
514. Not all fields are fruitful. (You will find this saying in Cicero.)
515. Oh, if only all people acted so! (Although the verb is only implied in the Latin, it is hard to translate this saying into English without supplying a verb.)
516. Justice for all. (This is the motto of the District of Columbia.)
517. Death is common to all. (You can find this sentiment embedded in a little speech by Patridge in Fielding's Tom Jones: "Ay, sure, Mors omnibus communis: but there is a great difference between dying in one's bed a great many years hence, like a good Christian, with all our friends crying about us, and being shot to-day or to-morrow, like a mad dog; or, perhaps, hacked in twenty pieces with the sword, and that too before we have repented of all our sins. O Lord, have mercy upon us!") Mors omnibus communis.
518. A friend to everybody, a friend to nobody. (Compare this similar saying Inimicus sibi, amicus nemini, "An enemy to oneself, a friend to nobody.")
This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.
Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.
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