Latin Via Proverbs 117

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more second conjugation verbs.

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. You can find more help at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 117

1520. I fear the man of one book. (You can also find this in the form cave ab homine unius libri, "beware the man of one book." There is an article in wikipedia with many modern citations of this saying.) Timeo hominem unius libri.

1521. You, a doctor to others, are covered all over with sores. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 2.5.38.)

1522. We like other people's things more than our own, our things are more pleasing to others. (You can find this in the sayings of Publilius Syrus.)

1523. Some things please some people, other things please others. (You can find this sentiment expressed in many forms, e.g. Alia apud alios bona., "some people thing some things are good, others think other things are good," etc.)

1524. Not all who have guitars are guitarists. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.7.7.)

1525. All things that shine are not golden. (You can also find this saying expressed as Quidquid micat non est aurum., "whatever sparkles is not gold.")

1526. Those things that do harm, teach. (Compare the similar saying, nocumentum, documentum, the idea being that we learn from our painful mistakes - or the painful mistakes made by others, preferably!) Quae nocent, docent.

1527. Happy is the man who owes nothing. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 2.7.98.)

1528. He who has time, has life. (As we might say in English, though, "the clock is ticking!" - and time, just like life, does run out.)

1529. He is rich enough if he does not lack bread. (A fuller form of the phrase from Jerome's Letter 125 is Satis est dives qui pane non indiget; nimium potens qui servire non cogitur, "He is rich enough if he does not lack bread; he is quite powerful who is not compelled to do another's bidding.") Satis dives est qui pane non indiget.

1530. He can't hold onto an eel if he holds it by the tail. (The eel, of course, was a proverbially slippery fellow. The rhyme here shows the medieval origin of this phrase, but the same idea is found in classical Latin, e.g. Plautus: anguilla'st: elabitur, "he's an eel; he's slipping away.")

1531. He who has much pepper can even mix it with his vegetables. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.3.37. Compare pipere qui abundat, oleribus miscet in Publilius Syrus.)

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This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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