Latin Via Proverbs 165

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with fourth 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 Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 165

2119. Time discovers, teaches, changes all things. (There are an enormous number of Latin proverbs about the powers of time.)

2120. He who learns without a book is gathering water with a sieve. (Here is a similar saying which rhymes: Fundit aquam cribro qui discere vult sine libro.)

2121. He guards his own as a dragon guards his treasure. (The stereotypical dragon and treasure can be found in a speech of Cicero, and in this Aesop's fable.)

2122. The man who praises himself quickly finds a scoffer. (This is a saying found in Publilius Syrus.)

2123. No one is free who is a slave to the body. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)

2124. You should command money, not serve it. (You will find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

2125. Anger spawns hatred; agreement nourishes love. (This is one of the sayings attributed to Cato.)

2126. The fox does not know how to change her nature. (Compare this similar saying about the wolf: Lupus pilum mutat, non animum.)

2127. You should not raise a lion in the city. (This saying is derived from Aristophanes, Frogs. You can find the Latin saying in Valerius Maximus.)

2128. Every beast exults in its forest. (Compare a similar saying about a rooster: Gallus in suo sterquilinio plurimum potest.)

2129. The spider traps flies in her net, and lets the wasps go through. (The idea is that great thieves can get away, while little ones are caught: lex est araneae tela, quia si in eam inciderit quid debile, retinetur; grave autem pertransit tela rescissa. The idea comes from Plutarch, in his Life of Solon.)

2130. While the cat sleeps, the mouse rejoices and leaps out of its hole. (Here is a rhyming version of the same idea: fele comprehensa, saltant mures in mensa.)

2131. After many days, a clear day arrives. (This is a line from Tibullus.)

2132. Often a single day bestows what does not happen in a year. (Compare this similar saying: accidit in puncto, quod non contingit in anno.)

2133. It is permitted to go mad once a year. (You can find a similar sentiment in Augustine: Tolerabile est semel anno insanire.)

2134. Sometimes it is even pleasant to go mad. (You can find this saying cited in Seneca.)

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

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