FIO

The notes here are taken from the actual Scala, so be warned that references to the "previous" proverb refer to its order in the Scala, not its order here. You can read more about the word at the Verbosum blog: FIO.

Nihil fit sine causa. ~ Note: You can see this principle invoked by Cicero against the Epicurean philosophy, in his treatise De Finibus, 1(ait enim declinare atomum sine causa; quo nihil turpius physico, quam fieri quicquam sine causa dicere).

Nihil in terra sine causa fit. ~ Note: You can find these words in the Biblical book of Job, 5.

Omnia causa fiunt. ~ Note: This takes the negative statement of the preceding proverb and restates it positively. Note that omnia is neuter plural nominative, while causa is ablative singular feminine - don't let that "a" ending fool you!

fiat ~ Note: This Latin subjunctive verb has entered the English language as a noun! Definition: "fiat: a formal authorization or proposition; a decree."

Bonum ex malo non fit. ~ Note: This is a contention advanced by the philosopher Seneca in his Epistles, 87.

Quod tibi vis fieri, hoc fac alteri. ~ Note: This is a fuller version of the previous saying, with the verbs stated explicitly. Notice how fieri serves as the passive of facere: That which you want done to you, do to another.

Fit via vi. ~ Note: Here the Latin relies on a nice sound play: via and vi. This is also a motto of the Way family, which adds to the play on words, since the English family name is a translation of one of the Latin words in the motto.

Sicut fecisti, fiet tibi. ~ Note: You can see here how the verb fieri serves as the passive form of the verb facere: As you have done, it will be done (fiet) to you.

Ex malis moribus fiunt bonae leges. ~ Note: As you can see by comparing this proverb to the previous proverb, the world of proverbs is full of contradictions. That is not surprising, of course, since human life itself is full of contradictions and paradoxes, such as the paradox expressed here - that good laws might come from bad habits.

Omnia fato fiunt. ~ Note: You can find this idea debated in Cicero's philosophical treatise De Fato.

Non facias malum, ut inde fiat bonum. ~ Note: This is a Latin legal maxim that applies to human life in general. Note the use of the subjunctive, non facias, to express the idea of a command: You should not do something bad...

Nemo primo quoque die fit doctus. ~ Note: Note that primo goes with die: "primo die," on the first day. The word "quoque" is being used here with the sense of the word "quidem" - On the first day indeed no one becomes educated.

Fiat lux! ~ Note: You can read about this famous Biblical expression in this Wikipedia article.

Vita beatior non fit, si longior. ~ Note: Note the comparative forms, beatior and longior, agreeing with vita.

Quidquid fit cum virtute, fit cum gloria. ~ Note: This is another one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.

Nolite fieri servi hominum. ~ Note: The masculine plural nominative, servi, agrees with the implied subject of the verb, vos: you, plural.

Omnia casu fiunt. ~ Note: Here you have casu in the sense of "chance" or "accident."

Semper discendo plurima fio senex. ~ Note: Here you have a gerund in the ablative, discendo - by learning, with plurima as the direct object of that gerund.

Brevis ipsa vita est, sed malis fit longior. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.

Gratia namque cum fieri properat, gratia grata magis. ~ Note: This is one of the epigrams of Ausonius: Gratia, quae tarda est, ingrata est: gratia namque / cum fieri properat, gratia grata magis.

Cito fit quod di volunt. ~ Note: You can find these words in Petronius's Satyricon.

Cito quod fit, cito perit. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 139. As often, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is implied but not expressed: Cito quod fit, (hoc) cito perit.

Cito scribendo non fit ut bene scribatur; bene scribendo fit ut cito. ~ Note: Note the use of the gerund phrases in the ablative: cito scribendo, "by writing quickly," and bene scribendo, "by writing well." Note also the parallel structure: Cito scribendo non fit ut bene scribatur; bene scribendo fit ut cito (scribatur).

Melius est clarum fieri quam nasci. ~ Note: Note that clarum works with both infinitives: Melius est clarum fieri quam (clarum) nasci.

Nemo nascitur sapiens, sed fit. ~ Note: Compare the earlier saying: Nemo magister natus.

Divisum sic breve fiet opus. ~ Note: The participle divisum refers to the opus: the work, when it is divided into pieces (divisum).

Frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora. ~ Note: This is one of the various ways in which the principle of Occam's Razor has been formulated.

Fiat iustitia et pereat mundus. ~ Note: This was the motto of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I; for more, see this Wikipedia article.

Fiat iustitia ne pereat mundus. ~ Note: This is a variation on the previous proverb; the philosopher Ludwig von Mises has removed the defiant paradox and replacing it with a purpose clause: ne pereat mundus.

Fiat iustitia et ruat caelum. ~ Note: For a history of the use of this saying, see this Wikipedia article. Compare the similar saying that you saw earlier: Fiat iustitia et pereat mundus.

Fiat iustitia. ~ Note: Another subjunctive, fiat: "Let there be justice."

Omne quod exoritur, terra fit et moritur. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 804.

Maxima de parvis fiunt incendia flammis. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 622. Notice how the interwoven phrases, "maxima incendia" and "de parvis flammis" puts an emphasis on the paradoxical pairing: "minima de parvis."

Senex mature fias, ut maneas diu. ~ Note: You can also find the saying expressed in these words: Mature fias senex, si diu velis esse senex. The proverb is discussed in Cicero's treatise, De Senectute, where the 84-year-old Cato rejects the idea and says instead: Ego vero me minus diu senem esse mallem quam esse senem, ante quam essem, "Indeed, I would rather that I be old for less long a time than to be old before my time." This is one of the sayings that Erasmus included in his Adagia, 1.2.59; it is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, A146.

Omnis doloris tempus fit medicus. ~ Note: The word omnis is here in the genitive, agreeing with doloris: "Time is the doctor of all pain."

Quod suave est aliis, aliis fit amarum. ~ Note: You can find this idea expressed in Lucretius, De Rerum Natura 4. It is another one of those aliis...aliis proverbs, "What is sweet to some becomes bitter to others."

Dulce etiam fugias, quod amarum fieri potest. ~ Note: Both dulce and amarum are being used substantively here: the sweet (thing) and the bitter (thing).

Si gradus est altus, gravior fiet tibi saltus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1239.

Patientia laesa fit furor. ~ Note: You can find the saying in this fuller form: Vide ne abutaris, nam patientia laesa fit furor.

Levius fit patientia. ~ Note: Note that patientia is in the ablative (compare spe in the previous saying); the subject is unspecified. The words are from Horace, Ode 1.24: Durum, sed levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas (the poem is a consolation on the subject of death and loss).

Bis fiet gratum quod opus est, si ultro offeras. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.

Lites praeteritae facile fiunt renovatae. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 603.

Non ex quovis ligno vel lapide fit mercurius. ~ Note: Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 2.5.47: Ne e quovis ligno Mercurius fiat.

Serpens ni edat serpentem, draco non fiet. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 3.3.61.

Ex magna cena stomacho fit maxima poena. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 395: Ex magna cena stomacho fit maxima poena; / Ut sis nocte levis, sit tibi cena brevis.

De glande fit ardua quercus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 399: Ex nuce fit corylus, de glande fit ardua quercus, / ex parvo puero saepe peritus homo.

Blanditia, non imperio, fit dulcis Venus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.

Non lapis hirsutus fit per loca multa volutus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 745.

Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi, sed saepe cadendo; sic homo fit doctus, non vi, sed saepe legendo. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 482.

Verum est, quod pro salute fit, mendacium. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus. It expresses an elegantly paradoxical idea: verum est mendacium - with the important caveat about what kind of lie exactly: quod pro salute fit.

Frangitur ira gravis, cum fit responsio suavis. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 451: Frangitur ira gravis, cum fit responsio suavis / sed lis accrescit, dum stultus cedere nescit.

Quod factum est, infectum fieri nequit. ~ Note: Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 2.3.72: Quod factum est, infectum fieri non potest. Compare the saying is included by Polydorus in his Adagia, A149: Quod factum est infectum reddi non potest.

Fumus sumus, fimus fimus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1461: Vita evanescet, corpus mortale putrescet: Fumus sumus, fimus fimus.

De rebus minimis fit saepe molestia grandis. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 231.

Saepe lupus veniet eius dum mentio fiet. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1169.

Absint offensae, cum fit celebratio mensae. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 2.

Casus dementis correctio fit sapientis. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 119.

Sapientia docendo, caritas dando, fit maior. ~ Note: This is one of the moral sayings of Michael Verinus.

Invito, et id quod est facile, difficile fit. ~ Note: This is a saying by Janus Anysius (Giovanni Aniso); his sayings were sometimes published together with the ancient sayings of Publilius Syrus.

Sine consilio agens facile fit praeda hostibus. ~ Note: This is a saying by Janus Anysius (Giovanni Aniso); his sayings were sometimes published together with the ancient sayings of Publilius Syrus.

Vita malos, ni vis malus quoque fieri. ~ Note: This is a saying by Janus Anysius (Giovanni Aniso); his sayings were sometimes published together with the ancient sayings of Publilius Syrus.

Sine studio et ardore quodam amoris, in vita nihil quidquam fit egregium. ~ Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.