MAGNUS

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: MAGNUS.

magnum opus ~ Note: This Latin phrase is still commonly used in English! It's also a good way to remember the gender of the third-declension noun opus: magnum, neuter.

Magna opera Domini. ~ Note: The words are from Psalms, 110.

A magnis, maxima. ~ Note: This expresses the idea that from big things come the biggest things, the greatest outcomes, the largest effects, etc.

Ne magna loquaris. ~ Note: The use of "ne" plus the subjunctive is a common way to express a negative command in Latin, as here: ne loquaris. (The indicative second person would be loqueris; just change the vowel and you've got the subjunctive: loquāris.)

Fuge magna. ~ Note: This is more good advice from Horace, in his Epistles 1.10.

Vive tibi et longe nomina magna fuge. ~ Note: This is a sentiment expressed in Ovid's Tristia, 3. Of course, if Ovid had taken such advice to heart earlier on in his life, he might never have had to write the Tristia at all!

Magna vis auri. ~ Note: This is a variation on the previous saying, now with aurum in place of pecunia. You can find this sentiment in Cicero's Tusculan Disputations, 5.

Magna est res scire vivere, maior scire mori. ~ Note: Notice how the infinitive phrases are being used as nouns: scire vivere and scire mori.

Magnum in parvo. ~ Note: This is, appropriately enough, a motto of the Little family!

Magna ne iactes, sed praestes. ~ Note: As in the previous saying, the subjunctive praestes here has the force of a command: (magna) praestes, "you should perform great deeds."

Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus. ~ Note: These words come from Horace's Satires, 1.9.

Nil sine magno labore. ~ Note: This expands on the previous saying - not just labore, but magno labore.

Nil magnum nisi bonum. ~ Note: In other words, if something is less than good, it is less than great! This is the motto of St. Catherine's School in Australia.

Secunda felices, adversa magnos probant. ~ Note: Note that the neuter plural nouns secunda and adversa are being used substantively here, and they are the subject of the verb probant.

Adversa magnos probant. ~ Note: Here you see adversa, neuter plural, being used substantively, and so also magnos, masculine plural, used substantively: Adverse (things) test great (men).

Magna fortunae dona non sunt sine metu. ~ Note: The double negative of "non sine metu," "not without fear," means that they are indeed accompanied by fear!

Magna vis pecuniae. ~ Note: Here you have a noun phrase as the subject, vis pecuniae (the power of money) and a predicate adjective, agreeing with vis: magna.

Vicinum habere malum magnum est malum. ~ Note: Note that the infinitive is being used as a noun here, "vicinum habere malum" which is the subject of the verb. Note also how the object of the infinitive is wrapped around the infinitive, while the predicate noun phrase (magnum...malum) is wrapped around the verb. Very elegant!

Res est magna tacere. ~ Note: Be careful here separating the subject and predicate here, since "res...magna" is wrapped around the verb: It is a great thing (res magna) to keep quiet (tacere). You can find this observation in Martial's Epigrams, 4.80.

Magnum magna decent. ~ Note: The word decet can be used impersonally, with an infinitive complement, as in the previous proverb, but it can also be used with an actual subject, as here, where magna (neuter plural) is the subject of the verb, decent, and magnum (masculine singular) is the object: Great things befit a great man.

Magna vis necessitatis. ~ Note: Note the implied verb: Magna (est) vis necessitatis.

Magna negotia viris magnis committenda. ~ Note: The gerundive committenda, agreeding with the subject, negotia, expresses a command: Great activities must be entrusted to great men.

Ad magna praemia magno labore venitur. ~ Note: The passive verb, venitur, is an impersonal construction - you can render it with a generalizing "we" in English: "We means of great effort, we reach great rewards."

Imperium habere vis magnum? Impera tibi. ~ Note: Careful with vis here: this is not the noun vis, but the verb, second-person singular from volo.

In magno magni capiuntur flumine pisces. ~ Note: Note the elegant interlaced word order where the magno from one phrase (in magno flumine) is able to stand next to the magni from another phrase (magni pisces).

Honesta quam magna. ~ Note: Note how the word "quam" here implies a comparison, even though there is no comparative adjective or adverb. The idea is something like this: (Malo) honesta quam magna, "(I want) honest things rather than great things."

Omnis lupus magnus. ~ Note: As a fuller version of the saying explains: Omnis lupus magnus; hoc est: timor omnia maiora fingit - Every wolf is big; that is: fear imagines all things as bigger (than they are).

Magni citius et facilius ruunt. ~ Note: This is one of the moral sayings of Michael Verinus.

In se magna ruunt. ~ Note: The words are from the poet Lucan, in reference to the downfall of great efforts - they crash down upon themselves, all as part of a divine plan: In se magna ruunt: laetis hunc numina rebus / crescendi posuere modum.

Magna est vis consuetudinis. ~ Note: Here is the passage in Cicero's Tusculan Disputations, 2: Consuetudinis magna est vis: pernoctant venatores in nive, in montibus uri se patiuntur.

Magni fures minores morte damnant. ~ Note: Note the nicely satirical parallel: Magni fures minores (fures) morte damnant.

Magnum in pecunia praesidium. ~ Note: The saying is adapted from Cicero's speech In Verrem, 1.

Parva domus, magna quies. ~ Note: This is a nice paradoxical parallel: parva/magna, domus/quies.

In minimis rebus saepe res magnae deprehenduntur. ~ Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Modicum modice erit magnum. ~ Note: This is a motto of the Williamson family.

Parvus pendetur fur, magnus abire videtur. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 859.

Ex minimis initiis magna. ~ Note: This is a variation on the previous saying, but somewhat more modest this time: magna, instead of maxima.

Magna civitas, magna solitudo. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings Erasmus included in his Adagia, 2.4.54.

Sis animo magnus, sis moribus agnus. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1267.

Si lupus est agnum, non est mirabile magnum. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1240.

Magnum praesidium in periculis innocentia. ~ Note: The words are from one of the Controversiae of Seneca the Elder.

Magnum est praesidium conscientia. ~ Note: Note how the predicate noun phrase, "magnum praesidium," wraps elegantly around the verb.

Magna vis conscientiae. ~ Note: Here you have a noun with a predicate adjective: magna (est) vis conscientiae.

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.

Dignus erit magno, qui parva capit iubilando. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 242.

Ex minima magnus scintilla nascitur ignis. ~ Note: As in the previous saying (Maxima de parvis fiunt incendia flammis), the word order puts an emphasis on the paradox: Ex minima magnus.

Multa novit vulpes, sed erinaceus unum magnum. ~ Note: Compare the saying in the Adagia of Erasmus, 1.5.18: Multa novit vulpes, verum echinus unum magnum.

Nemo magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino umquam fuit. ~ Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Magnum donum despicit qui seipsum non cognoscit. ~ Note: You can find this saying in the famous debate between Marcolf and King Solomon.

A cane non magno saepe tenetur aper. ~ Note: This item is listed in Tosi, 1227.

Ad magna praemia, magno labore venitur. ~ Note: This is one of the moral sayings of Michael Verinus.

Magnum est quidem hostem vincere, se autem maximum. ~ Note: This is a saying by Janus Anysius (Giovanni Aniso); his sayings were sometimes published together with the ancient sayings of Publilius Syrus.

Magnus est in re publica campus, multis apertus cursus ad laudem. ~ Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Qui mortem non timet, magnum is sibi praesidium ad beatam vitam comparavit. ~ Note: This is included by André Rouillé in his anthology of Cicero's notable sententiae.

Adde parum modico, modicum superadde pusillo; saepius hoc faciens, magnum cumulabis acervum. ~ Note: Bellaria / Alar: Adde parum modico, modicum superadde pusillo: saepius hoc faciens, magnum cumulabis acervum.

Ad magna gaudia perveniri non potest, nisi per magnos labores. ~ Note: This item is listed in Tosi, 1685.

Ne dubita, cum magna petes, impendere parva. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings included in the distichs attributed to the so-called "Cato." Here is the complete distich: Ne dubita, cum magna petes, impendere parva: / his etenim pressos contingit gloria raro.

Ira brevis melior magnis damnis, ut opinor. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 564.

Unoculo est magna caro de lumine cura. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1403.

Qui nimis alta petit, nec magna pericula credit, in magis ima cadit seque in discrimina tradit. ~ Note: This is one of the sayings collected by Wegeler, 1038.