(click image for a larger view)
2651. Antiqui mores serventur.
Note the subjunctive: serventur, "Let the ancient customs be kept."
2652. Via antiqua via est tuta.
Notice how the noun phrase, "via tuta," wraps around the verb - very elegant!
2653. Sto super vias antiquas.
Compare the Thorp family motto: Super vias antiquas.
2654. Antiqua sunt optima.
Note that the adjectives are being used substantively: antiqua, "the ancient (things)."
2655. Antiquum decus floreat.
Note the subjunctive: floreat.
2656. Antiquis debetur veneratio.
[veneratio: reverence, worship, respect] This is one of the sayings collected by Erasmus in his Adages, 3.10.15.
2657. Senibus debetur veneratio.
Here the sense is not of old things or olden times but of old people: senibus, from the adjective senex.
2658. Iuveni parandum, seni utendum.
[iuvenis: youth, young person] The gerundive takes a dative complement to express agency: the young man needs to get (things) ready, the old man to use (them).
2659. Quem amat deus, moritur iuvenis.
Notice how the adjective iuvenis agrees with the unexpressed subject of the verb, moritur; in English we might say, "dies young."
2660. Officia iuvenum, imperia seniorum.
[officium: duty, service, public office] Here the genitive conveys the sense of possession or appropriateness: young men have duties, old men have positions of authority.
2661. ex officio
This is a Latin phrase you will still find used in English, as when members of a committee or board are members "ex officio," because of some other office they hold.
2662. Age officium tuum.
This is a motto of the Abbott family.
2663. Primum hominis officium est suo esse contentum.
Notice how the infinitive phrase, "suo esse contentum," functions as a noun here, providing the predicate of the sentence.
2664. Contentus vivo parvo.
[parvus: small, little; dim. parvulus] Notice how the adjective contentus agrees with the subject of the verb; if a woman wanted to choose this as a personal motto (it's one I would definitely consider choosing), then you would need the feminine form: Contenta vivo parvo.
2665. Ex parvo satis.
This motto is accompanied by a truly bizarre emblematic image here - image. If anyone know more about the symbolic traditions in this image, and how they connect to the phrase "ex parvo satis," let me know!
2666. Magnum in parvo.
This is, appropriately enough, a motto of the Little family!
2667. Multum in parvo.
Wikipedia informs me that this phrase is associated with the pug dog!
2668. Parvum parva decent.
Notice that parva is neuter plural, "little things," while parvum is masculine singular, "a little man."
2669. Parva leves capiunt animos.
Here parva, "little things," has a quite negative sense, little in the sense of being of little value, frivolous, etc.
2670. Ex ore parvulorum veritas.
Here the word parvus in the diminutive form, parvulus, means small in the sense of age: ex ore parvulorum, "out of the mouths of babes," as we say in English.
2671. Parva domus, parva cura.
Here a parva domus does not have any negative connotations at all; this is small in the sense of economical, modest, etc.
2672. Parva domus, magna quies.
This is a nice paradoxical parallel: parva/magna, domus/quies.
2673. Natura parvo contenta est.
Compare the saying you saw earlier: Natura est paucis contenta.
2674. Disce parvo esse contentus.
Notice that the adjective, contentus, agrees with the subject of the imperative: tu, you.
2675. E parvo semine, multa messis.
This is another one of those great/small paradoxes; compare the saying you saw earlier: Parva domus, magna quies.
2676. Non parvum est seipsum noscere.
Here you have an example of rhetorical litotes, also called "understatement," in English; instead of "magnum" you have here instead: "non parvum."
2677. Quam parva sapientia regitur mundus!
Note that this is the exclamatory use of quam: quam parva sapientia! by how little wisdom! (ablative case).
2678. Maxima de parvis fiunt incendia flammis.
[incendium: fire, conflagration] Notice how the interwoven phrases, "maxima incendia" and "de parvis flammis" puts an emphasis on the paradoxical pairing: "minima de parvis."
2679. Ex scintilla, incendium.
[scintilla: spark] Note that the verb is implied but not stated: ex scintilla (fit) incendium.
2680. Ex minima magnus scintilla nascitur ignis.
As in the previous saying (Maxima de parvis fiunt incendia flammis), the word order puts an emphasis on the paradox: Ex minima magnus.
2681. Quaeritat in cinere scintillas, qui caret igne.
[quaerito: seek, keep on seeking, look for] Here the contrast is between the full-blown fire, igne, and the little spark: scintilla - if you don't have the ignis, you need to look for the scintilla.
2682. Cui igne opus est, quaeritat et in cinere.
This is a variation on the previous saying; Note the adverbial use of "et" here, meaning something like "even" - et in cinere, "even in the ashes."
2683. Divisus ignis exstinguetur celerius.
[celer: swift, quick, rapid; adv. celeriter] Note the future tense: exstinguetur. This is another one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.
2684. Quo celerius, eo melius.
Notice how quo...eo coordinates the comparison; in English, we would just say "The quicker, the better."
2685. Bis dat qui celeriter dat.
The idea is that if you give quickly, it is twice as good: bis dat.
2686. Nil est quod caute simul agas et celeriter.
Note how the subjunctive, agas, gives the statement a hypothetical quality.
2687. Quo celerius, eo tardius.
Unlike the previous saying - Quo celerius, eo melius - this saying expresses a more negative view about acting in haste: paradoxically, haste can slow you down!
2688. Fama nihil est celerius.
Note that fama here is in the ablative, expressing the comparison: fama celerius, "swifter than rumor."
2689. Mente nihil celerius.
[mens: mind, thought, reason] As often, the verb "est" is implied but not expressed: Mente nihil (est) celerius.
2690. Menti quolibet ire licet.
The quo in quolibet expresses the idea of direction: wherever it wants, in whatever direction it wants.
2691. Hominum mentes variae.
This is a good saying to help remind you of the gender of the noun, mens - feminie; hence mentes variae.
2692. Mens cuiusque is est quisque.
This is the motto of the Pepys family and, as such, it is inscribed on the Pepys Library.
2693. Facies qualis, mens talis.
This is another one of those "qualis...talis" sayings, like the ones you have seen before, e.g. "Qualis vir, talis oratio."
2694. Mentem hominis agnoscis ex operibus eius.
The words are adapted from Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, 1.
2695. Mens bona nil timet.
Here is a fuller form of the saying: Mens bona nil timet; contra, mala semper timida.
2696. Cui mens est stulta, pro paucis vult dare multa.
Notice how the dative, cui, is used here to express what would be possession in English: cui mens est stulta, (he) whose mind is foolish.
2697. Altera mens asini, mens altera qui regit illum.
This "alter...alter" saying is like the "aliud...aliud" sayings you have seen before: The mind of a donkey is one kind of mind; the mind which drives the donkey is different.
2698. Hominis mens discendo alitur.
Note the use of the gerund in the ablative case, discendo: "by means of learning, by learning."
2699. Mens alitur discendo et cogitando.
This is an amplified version of the previous saying, now with two gerunds: discendo and cogitando.
2700. Sapientia perfectum bonum est mentis humanae.
The words are from one of the letters of Seneca, 89.
Scala 55 (2701-2750)
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