Latin Quotes

Noli turbare circulos meos! - Don't disturb my circles!

Augustus Caesar
Celerius quam asparagi cocuntur. - Quicker than cooking asparagus.
Festina Lente. - Make haste slowly.

Julius Caesar
Alea iacta est. - The die is cast.
Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt. - Men readily believe what they wish.
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres. - All of Gaul is divided into three parts.
Veni, vidi, vici! - I came, I saw, I conquered.

Cato the Elder
Carthago delenda est. - Carthage must be destroyed.

Catullus
Da mi basia mille, deinde centum, deinde mille altera, deinde centum. - GIve me a thousand kisses, then a hundred, then another thousand, then a second hundred.
Lugete, O Veneres Cupidinesque - Mourn, O Cupids and Venuses
Odi et amo! - I love and I hate!
Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus - Let us love, my Lesbia, and let us love

Cicero
Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit. - He departed, he escaped, he rushed forth.
Cedant arma togae, concedat laurea laudi. - May arms yield to the toga.
Cum tacent, clamant. - When they are silent, they are crying out.
Fortuna est caeca. - Fortune is blind.
Honor est praemium virtutis. - Honor is the reward of virtue.
Inhumanitas omni aetate molesta est. - Inhumanity is troublesome in every generation.
In virtute sunt multi levels. - There are many degrees in excellence.
Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus. - We are slaves of laws so that we can be free.
Nihil agere delectat. - It is a delight to do nothing.
Nihil est incertius volgo. - Nothing is more uncertain than the masses.
Nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit. - No fortification is such that it cannot be subdued with money.
Num barbarorum Romulus rex fuit? - Romulus was not a king of barbarians, was he?
Omnium rerum principia parva sunt. - The beginnings of all things are small.
O, praeclarum custodem, ovium lupum! - O, excellent protector of sheep, the wolf!
O tempora! O mores! - Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!
Patria est communis omnium parens. - Our fatherland is the common parent of everyone.
Pauci veniunt ad senectutem. - Few people come to old age.
Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? - How long now, Catiline, will you abuse our patience?
Saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit. - Often it is not even useful to know what may be.
Salus populi suprema lex esto. - May the safety of the people be the highest law.
Semper idem. - Always the same.
Stultum est timere quod vitare non potes. - It is stupid to be afraid of that which you cannot avoid.
Summum ius, summa iniuria. - The utmost law is the utmost injustice.
Tarditas et procrastinatio odiosa est. - Delay and procrastination is troublesome.
Trahimur omnes laudis studio. - We are all taken in by an enthusiasm for praise.

Descartes
Cogito ergo sum. - I think therefore I am.

Livy
Periculum in mora. There is danger in delay.
Potius sero quam numquam. It is better to be late than never.

Ovid
Bene qui latuit, bene vixit. - One who has lived well has lived unnoticed.
Exitus acta probat. - The end proves the deeds.
Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi, sed saepe cadendo. - A drop of water hollows a stone, not by force, but by continuously dripping.
Medio tutissimus ibis. - You will go safest in the middle.
Nemo ante mortem beatus. - No one is happy before one's death.
Omnia iam fient fieri quae posse negabam. - All the things which I denied could happen are now happening.
Omnia mea mecum porto. - I carry with me all my things.
Omnia mutantur; nihil interit. - All things are changed; nothing dies.
Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit. - He who is not prepared today will be less prepared tomorrow.
Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas. - Often a wild thorn produces tender roses.
Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. - Times are changing and we are changing with them.

Plautus
Quem di diligunt adolescens moritur. - He whom the gods prefer dies a young man.

Pliny the Elder
Cum grano salis. - With a grain of salt.

Pliny the Younger
Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit. - There is no book so bad that it is not beneficial in some respect.

Vergil
Arma virumque cano. - I sing of arms and a man.
Aspirat primo Fortuna labori. - Fortune favors upon one's first effort.
Audentes fortuna iuvat. - Fortune favors the bold.
Fama volat. - Rumor flies.
Fata viam invenient. - The Fates will find a way.
Labor omnia vincit. - Work overcomes all things.
Mirabile dictu. - Remarkable to say.
Ne cede malis. - May you not give way to evil things.
Non omnes possumus omnia. - We cannot all do everything.
Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. - Whatever it is, I fear Greeks bearing gifts.
Tanta molis erat Romanam condere gentem. - Such a great task it was to found the Roman race.