Daily Latin

Hecato, via Seneca, goes full stoic. Desines timere, si sperare desieris. You will cease to fear if you have ceased to hope. Desines: you will cease Timere: to fear Si: if Sperare: to hope Desieris: you will have ceased

Ausonius recalls the Spartan ethos Mater Lacaena clipeo obarmans filium, “Cum hoc," inquit, "aut in hoc redi.” A Spartan mother, arming her son with a shield, said: “With this, or on this, return”. Mater: mother Lacaena: Spartan, Lacedaemon Clipeo: with a shield Obarmans: arming Filium: son Cum hoc: with this Inquit: she said Aut in hoc: or on this Redi: return

Augustine condemns the slave traders. Mercatores autem si non essent, illa non fierent. However, if there were not the merchants, those things would not happen Mercatores: merchants Autem: however Si non essent: if they were not Illa: those things Non fierent: would not happen

Caesar dominates. Iubet arma tradi, principes produci. He orders the weapons to be handed over and the chiefs to be brought forth. Iubet: he orders Arma: the weapons Tradi: to be handed over Principes: the chiefs, leaders Produci: to be brought forth

Obsoquens records an ancient UFO sighting C. Mario L. Valerio coss. Sub occasu solis orbis clipei similis ab occidente ad orientem visus perferri.  C. Mario L. Valerio coss.: In the consulship of Gaius Marius and Lucius Valerius (c. 100 BCE) Under the setting of the sun, a shield-like disc was seen to be moving from the west to the east. Sub: under Occasu: the setting (ablative of time) Solis: of...

Themistius ponders things of a timeless and higher order. Nam quae rebus mundanis excelsiora sunt, generationem non habent. For those things that are higher than worldly things, do not have an origin. Nam: for Quae: those things Rebus: things Mundanis: by, with or from worldly Excelsiora: higher, loftier Sunt: are Generationem: birth, origin Non habent: do not have

Livy records the rites before battle. Romani consules, priusquam educerent in aciem, immolaverunt. The Roman consuls, before they led out [their troops] into the line of battle, offered sacrifices.  Romani: Roman Consules: consuls Priusquam: before Educerent: they led out In: into the Aciem: the battle line Immolaverunt: they offered sacrifice

Cicero recounts the brave standing up against injustice. Agyrinenses, viri fortissimi, iudicio se passuros esse dicebant. The Agyrinenses, bravest of men, said they would submit themselves to stand trial.  Agyrinenses: The Agyrinenses or the people of Agyrium Viri: men Fortissimi: bravest, most courageous Iudicio: to stand trial or for judgment Se: themselves Passuros esse: would submit Dicebant:...

Seneca finds happiness where others don’t look. Honesta res est laeta paupertas. Cheerful povery is an honourable thing. Honesta: honourable Res: thing Est: is Laeta: cheerful Paupertas: poverty

Petronius begins a rant on new money. Uxor, inquit, Trimalchionis, Fortunata appellatur, quae nummos modio metitur. The wife of Trimalchio, he said, is called Fortunata, who measures out coins by the bushel. Uxor: wife Inquit: he said Trimalchionis: of Trimalchio Fortunata: proper noun name meaning fortunate Appellatur: is called or named Quae: who Nummos: coins Modio: by the bushel Metitur: measu...

Lucretius says nothing comes from nothing Nullam rem e nihilo gigni divinitus umquam. No thing is at any time to be created from nothing by divine power Nullum: no Rem: thing E nihilo: from nothing Gigni: to be born or created Divinitus: by divine power Umquam: Ever, at any time

Ausonius ponders the power of speech. Modo intellego, quam mellea res sit oratio. I understand only now how honey sweet a thing eloquence is. Modo: only now Intellego: I understand Quam: how, what Mellea: honey sweet Res: thing Sit: is Oratio: speech, eloquence

Seneca looks inward and finds himself wanting. Inquirenti mihi in me quaedam vitia apparebant. To me, inquiring into myself, certain faults became apparent. Inquirenti: As I was examining Mihi: to me In me: into myself Quaedam: certain Vitia: Faults Apparebant: became apparent

Martial takes down an opponent with slight and wit. Non scribit, cuius carmina nemo legit. He writes not, whose poems no one reads. Non: not Scribit: he writes Cuius: whose Carmina: poems, songs Nemo: no one Legit: reads

Cato tells you what to do when buying a house De domino bono bonoque aedificatore melius emetur. A purchase will be better made from a good owner and a good builder. De: from Domino bono bonoque aedificatore: from a good owner and a good builder Melius: better Emetur: a purchase will be made

Archimedes sets the standard for focusing on a problem. Noli, obsecro, istum disturbare. Do not, I beg, disturb that (figures in the sand) Noli: do not Obsecro: I beg Istum: that Disturbare: to disturb or disrupt

Martial makes sense of staying up late. Quod nimio gaudes noctem producere vino, ignosco. That you take pleasure to prolong the night with too much wine, I forgive. Quod: that Nimio: of too much Vino: of wine Gaudes: you take pleasure Noctem: night Producere: to prolong Ignosco: I forgive

While Rome fights its enemy, its enemy bribes Rome’s rulers. Sallust comments on true power’s place in one’s mind. Sed dux atque imperator vitae mortalium animus est. However the leader and commander of mortal life is the mind. Sed: but, however Dux: leader Atque: and also Imperator: commander, ruler Vitae: of life Mortalium of mortals Animus: mind Est: is

Medea, betrayed, lets loose at the injustice. Merita contempsit mea qui scelere flammas viderat vinci et mare? Has he despised my merits—who by treachery had seen flames and sea to be conquered? Merita mea: my merits Contempsit: he despised Qui: who Scelere: by treachery Flammas: flames Viderat: had seen Vinci: to be conquered Et mare: and sea

Cassian chastises the lazy In desideriis est omnis otiosus, et iterum: desideria pigrum occidunt. Every idle person is given over to desires; and again: desires kill the lazy. In desideriis: given over to desires. Est: is Omnis otiosus: every idle person. Et iterum: and again. Desideria: desires Pigrum: the lazy (person) Occidunt: (it) kills

Seneca bores of rhetorical games  Fatebor vobis, iam res taedio est. I will confess to you all, this matter is now tiresome. Fatebor: I will confess. Vobis: to you (all). Iam: now or already. Res: thing, matter, situation Taedio: a source of weariness or tiresome. Est: is

Sidonius is grateful to have his life spared, and doesn’t care what others say about that. Vincant eloquio, dummodo nos domino. Let them prevail in eloquence, as long as we are for our lord. Vincant: Let them prevail. Eloquio: in eloquence. Dummodo: as long as. Nos: we Domino: for our lord

The great Ulysses knows to avoid the once great Ajax who has lost his mind. Videre mentis compotem compos queam. I wish to see him in possession of his mind and self-controlled. Videre: to see Mentis: of (his) mind Compotem: in control of, in possession of. Compos: self-controlled, possessing control. Queam: I wish to.

Martial challenges your expectations with this pithy line. Quid nunc saeua fugis placidi, lepus, ora leonis? Why do you now flee the fierce jaws of the gentle lion, hare? Quid nunc: why now? Saeua: fierce Fugis: you flee Placidi: gentle, calm Lepus: hare Ora: mouth Leonis: of the lion

Horace reminds us that no fate surpasses any station we may hold in life Aequa lege Necessitas sortitur insignis et imos. Necessity assigns according to a fair law, to the high and low born alike.  aequa: with a fair; in the feminine singular ablative Lege: with a law; in the feminine singular ablative Together, aequa lege are an ablative of manner meaning ‘with a fair law’ or ‘according to a fair...