Quotes,
Phrases, Mottoes, and Abbreviations to Know
Festina Lente —
Make Haste, Slowly
- Favorite saying of Emperor Augustus
Veni, vidi,
vici —
I came, I saw, I conquered
- Said by Julius Caesar after the battle of Zela
Ab urbe
condita (a.u.c.)
— from the founding of the city
- Used by Livy as a title for his history of Rome
from its
founding in 753 BC
Ab ovo usque
ad mala
— from the egg all the way to the apple
- Meaning, “from the beginning to the
end,” specifically of a meal
Alea iacta
est
— The die is cast
- Said by Julius Caesar when he crossed the
Rubicon, starting
the Civil War with Pompey the Great. It meant that there was
no turning back.
SPQR (Senatus
Populusque
Romanus) —The Senate and the Roman
People
- Found on sewer covers, arches, and the Standard
(pole
carried in battle)
Carthago
delenda est — Carthage
must be destroyed
- Said by Cato the Censor at the end of all his
speeches,
before the 3rd Punic War
Semper Paratus
—
Always Prepared
Semper fideles
—
Always faitful
Vae Victis!
— Woe to the Vanquished!
- Said by Gallic chieftain Brennus when the Gauls
sacked Rome
in 390 BC
Esse
quam
videri —
To be rather than to seem
Dum spiro,
spero —
While I breathe, I hope
Ad astra per
aspera —
To the stars through difficulty
M.O. (Modus
Operandi)
— method of operating
- Legal term, referring to the way a particular
criminal
operates
Cum
grano salis
— With a grain of salt
Tempus fugit —
Time flies
Ad nauseam —
to (the point of) disgust
Non sequitur —
it does not follow
Deo volente —
God willing
i.e.
(id est)
— that is
e.g.
(exempli
gratia)
— for the sake of an example
etc.
(et
cetera)
— and so forth
Ibid
(Ibidem)
— in the same place
Q.E.D.
(Quod
erat
demonstrandum) —which was to be proved
Caveat
Emptor
— Let the buyer beware
Latina
Vivit
— Latin Lives
Cave
Canem!
— Beware of the Dog!
Copyright
2003 by Mark
Spreitzer