The Grammarian – Great Latin mottos

Why did all the best phrases and mottos originate in Latin? From the classic “Vivere est cogitare” (‘To live is to think’ – Cicero), to the thoughtful “Verba volant, scripta manet” (‘Words fly away, writings remain’ – Caius Titus) and even down to the very modern “Vero possumus” (‘Yes we can!’ – Barack Obama…..OK, so a bit of poetic license there on my part!), the fact remains that if you want to say something profound, it’s far better said in Latin.

So I’ve compiled a short list of a few of my favourite Latin mottos – feel free to reuse or appropriate as needs be….others have done exactly the same over the years!

“Video sed non credo” – I see it, but I don’t believe it.

Caspar Hoffman after being shown proof of the circulatory system by William Harvey.

“Vincit qui se vincit”  – He conquers who conquers himself.

This is an adaptation of a phrase ‘Bis vincit qui se vincit in victoria’ meaning “He conquers twice who conquers himself when he is victorious”.

So, in the original sense, control your urge to be arrogant, smug, cruel, or vindictive when you win….and in the shortened sense, control your emotions in general. No surprise then that this is used as a motto by many schools!

“Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo” –  If I can not bend the will of Heaven, I shall move Hell.

Originally spoken by Juno in Virgil’s Aeneid, this phrase is perhaps best-known today for appearing as a dedication in Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams.

It is certainly a phrase that doesn’t pull any punches; i.e. you will achieve your objectives by any means necessary! I’m not sure whether it is the appropriate phrase to use in a scientific paper, since it does indicate that you will bend the facts to fit your theory…..but who am I to argue with Freud?!

“Oderint dum metuant” – Let them hate so long as they fear.

This saying (attributed to one of Rome’s most brutal dictators, Caligula) was rather elegantly reworked by Niccolo Machiavelli, the eponymous author, which I think sets it in a more understandable context:

“It is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved? It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.”

“Astra inclinant, sed non obligant” – The stars incline us, they do not bind us.

Especially loved by classicists, who always have a love:hate relationship with the Gods.

This phrase reaffirms that free will does exist, and that, even though fate might guide us in a certain direction, we are ultimately responsible for our own actions.

“Sic semper tyrannis” – Thus always to tyrants.

This is a shortened version of the phrase “Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis“ – Thus always I bring death to tyrants’.

No surprise then that this has become the phrase of choice over the years for assassins and terrorists, from the original inspiration (Julius Caeser ) to John Wilkes Booth (who may….or may not have shouted this out whilst assassinating President Abraham Lincoln) through to Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber who wore it emblazoned on his t-shirt).

“Non ducor, duco” – I am not led, I lead.

Adopted by original thinkers everywhere, including an early Apple commercial, which seems to be rather a fitting quote with which to end this blog:

“This is for fools. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. Those round pieces in the square holes. Those who see things differently. They do not like rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them or vilify them. But the only thing you can not do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are those that, in fact, change. “