Harbottle's Classical Latin Quotations

003.02

2011-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

Accipitri timidas credis, furiose, columbas?
Plenum montano credis ovile lupo?

Ovid. De arte Amandi, II., 363.

Are you mad enough to trust the hawk with your timid doves, or the mountain wolf with the crowded sheepfold?

Accipitrī timidās crēdis, furiōsē, columbās?
Plēnum montānō crēdis ovīle lupō?

accipiter, -tris, m., bird of prey, falcon, hawk.
timidus, -a, -um, fearful, afraid, cowardly, timid.
crēdō, -ere, -didī, -ditus, w/dat., entrust to, give belief to.
furiōsē, adv., madly, insanely.
columba, -ae, f., dove, pigeon.
plēnus, -a, -um, full, plump.
montānus, -a, -um, of mountains, belonging to mountains.
ovīle, -is, n., a sheepfold.
lupus, -ī, m., a wolf.

003.01

2011-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

Accipe nunc Danaum insidias, et crimine ab uno
Disce omnis.

Virgil. Aeneid, II., 65.

Now listen while my tongue declares
The tale you ask of Danaan snares,
And gather from a single charge
Their catalogue of crimes at large. - (Conington.)

Accipe nunc Dana(ōr)um īnsidiās, et crīmine ab ūnō
Disce omnīs (omnēs).

accipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptus, take, hear, grasp, accept, understand.
nunc, adv., now.
īnsidiae, -ārum, f., snare, trap, ambush, crafty device.
crīmen, -inis, n., crime, offense.
ūnus, -a, -um (gen. -īus, dat. -ī), one.
discō, -ēre, didicī, -, learn, come to know.
omnis, -e, all, every, everyone, everything.

002.07

2011-01-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Acceptissima semper
Munera sunt auctor quae pretiosa facit.

Ovid. Heroides, XVII., 71.

Those gifts are ever most acceptable
Which take their value only from the giver.

Acceptissima semper
Mūnera sunt auctor quae pretiōsa facit.

acceptus, -a, -um, welcome, pleasing, popular (superlative).
semper, adv., always,for ever.
mūnus, -eris, n., present, gift.
auctor, -ōris, m., producer, originator, author.
pretiōsus, -a, -um, valuable, of high price.
faciō, -ere, fēcī, factus, make, cause, bring about.

002.06

2011-01-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Accendebat haec, onerabatque Sejanus, peritia morum Tiberii odia in longum jaciens, quae reconderet auctaque promeret.

Tacitus. Annals, I., 69.

All this was inflamed and aggravated by Sejanus, who with his thorough comprehension of the character of Tiberius, sowed for a distant future hatreds which the emperor might treasure up and might exhibit when fully matured. - (Church and Brodribb.)

Accendēbat haec, onerābatque Sēiānus, perītia mōrum Tiberiī odia in longum iaciēns, quae reconderet auctaque prōmeret.

onerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, burden, overwhelm, oppress.
Sēiānus, -ī, m., Lucius Aelius Sejanus, d. A.D. 31, son of Sejus Strabo, a (former) trusted advisor of Emperor Tiberius.
perītia, -ae, f., experience, practical knowledge, skill.
mōs, mōris, m., manner, habit, character.
Tiberius, -ī, m., emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero, 42 B.C. - A.D. 37.
odium, -ī, n., hatred, grudge, ill-will.
longus, -a, -um, long, far, boundless.
iaciō, -ere, iēcī, iactum, throw, hurl, cast.
recondō, -ere, -didī, -ditus, put back, lay up, put away (subjunctive).
augeō, -ēre, auxī, auctus, increase, enlarge, increas in power or importance.
prōmō, -ere, prōmpsī, prōmptus, take out, produce, bring to light.

002.05

2011-01-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Accendamque animos insani Martis amore.

Virgil. Aeneid, VII., 550.

I will inflame their minds with lust of furious strife.

Accendamque animōs īnsānī Mārtis amōre.

accendō, -ere, -ī, -cēnsus, kindle, set on fire, inflame.
īnsānus, -a, -um, absurd, of unsound mind, violent, raging.
Mārs, Mārtis, m., God of war, father of Romulus.
amor, -ōris, m., love, affection, strong friendly feeling.

002.04

2011-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ac venerata Ceres, ita culmo surgeret alto,
Explicuit vino contractae seria frontis.

Horace. Satires, II., 2, 124.

And draughts to Ceres, so she'd top the ground
With good tall ears, our frets and worries drowned. - (Conington.)

Ac venerata Cerēs, ita culmō surgeret altō,
Explicuit vīnō contractae sēria frontis.

veneror, -ārī, -ārus sum, reverence, revere, worship, adore.
Cerēs, -eris, f., daughter of Saturn, goddess of agriculture, grain, fruit.
ita, adv., so, thus, in this way.
culmus, -ī, m., stalk, stem, straw (ablative of manner).
surgō, -ere, surrēxī, -, rise, grow up (subjunctive, purpose, final clause).
altus, -a, -um, high, tall.
explicō, -āre, -uī, itus, unfold, extend, loosen.
vīnum, -ī, n., wine (ablative of means or instrument).
sērius, -a, -um, serious, grave, n. pl. serious matters, worries.
contrāctus, -a, -um, narrow, drawn together, wrinkled.
frōns, frontis, f., forehead, brow.

002.03

2011-01-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est
Seditio, saevitque animis ignobile volgus,
Jamque faces et saxa volant (furor arma ministrat);
Tum pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem
Conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant;
Ille regit dictis animos, et pectora mulcet.

Virgil. Aeneid, I., 148.

As when sedition oft has stirred
In some great town the vulgar herd,
And brands and stones already fly, –
For rage has weapons always nigh –
Then should some man of worth appear
Whose stainless virtue all revere,
They hush, they hist: his clear voice rules
Their rebel wills, their anger cools. - (Conington.)

Ac velutī magnō in populō cum saepe coörta est
Sēditiō, saevitque (in) animīs ignōbile volgus,
Iamque facēs et saxa volant (furor arma ministrat);
Tum pietāte gravem ac meritīs sī forte virum quem
Cōnspēxēre (-ērunt), silent, arrectīsque auribus adstant;
Ille regit dictīs animōs, et pectora mulcet.

velutī, like as, like, just as.

magnus, -a, -um, great, large.

in, prep. w/abl., in.

populus, -ī, m., people, nation.

coörior, -īrī, -örtus sum, arise, appear, break forth.

sēditiō, -ōnis, f., insurection, mutiny, civil discord, sedition.

saeviō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus, be furious, rage.

animus, -ī, m., soul, mind, spirit.

ignōbilis, -e, of low birth, baseborn, ignoble.

volgus, -ī, n., mass, multitude, herd, rabble.

iam, adv., now, already.

fax, facis, f., torch, firebrand.

saxum, -ī, n., stone, rock, boulder.

volō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, fly.

furor, -ōris, m., rage, fury.

arma, -ōrum, n. pl., arms, weapons.

ministrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, serve, furnish, supply.

tum, adv., then, at that time.

pietās, -ātis, f., dutiful conduct, sense of duty, piety.

gravis, -e, serious, dignified, venerable.

meritum, -ī, n. merit, due, service.

sī, conj., if.

forte, adv., by chance.

quī, quae, quod, rel. pron., who, which, that.

cōnspiciō, -ere, -spēxī, -spectus, perceive, see, look at attentively.

sileō, silēre, siluī, -, be silent, be still.

arrectus, -a, -um, raised, erect, perked up.

auris, auris, f., the ear (3rd, i-stem).

adstō, -āre, -stetī, -status, stand to, upright.

ille, illa, illud, demonstr. pron., he, she, it, that.

regō, -ere, rēxī, rēctus, govern, rule.

dictum, -ī, n., word, utterance, remark.

pectus, -oris, n., breast, heart, feeling.

mulceo, -ēre, mulsī, mulsus, touch lightly, soothe, calm.

002.02

2011-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Abstineas igitur damnandis; hujus enim vel
Una potens ratio est, ne crimina nostra sequantur
Ex nobis geniti; quoniam dociles imitandis
Turpibus ac pravis omnes sumus.

Juvenal. Satires, XIV., 38.

Refrain then from doing ill; for one all powerful reason, lest our children should copy our misdeeds; we are all too prone to imitate whatever is base and depraved.

Abstineās igitur damnandīs; huius enim vel ūna pōtēns ratiō est, nē crīmina nostra sequantur ex nōbīs genitī; quoniam docilēs imitandīs turpibus ac prāvīs omnēs sumus.

abstineō, -ēre, -tinuī, -tentus, restrain, abstain (abs + teneō; subjunctive).

igitur, conj., usually postpositive, therefore, then.

damnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, harm, condemn, disapprove, blame (gerundive).

hic, haec, hoc (gen. -īus, dat. -ī), demonstr. pron., he, she, it, this.

enim, conj., postpositive, indeed, for, in fact, I mean.

vel, adv., even, actually.

ūnus, -a, -um (gen. -īus, dat. -ī), one.

pōtēns, -entis, powerful.

ratiō, -ōnis, f., reason, account, reckoning.

nē, conj., lest.

crīmen, -inis, n., crime, offense.

noster, -tra, -trum, poss. adj. pron. 2nd plur., our, ours.

sequor, sequī, secūtus sum, follow.

ex, prep. w/abl., from.

nōs, nostrum/nostrī, nōbīs, nōs, nōbīs, pers. pron. 1st plur., we, us.

gīgnō, -ere, genuī, genitus, produce, beget, give birth to.

quoniam, conj., adv., since, because (quom + iam).

docilis, -e, easily taught, docile.

imitor, -āre, -ātus, imitate, mimic (gerundive, ablative of means).

turpis, -e, unseemly, foul, repulsive.

ac, atque, conj., and, and also.

prāvus, -a, -um, crooked, distorted, wrong, improper.

omnis, -e, all, every, everyone.

002.01

2011-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Absentes tinnitu aurium praesentire sermones de se receptum est.

Pliny the Elder. Natural History, XXVIII., 5.

It is generally admitted that the absent are warned by a ringing in the ears, when they are being talked about.

Absentēs tinnītū aurium praesentīre sermōnēs dē sē receptum est.

tinnītus, -ūs, m., a ringing, jingling, tingling (ablative of means or instrument).

auris, auris, f., the ear (3rd, i-stem).

praesentiō, -īre, -sēnsī, -sēnsus, feel or perceive beforehand.

sermō, -ōnis, m., conversation, discussion.

dē, prep. w/abl., about, concerning.

recipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptus, receive, accept.

001.09

2011-01-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Absentem qui rodit amicum,
Qui non defendit alio culpante, solutos
Qui captat risus hominum, famamque dicacis,
Fingere qui non visa potest, commissa tacere
Qui nequit; hic niger est, hunc tu, Romane, caveto.

Horace. Satires, I., 4, 81.

He who maligns an absent friend's fair fame,
Who says no word for him when others blame,
Who courts a reckless laugh by random hits,
Just for the sake of ranking among wits,
Who feigns what he ne'er saw, a secret blabs,
Beware him, Roman! that man steals or stabs. - (Conington.)

Absentem quī rōdit amīcum,
Quī nōn dēfendit aliō culpante, solūtōs
Quī captat rīsūs hominum, fāmamque dicācis,
Fingere quī nōn vīsa potest, commissa tacēre
Quī nequit; hic niger est, hunc tū, Rōmāne, cavētō.

āmīcus, -ī, m., friend.

rōdō, -ere, -sī, -sum, gnaw, backbite, slander, disparage.

nōn, adv., no, not.

dēfendō, -ere, -dī, -fēnsus, ward off, repel, defend.

culpō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, to reproach, blame, condemn (ablative absolute).

solūtus, -a, -um, free, uncontrolled.

captō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, strive after, grasp, provoke.

rīsus, -ūs, m., laughter.

fāma, -ae, f., report, rumor, fame, reputation.

dicāx, -ācis, sarcastic, witty.

fingō, -ere, finxī, fictus, put on, feign.

videō, -ēre, vīsī, vīsum, see, observe.

commissum, -ī, n., a secret, trust.

taceō, -ēre, tacuī, tacitus, be silent, not speak.

nequeō, nequīre, nequīvī, nequitus, be unable, cannot.

hic, haec, hoc, demonstr. pron., he, she, it, this.

niger, -gra, -grum, black, dark, bad, wicked.

tū, tuī, tibi, tē, tē, pers. pron. 2nd sing., you, thou.

Rōmānus, -ī, m., a Roman.

caveō, -ēre, cāvī, cautus, beware, take care, guard against (future active imperative).

001.08

2011-01-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Absentem laedit, cum ebrio qui litigat.

Publilius Syrus, 3.

He who quarrels with a drunken man injures one who is absent.

Absentem laedit, cum ēbriō quī lītigat.

absēns, -entis, absent, missing.

laedō, -ere, laesī, laesus, hurt, wound, injure.

cum, prep. w/abl., with.

ēbrius, -a, -um, full, sated (with drink).

quī, quae, quod, rel. pron., who, which, that.

lītigō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, dispute, quarrel.

001.07

2011-01-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit.

Cicero. In Catilinam, II., 1, 1.

He is gone, he has fled, he has eluded our vigilance, he has broken through our guards.

Abiit, excessit, ēvāsit, ērūpit.

abeō, -īre, -iī, -itus, go from, go away (ab, from + eō, go).

excēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessus, depart, disappear (ex, out from + cēdō, go from, go away, retreat).

ēvādō, -ere, -sī, -sus, get away, escape.

ērumpō, -ere, -rūpī, -ruptus, to break through, burst forth.

001.06

2011-01-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ab ovo usque ad mala.

Horace. Satires, I., 3, 6.

From the eggs to the apples. (From morning till night, in allusion to the Roman cena.)

Ab ōvum ūsque ad māla.

ōvum, -ī, n., an egg.

ūsque, adv., all the way, right on, without interruption.

ad, prep. w/acc., to, toward.

mālum, -ī, n., an apple.

001.05

2011-01-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ab alio exspectes, alteri quod feceris.

Publilius Syrus, 1.

Look to be treated by others as you have treated others.

Ab aliō exspectēs, alterī quod fēceris.

alius, -a, -ud (gen. -īus, dat. -ī), another, other.

exspectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus, expect, await, look out for (subjunctive).

alter, -era, -erum (gen. -īus, dat. -ī), the one, the other (of two).

quī, quae, quod, rel. pron., who, which, that.

faciō, -ere, fēcī, factus, make, do, cause, bring about (subjunctive, relative, result, final clause).

001.04

2011-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

A se suisque orsus primum domum suam coërcuit; quod plerisque haud minus arduum est quam provinciam regere.

Tacitus. Agricola, XIX.

Beginning with himself and his family, he first made himself master in his own house; a thing which is, in many cases, as difficult as the ruling of a province.

Ā sē suīsque ōrsus prīmum domum suam coërcuit; quod plērīsque haud minus arduus est quam prōvinciam regere.

suī, sibi, sē, sē, reflex. pron. 3rd pers., himself, herself, itself, themselves.

suus, -a, -um, 3rd pers. poss. adj. pron., his, her, its, their.

-que, conj., enclitic, and.

ōrdior, ōrdīrī, ōrsus sum, begin, (with ā/ab, ablative of source or descent).

prīmum, adv., first, before all else.

domus, -ūs, f., house.

coërceō, -ēre, -cuī, -citus, restrain, check, tame, correct.

quī, quae, quod, rel. pron., who, which, that.

plērusque, -raque, -rumque, a very great part, a good many.

haud, adv., not, not at all, by no means.

minus, adv., less.

arduus, -a, -um, steep, difficult.

quam, conj., after a comparitive, than.

prōvincia, -ae, f., territory, province.

regō, -ere, rēxī, rēctus, govern, rule.

001.03

2011-01-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

A proximis quisque minime anteiri vult.

Livy. Histories, VI., 94.

Every one has a special objection to being excelled by his own relations.

Ā proximīs quisque minimē anteīrī vult.

proximus, -a, -um, nearest, very near (superl. of propior, near).

quisque, quaeque, quidque, each, every, everyone, everything.
minimē, adv., not at all, in no way.
anteeō, -īre, -iī, -itus, surpass (ante, before + eō, go).
volō, velle, voluī, -, want, be willing.

001.02

2011-01-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

A prima descendit origine mundi
Causarum series.

Lucan. Pharsalia, VI., 608.

Even from the first beginnings of the world
Descends a chain of causes.

Ā prīmā dēscendit orīgine mundī causārum seriēs.

prīmus, -a, -um, first.

dēscendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scensum, come down, descend.
orīgo -inis, f. origin, source, beginning.
mundus, -ī, m., the universe, the world.
seriēs, acc. -em, abl. -e, f. chain, row, succession.

001.01

2011-01-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

A diis quidem immortalibus quae potest homini major esse poena, furore atque dementia?

Cicero. De Haruspicum Responsis, XVIII., 39.

What greater punishment can the immortal gods inflict on man than madness or insanity?

Ā diīs quidem immortālibus quae potest hominī maior esse poena, furōre atque dēmentiā?

ā, ab, abs, prep w/abl., by, from.

dīus, -ī, (dīvus) m., god.
quidem, adv., indeed.
immortālis, -e, everlasting, imperishable.
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron., who, which, that.
possum, posse, potuī, -, to be able, can (cf. sum).
homō, -inis, man, human being.
sum, esse, fuī, (fūtūrus), be, exist.
poena, -ae, f., punishment.
furōr, -ōris, m., madness, insanity (ablative of comparison with separative ablative).
atque, conj., and, and also.
dēmentia, -ae, f., senselessness, insanity (ablative of comparison with separative ablative).
maior, maius, -ōris, greater, larger (comparitive of magnus, -a, -um, great).