Latin Via Proverbs

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Latin Via Proverbs 169

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes present active indicative forms of the verb fio.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 169

2176. The way is made by force. (You can find this saying in Vergil's Aeneid.)

2177. From the calf comes an ox. (This is a proverb based on size: something that starts out small can end up unexpectedly large!)

2178. With age, the fox grows more clever. (NB: There is a typo in the first edition of the book: aetati should read instead aetate.)

2179. Abundance turns into disgust. (This saying is adapted from Livy.)

2180. Good does not come of evil. (You can find this sentiment in a letter of Seneca.)

2181. The day is nothing; as you turn around, it is night. (You can find this saying in Petronius's Satyricon.)

2182. Nothing happens without a reason. (This phrase is adapted from the Book of Job.)

2183. What comes into being quickly, perishes quickly. (Compare this nice Italian parallel: "Presto finito, presto perito." You can find this popular saying cited by Spinoza.)

2184. No one becomes completely vile all of a sudden. (The saying is adapted from Juvenal.)

2185. Love grows sweet with coaxing, not commands. (This is one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus.)

2186. Time becomes the doctor of every grief. (This is one of the sayings from the Greek author Apostolius. You can find many variants on this same basic idea, such as Tempus omnia sanat, for example.)

2187. What long was woods in a moment becomes ashes. (You can find this observation in the elder Seneca's Naturales Quaestiones.)

2188. At last the stripling becomes a tree. (Compare this similar saying: sub qua nunc recubas arbore, virga fuit.)

2189. From the acorn comes the lofty oak tree. (A fuller form of the phrase is de nuce fit corylus, de glande fit arduce quercus. This item from Alanus de Insulis, Liber Parabolarum, is quoted by Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde: "as an ook cometh of a litel spyr.")

2190. From comedy often comes tragedy. (Compare an opposite sentiment in Plautus's Amphitruo: faciam ex tragoedia comoedia. Compare also this interesting observation in Cicero: Itaque et in tragoedia comicum vitiosum est et in comoedia turpe tragicum.)
Ex comoedia saepe fit tragoedia.

2191. Life does not grow happier if it grows longer. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)
Vita beatior non fit si longior.

2192. Life itself is short, but with troubles it becomes longer. (This is another one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 168

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:18:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more present active indicative forms of the verb posse.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 168

2160. I cannot be both here and there at the same time. (This saying is adapted from Plautus's Mostellaria.)

2161. I cannot carry a goat, and you are burdened me with an ox. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 2.7.96.)

2162. I cannot live without you or with you. (This saying is adapted from Martial.)

2163. You can often escape others, but you can never escape yourself. (You will find this saying sometimes attributed to Seneca.)

2164. You cannot reach the crown without a contest. (This saying is adapted in Thomas a Kempis.)

2165. You cannot love Tethys and Galatea at the same time. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.3.51.)

2166. You cannot serve God and mammon. (You will find this saying in the Book of Matthew.)

2167. We cannot all do everything. (This saying is found in Vergil's Eclogues.)

2168. We can do nothing against the truth. (This is Latin legal maxim.)

2169. We cannot change things in the past. (You will find this sentiment expressed in Cicero.)

2170. We cannot bear either our vices or the cures for them. (This saying is adapted from Livy.)

2171. A hundred men cannot strip a pauper. (Compare the similar saying about ten rather than a hundred, from Apuleius: nudum nec a decem palaestritis despoliari posse.

2172. The heavenly ones can do all things. (Compare a similar saying in Eramus's Adagia, 4.6.11: Dii omnia possunt.)

2173. The suns can set and return again. (You will find this sentiment expressed in Catullus.)

2174. Those who boast the most can do the least. (You can find a fuller form of the expression as follows: plerumque minima possunt qui plurima iactant.)

2175. Arrows can penetrate the stiff coat of mail. (You can find this saying in a couplet as follows: lorican duram possunt penetrare sagittae / sic cor derisus et mala verba meum, where the second part means: "So do scorn and harsh words penetrate my heart.")

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 167

Laura Gibbs — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:49:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes present active indicative forms of the verb posse.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 167

2146. Careful effort accomplishes everything. (This is cura in the sense of being careful and attentive, not in the sense of anxiety or worry.)
Cura omnia potest.

2147. Love can do all things. (This is a line from a letter of Saint Jerome.)

2148. Money can do all things. (You can find this saying in many variants, such as pecunia impetrat omnia, for example, or omnia pecunia effici posse.)

2149. No one can evade Fortune. (The inevitability of Fortune is expressed in many similar proverbs, such as this lovely line from Ovid's Tristia: Fortunam debet quisque manere suam.)

2150. Not any person can know everything. (Compare the similar saying: non omnia possumus omnes or, more elegantly, nec omnia nec semper, nec ab omnibus.)

2151. A humble person can neither fall far nor heavily. (This is one of the saying of Publilius Syrus.)

2152. Nobody can stand for a long time on one foot. (This is from one of the epigrams of John Owen. )

2153. Nobody can be a citizen of two cities. (You will find this in Cicero.)

2154. No one can serve two masters. (This saying is adapted from the Gospel of Luke.)

2155. No one can serve money and God. (This saying is also adapted from the Gospel of Luke.)

2156. A great man can emerge from a hut. (You will find this saying in Seneca.)

2157. A rooster in his dung heap can do a great deal. (You will find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

2158. A leopard cannot change his spots. (This fable is adapted from the Book of Jeremiah.)

2159. He who cannot beat the donkey must beat the horse-blanket. (You will find this saying in Petronius.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 166

Laura Gibbs — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:20:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with fourth conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 166

2135. I obey; I do not serve. (This is a popular family motto.)

2136. I listen, but am silent. (This too is a family motto.)

2137. I know nothing except that I know not. (You can find this phrase in Plautus.)

2138. This one thing I know: I know nothing. (This is sometimes known as the "Socratic Ignorance Paradox." You can find it in many forms in Latin: Unum scio me nihil scire, etc.)

2139. You are sleeping, and time is walking. (This saying is attributed to Saint Ambrose. You can also find it in this form: Tu enim dormis, et tempus tuum ambulat. The relevant Biblical passage is Ephesians: surge qui dormis.)

2140. You see the time; you do not know yours. (This is another Latin sundial inscription.)

2141. You do not know the day nor the hour. (This is from the Gospel of Matthew: Vigilate itaque quia nescitis diem neque horam.)

2142. They all wound; the last one kills. (This proverb is like a riddle: the missing word is hora. I saw this inscribed on the city clock in Conegliano, Itay.)

2143. The bolts of lightning strike the high mountains. (You can find this saying in Horace.)

2144. Many people understand many things and do not know themselves. (This saying of Saint Bernard makes an appearance in Piers Plowman.)

2145. Joys come after sorrows; after joys, sorrows. (This is an epigram of John Owen: Gaudia post luctus veniunt, post gaudia luctus. / Semper in ambiguo, speve metuve, sumus.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 165

Laura Gibbs — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:19:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with fourth conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 165

2119. Time discovers, teaches, changes all things. (There are an enormous number of Latin proverbs about the powers of time.)

2120. He who learns without a book is gathering water with a sieve. (Here is a similar saying which rhymes: Fundit aquam cribro qui discere vult sine libro.)

2121. He guards his own as a dragon guards his treasure. (The stereotypical dragon and treasure can be found in a speech of Cicero, and in this Aesop's fable.)

2122. The man who praises himself quickly finds a scoffer. (This is a saying found in Publilius Syrus.)

2123. No one is free who is a slave to the body. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)

2124. You should command money, not serve it. (You will find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

2125. Anger spawns hatred; agreement nourishes love. (This is one of the sayings attributed to Cato.)

2126. The fox does not know how to change her nature. (Compare this similar saying about the wolf: Lupus pilum mutat, non animum.)

2127. You should not raise a lion in the city. (This saying is derived from Aristophanes, Frogs. You can find the Latin saying in Valerius Maximus.)

2128. Every beast exults in its forest. (Compare a similar saying about a rooster: Gallus in suo sterquilinio plurimum potest.)

2129. The spider traps flies in her net, and lets the wasps go through. (The idea is that great thieves can get away, while little ones are caught: lex est araneae tela, quia si in eam inciderit quid debile, retinetur; grave autem pertransit tela rescissa. The idea comes from Plutarch, in his Life of Solon.)

2130. While the cat sleeps, the mouse rejoices and leaps out of its hole. (Here is a rhyming version of the same idea: fele comprehensa, saltant mures in mensa.)

2131. After many days, a clear day arrives. (This is a line from Tibullus.)

2132. Often a single day bestows what does not happen in a year. (Compare this similar saying: accidit in puncto, quod non contingit in anno.)

2133. It is permitted to go mad once a year. (You can find a similar sentiment in Augustine: Tolerabile est semel anno insanire.)

2134. Sometimes it is even pleasant to go mad. (You can find this saying cited in Seneca.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 164

Laura Gibbs — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:45:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with fourth conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 164

2105. Fears guards kingdoms. (The saying can be found in Seneca's Oedipus.)

2106. Time flies, death comes. (This is a Latin motto from a sundial.)

2107. White hair comes quickly. (The adjective festina modifies the subject of the verb, functioning like an adverb. The saying is from Claudianus.)

2108. Pleasure does not know how to set a limit. (The saying is from Ambrosius, in the Nova Floresta of Bernardes.)

2109. Love does not know how to keep within bounds. (The saying is adapted from Propertius.)

2110. The wise man governs his feelings; the fool is enslaved to them. (The saying is adapted from Publilius Syrus.)

2111. The fool does not know how to be quiet. (Compare Albertanus: nescit ergo stultus loqui, tacere non potest. )

2112. He who is silent, consents. (You can also find this variant form: Qui tacet, consentire videtur.)

2113. He who seeks, finds. (You can find this saying in the Gospel of Matthew.)

2114. He who sleeps does not sin. (The complete saying is Qui bibit, dormit; qui dormit, non peccat; qui non peccat, sanctus est; ergo: qui bibit sanctus est, "He who drinks, sleeps; he who sleeps, does not sin; he who does not sin is holy; therefore: he who drinks is holy." There are many variations on this medieval mock syllogism.)

2115. He who keeps watch does not sleep. (Compare the prayer in Psalm 121: nec dormitet qui custodit te, "the one who guards you will not sleep.")

2116. Who watches the watchers? (The saying is adapted from Juvenal.)

2117. Who does not know the joys of Venus? (You will find this in the Satyricon.)

2118. There is nothing more sweet than to know everything. (You will find this in Erasmus's Adagia, 5.1.42.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 163

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:10:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with fourth conjugation verbs and third declension nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 163

2095. All bad things end in time. (There are many sayings about the healing powers of time, for example, tempus optima medicina; tempus dolorem lenit, etc.)

2096. All things obey money. (The saying is adapted from Ecclesiastes.)

2097. All things obey silver. (This saying can be found in Polydorus's Adagia.)

2098. Enemies do not sleep. (This is often used in a religious context, referring to the enemies of God.)

2099. While the cat sleeps, the mice leap. (Compare this similar saying: Dum felis dormit, mus gaudet et exsilit antro.)

2100. He's sleeping the sleep of Endymion. (This was a classical proverb, as you can see in Cicero. You can read about Endymion at wikipedia.)

2101. It is good and sweet to sleep in one's own skin. (Here is a rhyming version: cum cutis est plana, erit dormitio sana.)

2102. It's easier to find than the head of the Nile. (This is a saying for something that is very hard to find indeed! You can also find it with a subjunctive verb: facilius sit Nili caput invenire.)

2103. It is not right to know all things. (You can find this saying in Horace.)

2104. Virtue does not know how to be a slave. (This saying is used in the neo-Latin drama Pedantius.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 162

Laura Gibbs — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:08:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes sayings with fourth conjugation verbs and third declension nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 162

2078. Calm softens suffering. (You can find this saying in Seneca's Medea.)

2079. Time softens grief. (There are many similar sayings about the healing power of time: tempus facit aerumnas leves; tempus omnia sanat, etc.)

2080. Love knows no rank. (This is from one of the letters of St. Jerome, 7.6.)

2081. The sun reveals all things. (Compare Fulgenius: sol omnia obscura manifestat in lucem.)

2082. Death does not end all things. (You can find this saying in Propertius.)

2083. A person does not know his own end. (The saying comes from the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes.)

2084. Glory comes late to the ashes. (Notice how the adjective here, modifying the subject of the verb, functions something like an adverb. You can find this saying in Martial.)

2085. Night befits thieves, light befits the truth. (The saying is adapted from the Greek playwright Euripides.)

2086. Under every rock sleeps a scorpion. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.4.34.)

2087. Even the hawk nurses its chicks. (Note the adverbial use of et, "the hawk too" or "even the hawk." )

2088. A great love can leap over even the shores of fate. (The saying is adapted from Propertius.)

2089. Rumor leaps over the land and the seas. (This saying also comes from Propertius.)

2090. From bad eggs no good bird comes. (Compare the saying ex pravo pullus bonus ovo non venit ullus.)

2091. The frog leaps from the golden throne into the swamp. (Compare this similar saying: Rana in paludem resilit, etiam si in solio locaveris. In English you could say, "You can take the frog out of the swamp, but you can't take the swamp out of the frog.")

2092. An empty stomach does not willingly listen to words. (There are many variations on this saying, such as ieiunus venter non audit verba libenter; venter famelicus auriculis caret; difficile est vacuo verbis imponere ventri, etc.)

2093. On quiet feet punishment comes, albeit late. (You will find this saying in Tibullus.)

2094. The fox knows many things; the hedgehog knows one big thing. (You can read an essay on this saying at the AudioLatinProverbs.com blog.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 161

Laura Gibbs — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:49:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. These proverbs contain only present active indicative forms of the verb, along with first and second declension nouns and adjectives.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 161

2064. My time has not yet come. (These words are spoken by Jesus to Mary in the Gospel of John, at the occasion of the wedding in Cana.)

2065. Appropriate things happen to the appropriate people. (In other words: everyone gets what they deserve. This phrase is found in Plautus's Poenulus.)

2066. Tantalus thirsts amidst the waves. (Tantalus was punished in the underworld by gazing upon water he could not drink and reaching out for food he could not grasp. You can see an illustration of Tantalus from Alciato's Book of Emblems.)

2067. No misfortune comes alone. (Compare the proverb in Group 120, Cura curam trahit and the notes provided there.)

2068. By means of a wicked friend a man falls into flaws. (Notice the delightful alliteration in the Latin. I tried a bit of similar wordplay in the English.)

2069. A fool finds a fool. (This is a humorous variation on the idea that "birds of a feather flock together.")

2070. He's gathering water with a sieve. (This saying made its way into Erasmus's Adagia, 1.4.60. A fuller version of the saying in rhyme reads: Haurit aquam cribro, qui discere vult sine libro, "The person who wants to learn without a book is gathering water in a sieve.")

2071. He's drawing with a perforated jug. (The most famous example of this impossible task would be the punishment of the daughters of the Danaus, the Danaides, in the underworld. The Danaides killed their husbands and in the afterlife were punished by being condemned to carry water in jugs that had holes in them.)

2072. God discovers the evildoer. (In many ancient myths and fables, when human justice fails, it is up to the gods to intervene. Consider, for example, Phaedrus's fable about the thief in Jupiter's temple, rebuked by Religio herself.)

2073. The pot find its cover. (Compare the proverb in Group 9, Dignum patella operculum est and the notes provided there.)

2074. He who finds a friend, finds a treasure. (This phrase is adapted from the book of Ecclesiasticus, an apocryphal book of the Bible, also known as the Wisdom of Sirach.)

2075. Sometimes a blind pigeon finds a pea. (Notice the nice alliteration in the Latin, invenit interdum and caeca columba, along with the rhyme interdum...pisum.)

2076. No good chick ever comes from a bad egg. (Notice the intricate word order, where the phrase ex pravo ovo and pullus bonus ullus have been deftly intertwined.)

2077. From fried eggs no chick ever comes. (This saying breaks up the phrase pullus...ullus to make it a rhyming proverb. I guess you could consider this a variant on "don't count your chickens before they're hatched" - in other words, "don't fry your eggs before they're hatched," no matter how hungry you might be.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 160

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:25:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with first, second and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 160

2052. Words teach, examples tug. (You can also find this saying in a variant form: Verba movent, exempla trahunt.)

2053. I put my trust in what I can see. (You can find this in Otto under the entry for oculus.)

2054. What I see for myself, I know for myself. (You can find this saying in Plautus.)

2055. I'm completely out of my mind if I try to please everybody. (Compare this rhyming proverb with other Latin sayings on this same theme, such as amicus omnibus, amicus nemini, etc.)

2056. The person who has got lots, wants to get more. (There are many variants on this saying, for example: homines, quo plura habent, eo ampliora cupiunt.)

2057. A good shepherd shears the sheep, he does not flay them. (You can find this cited by Suetonius.)

2058. Life is not living, but being well. (You will find this saying in Martial.)

2059. The person who seeks high places must be careful of crashing down. (The saying is cited by Tosi, 987.)

2060. It's very easy to something, but to accomplish the job is hard work. (This is a medieval saying, cited by Tosi, 24, following Walther 5590.)

2061. In doubtful matters it is better to be silent than to speak. (You can find this saying in Albertanus of Brescia.)

2062. You should not wound a friend, not even in jest. (You can find this in Publilius Syrus).

2063. It is not proper to strive against god. (Compare the entry in Erasmus's Adagia, Cum diis non pugnandum, 3.9.22.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.

Latin Via Proverbs 159

Laura Gibbs — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:01:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes sayings with first, second and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 159

2041. Virtue is a blazing fire but does not burn. (This is a popular family motto; compare Moses and the "burning bush" of the Bible: videbat quod rubus arderet et non conbureretur, "he saw that the bush burned and was not consumed.")

2042. He who lives well, teaches well. (This is from the "Hortulus Rosarum" of Thomas a Kempis; the full phrase is: qui bene vivit bene docet; et qui bene legit, Dei nuntius est.)

2043. He who teaches learns twice. (There are many variations on this saying: cum docemus, discimus; dum docent, discunt; docendo discimus, etc.)

2044. The man who keeps quiet about the truth perpetrates a falsehood. (This is from the Latin legal tradition.)

2045. He who has much wants more. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)

2046. The more he has, the more he wants. (This sentence shows nicely how the correlative words quo...eo... can be used to create a Latin sentence. Compare, for example, this sentence: Quo plus litteris studet, eo plus discit, ""The more he studies literature, the more he learns.")

2047. The mortal man who craves very little needs very little. (You will find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

2048. It is not the man who has little who is poor, but rather the man who wants more. (This saying is adapted from Seneca.)

2049. The onager does not bray when he has grass. (The onager is a familiar figure from Aesop's fables.)

2050. Fortune gives whatever she pleases and snatches it away at other times. (The word vicissim is perfectly suited to the shifting nature of fortune. Compare this similar saying: Fortunam facit ars, artem fortuna vicissim, "Sometimes skill creates luck, at other times luck creates skill.")

2051. Now Jupiter rains, and now Jupiter shines from a clear sky. (You can find this in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.8.65.)

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Latin Via Proverbs 158

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:31:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with first conjugation and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 158

2025. To give to god is to receive. (Thomas Aquinas looks at the other side of the equation: Non enim potest homo dare Deo, nisi quae a Deo accepit, "A person cannot give something to God except for what he has gotten from God.")

2026. It is better to give than to receive. (Compare Acts 20:35: beatius est magis dare quam accipere.)

2027. It is better to suffer an injury than to inflict one. (You can find this saying in Cicero.)

2028. To make mistakes is a human thing; to forgive is a divine thing. (Compare a more secular comment by Cicero: Cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare. There is a very famous version in Alexander Pope: "Good-Nature and Good-Sense must ever join; / To err is Humane; to Forgive, Divine.")
Errare humanum est, ignoscere divinum.

2029. Getting up early makes you healthy, holy and wealthy. (You may be familiar with Ben Franklin's "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealth and wise." Here's The Book of Husbandry from1523 by Anthony Fitzherbert: "At grammer-scole I lerned a verse, that is this, Sanat, sanctificat, et ditat surgere mane. That is to say, Erly rysyng maketh a man hole in body, holer in soule, and rycher in goodes.")
Sanat, sanctificat, ditat te surgere mane.

2030. The younger ox learns to plow from the older ox. (There is an Aesop's fable about the yoking of the oxen together so that the younger can learn from the older.)

2031. It is not easy to both blow and inhale at the same time. (Here is a more fulsome expression of the same idea: simul flare sorbereque haud factu facile est. )

2032. It is easier to cause wounds than to cure them. (You can find this comparison in Quintilian: tanto est accusare quam defendere, quanto facere quam sanare uulnera facilius, "just as it is easier to accuse than to defend, so it is easier to make wounds than to heal them.")

2033. We get sick quickly; we recover slowly. (The pair cito...tarde is commonly found in Latin expressions, as in Tacitus: Lamenta ac lacrimas cito, dolorem et tristitiam tarde ponunt.)

2034. We often praise virtue; we rarely cultivate it. (The pair saepe...raro is commonly found in Latin expressions, as here in Martial: haec, quae saepe solet vinci, quae vincere raro.)

2035. The crimes we commit as young men, we pay for when old. (Compare the English saying "Young men's knocks old men feel.")

2036. Those who flee across the sea change the sky but not their soul. (You will find this saying in Horace.)

2037. When fools avoid vices, they rush into the opposite. (This saying can also be found in Horace.)

2038. The gods worry about great affairs; they ignore the small stuff. (You will find this saying in Cicero.)

2039. The thorn defends the roses; bees cover the honey. (This saying from Claudianus became popular in the emblem tradition, as here in Vaenius's Amorum emblemata.)

2040. They make desolation; they name it peace. (You can find this saying in Tacitus.)

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Latin Via Proverbs 157

Laura Gibbs — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 20:35:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes sayings with first conjugation and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 157

2014. Wise is the man who thinks twice. (This is a popular family motto.)

2015. A light breeze nourishes the flames; a bigger breeze kills them. (This saying can be found in Ovid.)

2016. And with fortune faith both stands and falls. (This saying is also from Ovid.)

2017. God opposes the proud; he bestows his favor on the humble. (You can find this in the Letter of James.)

2018. The person who conquers his anger conquers the greatest enemy. (You will find this in Publilius Syrus.)

2019. He wastes a gift rather than gives if he doesn't remember to whom he gives. (This saying is from Publilius Syrus.)

2020. The person who makes a loan sells his friend and buys an enemy. (Compare these similar sayings, "Mutua qui dederit, repentens sibi comparat hostem; Aes debitorem leve, gravius inimicum facit," etc.)

2021. Sometimes the one who gives a chicken gets an ox in return. (You could call this "barnyard karma.")

2022. The man who loves a frog thinks his frog is a goddess. (The Latin here has such a nice rhyme between the rana and the goddess Diana! This saying is from Odo's story of the frog and his son's slippers.)

2023. The man who washes his donkey wastes the water and the soap. (In Erasmus's Adagia, 3.3.39, you will find a similar saying:: Asini caput ne laves nitro.)

2024. The man who has made a second shipwreck unjustly blames Neptune. (You can find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 156

Laura Gibbs — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:43:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with third conjugation verbs, present active indicative.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 156

1998. I desire nothing too much. (You can find this cited in Pliny.)

1999. Unless what we do is useful, fame is foolish. (You can find this in Phaedrus's story of the gods and their trees.)

2000. Into the same stream we do not enter twice. (This is a paraphrase of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus supplied by Seneca.)

2001. You are a rabbit and yet you are looking for meat? (Erasmus includes this saying from Terence in his Adagia, 1.6.7.)

2002. You sow for yourself, you reap for yourself. (This saying is adapted from Plautus.)

2003. Some sow, others reap. (Compare this similar saying: Alius est qui seminat, et alius est qui metit.)

2004. They say one thing, they do another. (The Latin actually uses the plural, alia, but I was not sure how to render that with a plural in English!)

2005. After the leaves, the trees fall upon you. (This saying is adapted from Plautus.)

2006. They understand one another like thieves in the marketplace. (Compare the English version: "They agree like pickpockets in a fair.")

2007. The poor man is the one for whom his own possessions are not enough. (Compare a related saying from Horace: Pauper enim non est, cui rerum suppetit usus.)

2008. Happy is the man whom other people's dangers have made cautious. (This was included in Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack.)

2009. If one blind man leads another, they both fall into the ditch. (This saying is adapted from the Gospel of Luke. For a discussion, see Erasmus's Adagia 1.8.40.)

2010. Two anchors are better at protecting a ship. (This saying can be found in Propertius.)

2011. It is extremely hard to make a stand against two evils. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.8.78.)

2012. It is no small thing to know oneself. (For the famous motto, nosce teipsum, see Erasmus's Adagia, 1.6.95. The Greek saying was supposedly written upon the gate to the temple of Apollo at Delphi.)

2013. It is utterly wretched to live at the whim of another person. (You will find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

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Latin Via Proverbs 155

Laura Gibbs — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:04:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with third conjugation verbs, present active indicative.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 155

1984. It is a sneaky thief who can take away the goods from another thief. (Compare a similar English saying, "It takes a thief to catch a thief.")

1985. Love of money increases as the cash itself increases. (This saying is adapted from Juvenal.)

1986. There is no one more full of pride than a poor man who rises to high position. (Compare Claudianus: asperius nihil est misero dum surgit in altum.)

1987. Someone who scorns smaller gifts loses greater ones. (Compare this similar saying: maiora perdes, parva nisi servaveris.)

1988. He rightly loses what was his when he seeks what belongs to another. (This is the moral of Phaedrus's story of the dog and his shadow.)

1989. Someone who has desires or fears is a slave. (Compare Horace: qui metuens uiuet, liber mihi non erit umquam.)

1990. A friend is one whom you live as you love your own soul. (This saying is adapted from the Book of Deuteronomy.)

1991. The sick man arranges things badly for himself when he makes his doctor his heir. (You will find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

1992. There is nothing more foolish than the one who seeks understanding from a fool. (Note that stultius is the neuter singular comparative form of stultus, stultior.)

1993. He who paints a flower cannot paint the flower's scent. (Read more of this poem Suscipe flos: Flos in pictura / non est flos, immo figura; / qui pingit florem / non pigit floris odorem.)

1994. Boys read one way, men another way, old men another way. (In English, there is no easy way to extend "one...another" to three items, as is the case here with the Latin!)

1995. A donkey does not stumble twice against the same stone. (Compare this version of the saying without the donkey: Sapientis haud est bis in eodem lapide labi.)

1996. When the cat is snoring, a mouse never runs into its mouth. (You can read a commentary at AudioLatinProverbs.com.)

1997. The whole flock falls in the field from the infection of a single animal. (This saying can be found in Juvenal.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 154

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:21:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with third conjugation verbs, present active indicative.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 154

1970. The sun rules me; the shadow rules you. (This is a Latin sundual motto.)

1971. He does not rule who does not correct. (The Latin depends on a play on words that is hard to catch in English, since both regit and corrigit share the same verbal root in Latin. You will find this saying in Isidore, in his explanation of the etymology of the word "king," rex: rex a regendo. Non autem regit, qui non corrigit. Recte igitur faciendo regis nomen tenetur, peccando amittitur.)

1972. It is God who rules all things. (Compare a similar phrase in Manilius: Deus est ratio quae cuncta gubernat.)

1973. There is yet some god who has regard for us. (You can find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.9.42, paraphrasing a passage in Homer's Iliad.)

1974. The man who desires nothing is rich. (Compare Publilius Syrus: Quis plurimum habet? is qui minimum cupit.)

1975. No one gets rich except by someone else's misfortune. (You could call this the Latin "zero-sum" game. There is a discussion in Tosi, #1806.)

1976. The one who wants more, loses all. (Compare this saying from Odo: totum capit, totum perdit.)

1977. He who gets wise late, gets wise in vain. (There are many proverbs warning about the dangers of wising up too late: Sero in periculis est consilium quaerere, Sero sapiunt Phryges, etc.)

1978. The old pot tastes of what goes in the new pot. (Compare these similar sayings: Sapiunt vasa, quicquid primum acceperunt; Quo semel imbuta est recens, servabit odorem testa diu, etc.)

1979. He reads in vain who reads without understanding. (The Latin depends on a play on words, legis...intellegit, which I was not able to capture in the English.)

1980. The madness of one can make many go mad. (The word order of the Latin is very nice, and hard to imitate in English!)
Unius dementia dementes efficit multos.

1981. The whole city pays for the crimes of a single person. (Be careful with the word endings: peccata is neuter plural, while tota is feminine singular, agreeing with civitas.)

1982. A mouse cannot put his faith in just one hole. (You can find this in Erasmus's Adagia, 5.1.4.)

1983. A single bee is better than five thousand flies. (Compare this similar saying: una apis melior est tota vola muscarum, or this rhyming version: Muscis plena vola deterior est ape sola.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 153

Laura Gibbs — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:06:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes more sayings with third conjugation verbs, present active indicative.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 153

1955. The one who is able to conquer himself is strong. (This is a popular family motto.)

1956. The one who conquers himself, conquers. (Although this is a pointedly masculine relative pronoun, you can find this used as the motto for the Philadelphia High School for Girls.)

1957. He who conquers himself, conquers twice. (A fuller form of this saying is Bis vincit, qui se vincit in victoria: primum hostem, deinde animum, "The one who conquers himself conquers twice in his victory: first over the enemy, then over his soul." You can also find this saying in Publilius Syrus.)

1958. He who lives well, lives twice. (I cannot find a way to capture the nice sound play between bis...bene in English, alas.)

1959. Wise is the one who looks ahead. (This is the motto of Malvern College.)

1960. The wise person makes their own luck. (The version is Plautus reads sapiens quidem pol ipsus fingit fortunam sibi.)

1961. Each person makes their own luck. (You can find many variants on this saying: Fortunam suam quisque parat, Fortunam suam sibi quisque ipse parat, etc.)

1962. Each person reaps in his own field. (You can find this saying in Plautus.)

1963. No one injures me with impunity. (This is the motto of the Order of the Thistle, and is found on the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom in Scotland. You can read more at wikipedia.)

1964. War nourishes itself. (In English we might say "war feeds on itself." The saying is attributed to Cato in Livy.)

1965. He's afraid of his own shadow. (You can find this saying, umbram suam metuere, in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.5.65.)

1966. Nothing dries more quickly than a tear. (You can find this saying in Cicero. A fuller form of the phrase is Lacrima nihil citius arescit, praesertim in alienis malis, "Nothing dries faster than a tear, especially a tear for other people's troubles.")

1967. Nature does nothing rashly. (Compare the similar saying #1923. Natura non facit saltus.)

1968. Nature does nothing in vain. (You can find this principle listed in Newton's Principia.)

1969. That which is in excess is harmful. (There are many sayings which warn against the dangers of excess: Nemini nimium bene est, Omne nimium non bonum, etc.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 152

Laura Gibbs — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:28:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes fifth declension nouns and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 152

1944. It stands on the razor's edge. (You can find this phrase in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.1.18.)

1945. Each day has its own trouble enough. (You can find this saying in the Gospel of Matthew.)
Sufficit diei malitia sua.

1946. Worries bring on white hairs. (Compare the English saying, "Fretting cares make grey hairs.")

1947. He's wearing a mask, not a face. (For more about the fascinating word persona, see this blog post.)

1948. Night presses upon day, day upon night. (You will find this expression in Seneca.)

1949. I live for the day. (The idea is to live for the day only, for the hear and now. This can also have the negative connotation of living on the edge, living from "hand to mouth," not knowing where your next meal is coming from.)

1950. I do not buy hope for a price. (You will find this saying in Terence. The idea is that someone who is handing over money should get something substantial, not just the hope of something.)

1951. Fortune nourishes hope. (This is a popular family motto.)

1952. You are nourishing empty hopes. (You will find this in Vergil's Aeneid.)

1953. After three days the fish stinks, as does the guest. (For a commentary on this saying, see the post at AudioLatinProverbs.com.)

1954. The sun has not yet set for all of time. (The saying is adapted from Livy.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 151

Laura Gibbs — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:12:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes fifth declension nouns and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more Study Guide material at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 151

1934. Appearance deceives. (Compare the English saying, "Appearances can be deceiving." The Latin word species has given rise to a wide range of meanings in English, from the neutral "species" or "specific" to the positive "special" to the negative "specious.")

1935. Hope nourishes and disappoints. (I was not able to find a pair of English words that capture the same kind of nice echo as Latin alit and fallit.)

1936. Hope nourishes the farmers. (You can find this in Tibullus.)

1937. Hope alone does not abandon a person, not even in death. (This is one of Cato's distichs. Compare the similar saying: Spes ultima dea.)

1938. The passage of time diminishes grief. (You can see this used in Robert Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. It's a good example of how Latin dies means not just "day" but the passage of time more generally. Compare the English idiom: "Back in my day...")

1939. A long time puts an end to grief. (You can find this saying in Seneca.)

1940. The long passage of time eats through rocks by means of soft water. (The elegant word order is a clue that this is a portion of a line of poetry; you can find it in Tibullus, as the pentameter line in an elegiac couplet.)

1941. Like snow, the day melts away. (You can find this saying in Plautus.)

1942. With likemindedness, businesses prosper. (For a delightful illustration of this motto, see the Aesop's fable about The Farmer and His Sons.)

1943. Prosperous affairs make a many successful; adverse affairs make him great. (There are many sayings built on the ups and down of fortunes, such as this saying from Horace, ingenium res adversae nudare solent, celare secundae.)

This blog post is part of an evolving Study Guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 150

Laura Gibbs — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:00:00 +0000

This blog is back from a long break while I was finishing up my newest book from Lulu Publishers: Vulgate Verses: 4000 Sayings from the Bible for Teachers and Students of Latin. Now that the book is done (at last!), I should be able to get back on schedule posting Study notes for the Latin Via Proverbs book.

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes fourth declension nouns and third conjugation verbs.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more help at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 150

1923. Nature does not make leaps. (This is an aphorism adopted by many natural philosophers and scientists, including Leibniz and Newton, among others. See wikipedia for more information.)

1924. You are gathering fruits from the garden of Tantalus. (You will find this in Erasmus, 4.3.31. For Tantalus, see wikipedia.)

1925. A good tree makes good fruits. (This is a commonly found variant of the citation from the Gospel of Matthew; see the following item.)

1926. Every good tree makes good fruits. (Compare the fuller form in the Gospel of Matthew: Sic omnis arbor bona fructus bonos facit mala autem arbor fructus malos facit.)

1927. The lofty oak does not fall at the first blows. (Note that one -us word, ictus, is masculine plural accusative, with a long "u", while the other -us word, quercus, is feminine singular nominative, having a short "u". You can tell that the distinction between the vowel quantity had ceased to function here, as this medieval proverb was considered to have a rhyming quality, as so many medieval proverbs do. Compare this similar saying about the aged oak: Non annosa uno quercus deciditur ictu, "The aged oak is not knocked down by a single stroke.")

1928. A single short pleasure yields a thousand griefs. (Compare this similar saying about pleasure: Brevis et damnosa voluptas, "Pleasure is brief and ruinous." There is a similar saying in Apostolius: Brevis voluptas mox doloris est parens.)

1929. Bad associations destroy good character. (You can find this saying in Tertullian.)

1930. God regards clean hands, not full ones. (You will find this in Publilius Syrus.)

1931. No one scorns the cultivation of learning unless he is a fool. (Note that one -us word, cultus, is genitive, with a long "u", while the other -us word, stultus, is nominative, having a short "u". You can tell that the distinction between the vowel quantity had ceased to function here, as this medieval proverb was considered to have a rhyming quality, as so many medieval proverbs do. Compare this similar saying: Artem non odit nisi ignarus, "No one hates skill unless he is an ignoramus.")

1932. He's painting a dolphin in the woods, a wild boar in the waves. (You will find this in Horace's Ars poetica.)

1933. We lose the eel when we squeeze it with our hands. (There are quite a few Latin proverbs about eels.)

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Latin Via Proverbs 149

Laura Gibbs — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:32:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes third conjugation verbs with fourth declension nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more help at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 149

1911. I live at another's command. (You can find many variations on this saying, with the phrase alieno arbitrio, alieno arbitratu, alieno more and so on. You can also see this particular phrase in use in this Aesop's fable about the dog and the wolf.)

1912. I look back without grief. (This is a popular motto for family heraldry, bookplates, etc.)

1913. I recognize a tree by its fruit. (You will find this saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 1.9.39.)

1914. The tree does not fall at one stroke. (You can find many variations on this saying, e.g. Non uno ictu validam deicies quercum, "you will not knock down the strong oak tree with one blow," etc.)

1915. Fortune drags everything along in a blind dash. (This saying is adapted from Lucan.)

1916. The wolf seeks with his fang, the bull with his horn. (You will find this in Horace.)

1917. We recognize fools by their words; we recognize pots by their sound. (That is, the sound given by the pot gives a clue as to whether it is full inside or empty, just as we use the words of a person to tell if he is a fool or not!)

1918. He's making a shipwreck in port. (You can find this motif in Quintilian.)

1919. He's sinking his ship in port. (You can find this same motif in one of the Controversiae of Seneca.)

1920. He fools those who do not know him; to those who do know him, he is laughing-stock. (You can find this in Phaedrus's fable of the lion and the donkey.)

1921. One house does not nourish two dogs. (You will find this in Erasmus's Adagia, 2.2.24.)

1922. From the house of the cat, the mouse departs, uned. (In other words, the cat keeps the mouse from eating his fill ... I guess that mouse is lucky to get out alive! Compare the opposite English proverb: "When the cat's away, the mice play.")

This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 148

Laura Gibbs — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:33:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes third conjugation verbs with fourth conjugation nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more help at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 148

1899. The thunder precedes the storm. (Metaphorically speaking, it means that threats come first, but they will be followed by blows!)

1900. The habit does not make the monk. (Compare the similar saying, Barba non facit philosophum, "The beard does not make the philosopher.")

1901. The final exit shows where the glory of the world is headed. (I like this rhyming medieval proverb very much. It is part of that large group of Latin proverbs on the theme of sic transit gloria mundi.)

1902. The success of wicked men is alluring to many. (This is the moral for the Aesop's fable about Aesop and the man bitten by the dog.) Successus improborum plures allicit.

1903. If the hand is empty, it does not catch the hawk. (This is a medieval saying from the discipline of keeping hawks for hunting. There is an English equivalent: "Empty hands no hawks allure.")

1904. Too much familiarity breeds contempt. (You can see this saying illustrated in the Aesop's fable about the lion and the fox.)

1905. Too much tension breaks the bow. (Compare the Aesop's fable about Aesop and the bow.) Arcum nimia frangit intensio.

1906. Apollo does not always keep his bow stretched. (You will find this saying in Horace.)

1907. The ox pulls the cart, not the cart the ox. (In other words, don't put your cart before the horse!)

1908. Abuse does not do away with use. (This is an item of Latin legal vocabulary, meaning that an argument against the abuse of something is not an argument against the thing used rightly.)

1909. One bite leads to another. (Lay's potato chips could adopt this as their motto: you never can eat just one!)

1910. One hand washes another. (You can find many variations on this saying, including this one that explains what this might mean metaphorically: Abluit manus manum: da aliquid et accipe, "one hand washes another: give something, and receive.")

This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

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Latin Via Proverbs 147

Laura Gibbs — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:45:00 +0000

I hope these notes will help you tackle this group of proverbs in Latin Via Proverbs. This group includes third conjugation verbs in their present infinitive form, along with some third declension nouns.

Please note: to read the proverbs in Latin, you need to acquire a copy of the book from lulu.com! What I am providing here in the blog are notes to help people who are making their way through the book either in a Latin class or on their own. You can find more help at the LatinViaProverbs.com wiki website.

Group 147

1887. It is a serious thing to betray someone's trust. (This is a phrase from the Roman law tradition, but of course it has applications to personal life as well!)

1888. It's hard to pluck the hairs of a bald man. (It's like getting blood from a stone, proverbially speaking! This saying always reminds me of the great Aesop's fable about the man and his two lovers who plucked him bald.)

1889. It is hard to put aside a long-lasting love. (You can find this saying in Catullus.)

1890. It is late for the old dogs to learn the leash. (You can also find various forms of this saying about the old dog: serum est canes vetulos adsuefacere loris, etc. Compare the English saying about teaching an old dog new tricks!)

1891. It is better to divide a few things than to loss all. (This is one of many proverbs which urge you to put aside your greed and accept a moderate amount - in this case, the moderate amount that would come from sharing something modest to begin with. Compare a similar structure in this saying: Melius est pauca caute agere, quam multis interesse periculose, "It is better to carefully conduct a few businesses than to engage in many businesses at great risk.")

1892. To flee desire is to win a kingdom. (You will find this in the sayings of Publilius Syrus.)

1893. It is easier to do many things than it is to sustain them. (You will find this observation in Quintilian.)

1894. To accept a favor is to sell your freedom. (This is one of the sayings of Publilius Syrus.)

1895. To learn virtues is to unlearn vices. (You will find this saying in Seneca.)

1896. It is a kind of death to live badly. (You will find this saying in Ovid.)

1897. A wise man complies with time. (This is adapted from one of Cicero's letters.)

1898. Every madman thinks that everybody else is crazy. (This proverb, which oddly enough has become a regular fixture of Internet discussion boards these days, reminds me of the English saying: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you!)

This blog post is part of an evolving online guide for users of the book Latin Via Proverbs.

Keep up with the latest posts... Subscribe by Email. I also post a daily round-up of all the Bestiaria Latina blogs: fables, proverbs, crosswords, and audio.