Latin Quotes

Many Latin quotes are used in the Asterix books, most of which you don't have a clue what they mean. That's a pity, because it's much more fun when you know the meaning. Here is an overview...



Sic ad nauseam: And so on to the point of causing nausea.

  A
Acta est fabula: It's all over (lit. the drama has been acted out)
Alea jacta est: The die is cast
Audaces fortuna juvat: Fortune favors the bold
Auri sacra fames: The cursed hunger for gold
Aut Caesar, aut nihil: Either Caesar or nothing
Ave atque vale: Hail and farewell
Ave Caesar morituri te salutant!: Hail, Caesar! Those who are about to die salute you!

  B
Beati pauperes spiritu: Blessed are the poor in spirit
Bis repetita placent: The things that please are repeated again and again

  C
Caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware
Cogito ergo sum: I think therefore I am
Contraria contraiis curantur: Opposites are cured by opposites

  D
 De facto: In reality
De mortuis nil nisi bonum: Speak nothing but good of the dead
Delenda Carthago: Carthage must be destroyed!
Desinit in piscem mulier formosa superne: A woman who is beautiful above ends in a fishtail
Diem perdidi: I have lost the day
Dignus est intrare: He is worthy to enter
Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos: As long as you are fortunate, you will have many friends
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori:  It is sweet and fitting to die for the Fatherland

  E
Errare humanum est: To err is human
Et nunc, reges, intelligite, er udimini, qui judicati terram: And now, kings, understand; you who decide the fate of the Earth, educate yourselves
Et tu, Brute: You too, Brutus
Exegi monumentum aere perennius: I have raised a monument more durable than bronze

  F
Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas: Fortunate is he who has been able to learn the causes of things
Fluctuat nec mergitur: It is tossed by the waves but it does not sink

  G
Gloria victis: Glory to the defeated
Gnothe seauton (Greek): Know thyself

  I
Ipso facto: By that very fact
Ira furor brevis est: Anger is a brief madness
Ita est: Thus it is (yes)
Ita diis placuit: Thus it pleased the gods

  M
Maior e longinquo reverentia: Greater reverence from afar
Mens sana in corpore sano: A sound mind in a sound body
Morituri te salutant: Those who are about to die salute you

  N
Non omnia possumus omnes: We cannot all do everything
Non licet omnibus adire Corinthum: Not everyone is permitted to go to Corinth
Nunc est bibendum: Now it is time to drink

  O
 O tempora, o mores: Oh! the the times! Oh! the habits!
O fortunates nimium, sua si bona norint agricolas: Oh! blessed beyond all bliss are the farmers, if they but knew their happiness

  P
Panem et circenses: Bread and circuses
Pax Romana: Roman Peace
Plaudite cives!:  Applaud, citizens!

  Q
Qui habet aures audiendi audiat: He who has ears, let him understand how to listen
Quid novi?: What's new?
Quis, quod, ui, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando?: Who, what, where, in what ways, why how and when?
Quo vadis: Whither goest thou?
Quod erat demomstrandum: We have proved the proposition we set out to prove (lit. Which was to be demonstrated)
Quomodo vales: How are you?
Quot capita, to sensus: There are as many opinions as there are heads
Quousque tandem?: How long?

  R
Redde Caesari quae sunt Caesaris: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's
Ruber et Niger: Red and Black

  S
Si vis pacem: If you want peace... (ends: 'para bellum' = prepare for war)
Sic ad nauseam: And so on to the point of causing nausea
Sic transit gloria (mundi): Thus passes away the glory of the world
Singularis Porcus: Wild boar
Sol lucet omnibus: The sun shines for everyone
Sursum corda: Lift up your hearts

  T
Timeo Danaos et Dona ferentes: I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts

  U
Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant: Where they create desolation, they call it peace
Uti, non abuti: To use, not abuse

  V
Vade retro: Get thee behind me
Vae victo, vae vicits: Woe to the vanquished men, woe to the vanquished people
Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas: Vanity of vanities, all is vanity
Veni vidi vici: I came, I saw, I conquered
Veritas odium parit: Truth breeds hatred
Victrix causa diis placuit, sed victa Catoni: The victorious cause pleased the gods, the defeated one pleased Cato
Victurus te saluto: He who is about to win salutes you
Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor: I see the better way and approve it, but I follow the worse way
Vinum et musica laetificant cor: Wine and music gladden the heart
Vis comica: Sense of humour