Chapters
Titus Livy
(Titus Livius, lived in 59 BCE – 17 CE. Main historian of the era of Augustus. He was widely respected at the imperial court. He was emperor’s friend.
- “Why do you not enact a law that no plebeian shall live in the neighbourhood of a patrician, or go along the same road, or take his place at the same banquet, or stand in the same Forum?”
- latin: [Cur non sancitis ne uicinus patricio sit plebeius nec eodem itinere eat, ne idem conuiuium ineat, ne in foro eodem consistat?]
- description: the words of the tribune of the people Gaius Canuleius, who in 445 BCE was in office. Thanks to his actions there were accepted laws that allowed marriages between plebeians and patricians, and one of the consuls could come from the plebeian class.
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, IV.4
- “Thus to anyone else who ever crossed my walls”
- latin: [Sic deinde, quicumque alius transiliet moenia mea]
- description: the words Romulus was about to say once he killed his brother Remus who was crossing the ramparts of his town.
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, I.7
- “Woe to the vanquished”
- latin: [Vae victis]
- description: words to be said by the leader of the Gauls in 390 BCE during the siege of Rome. The Romans decided to pay the ransom; however, when they noticed that the weights were forged and too heavy, Brennus drew his sword, dropped it on the scale, and exclaimed, “Vae victis!”.
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, V 48
- “Rich enemy was the prize of the victor, however poor.”
- latin: [Ditem hostem quamvis pauperis victoris praemium esse]
- description: words to be spoken by Roman military commanders during the war with the Samnites, who were to be characterized by beautiful and ornate armor.
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, IX 40
- “Experience the teacher of fools”
- latin: [Stultorum iste magister est]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XXII 39
- “Hannibal before the gates”
- latin: [Hannibal ante portas!]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, 23,16,2
- “He who scorns false glory shall possess the true”
- latin: [Vanam gloriam qui spreverit veram habebit]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XXII.39
- “Better late than never”
- latin: [Potius sero quam numquam]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita 4.2
- “There is danger in delay”
- latin: [Periculum in mora]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita
- “From the Founding of the City”
- latin: [Ab urbe condita]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita
- “Words instruct, examples lead”
- latin: [Verba docent, exempla trahunt]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita
- “Because a necessary war is a just war and where there is hope only in arms, those arms necessary war is a just war and where there is hope only in arms, those arms are holy”
- latin: [Iustum enim est bellum quibus necessarium, et pia arma, ubi nulla nisi in armis spes est]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita IX, 1
- “You, Hannibal, know how to gain a victory; you do not know how to use it”
- latin: [Vincere scis, Hannibal, victoria uti nescis]
- description: Maharbal was to say full sentence, “Assuredly, no one man has been blessed with all God’s gifts. You, Hannibal, know how to gain a victory; you do not know how to use it”.
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XXII, 51
- “In grave difficulties, and with little hope, the boldest measures are the safest”
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita
- “Friendships should be immortal, enmities mortal”
- latin: [Amicitiæ immortales, mortales inimicitias debere esse]
- source: Titus Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XL.46
