Famous Latin Quotes

Many of the quotes and phrases that we use regularly today were coined by Roman writers in Latin and preserved throughout the years. Most of the famous quotes are part of larger texts but their meanings still have relevance today. Even more famous Latin quotes have been written by later students of the famous Roman writers and students of Latin.

Famous Latin quotes such as Virgils' "love conquers all things" are still used verbatim, but others such as a quote by Plautus, "Done is done, it cannot be made undone" have been slightly modified over the years but retain their original meaning.

Here is a list of some of the more common phrases in the original Latin and translated into English. See how many you recognize and use on a daily basis.

Timendi causa est nescire ~Seneca
Ignorance is the cause of fear.

Audentis fortuna iuvat ~Virgil
Fortune favors the brave.

Ipsa scientia potesta est ~Bacon
Knowledge itself is power.

Amor vincit omnia ~Virgil
Love conquers all things.

Lapsus linguae
A slip of the tongue

Carpe diem ~Horace
Seize the day.

Errare humanum est ~ Seneca the Younger
To err is human.

Credula res amor est ~ Ovid
In love you'll believe anything.

Nunc scio quid sit amor! ~ Virgil
Now I know what love is!

Dum vita est, spes est. ~ Cicero
While life is, hope is.

Ut sementem feceris, its metes. ~ Cicero
As you sow, so you shall reap.

Festina lente ~ Augustus Caesar
Make haste slowly.

Veni, vidi, vici! ~ Julius Caesar
I came, I saw, I conquered.

Omnium rerum principia parva sunt. ~ Cicero
The beginnings of all things are small.

Cogito ergo sum ~ Descartes
I think therefore I am.

Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. ~Ovid
Times are changing and we are changing with them.

Cum grano salis ~ Pliny the Elder
With a grain of salt.

Aspirat primo fortuna labori. ~ Virgil
Fortune smiles upon our first effort.

In virtute sunt multi ascensus. ~ Cicero
In excellence there are many degrees.

Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt. ~ Caesar
Men gladly believe that which they wish for.

Alea iacta est. ~ Caesar
The die has been cast.

De nihilo nihil ~ Lucretius
Nothing comes from nothing