Proverbs & World Wisdom: Latin Phrases Quotes

Welcome to a curated collection of Latin phrases, mottos, and maxims that distill centuries of wisdom. Discover concise expressions that shaped rhetoric, ethics, law, and learning. From carpe diem to amor fati, each entry highlights a clear meaning and practical insight for modern life. Use these classic lines to inspire study, reflection, and everyday decisions with clarity and grace. Brief notes add context, pronunciation, and common usage.

Similar topics:African Proverbs Chinese Proverbs Japanese Proverbs Native American Sayings Norse & Viking Sayings

"A beautiful face is a mute recommendation"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"Little things please little minds"

Ovid, Poet

Ovid

"The number of guests at dinner should not be less than the number of the Graces nor exceed that of the Muses, i.e., it should begin with three and stop at nine"

Marcus Terentius Varro, Author

Marcus Terentius Varro

"What is food to one man is bitter poison to others"

Lucretius, Poet

Lucretius

"To do two things at once is to do neither"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"A letter does not blush"

Cicero, Philosopher

Cicero

"Fortune is like glass - the brighter the glitter, the more easily broken"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"Fortune favours the bold"

Virgil, Writer

"As the twig is bent, the tree inclines"

Virgil, Writer

"Some remedies are worse than the disease"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"It is folly to punish your neighbor by fire when you live next door"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"A mouse never entrusts his life to only one hole"

Plautus, Playwright

Plautus

"An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit"

Pliny the Elder, Author

"Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst"

Marcus Valerius Martial, Poet

Marcus Valerius Martial

"Familiarity breeds contempt"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"Venus favors the bold"

Ovid, Poet

Ovid

"Time, motion and wine cause sleep"

Ovid, Poet

Ovid

"Mountains will go into labour, and a silly little mouse will be born"

Horace, Poet

"It's ill talking of halters in the house of a man that was hanged"

Miguel de Cervantes, Novelist

Miguel de Cervantes

"Man is not man, but a wolf to those he does not know"

Plautus, Playwright

Plautus

"A mouse does not rely on just one hole"

Plautus, Playwright

Plautus

"So many men, so many opinions"

Terence, Playwright

Terence

"The die is cast"

Julius Caesar, Leader

"The traveller with empty pockets will sing in the thief 's face"

Juvenal, Poet

Juvenal

"What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander"

Marcus Terentius Varro, Author

Marcus Terentius Varro

"Truth comes out in wine"

Pliny the Elder, Author

"Not only the bull attacks his enemies with curved horn, but also the sheep, when harmed, fights back"

Sextus Propertius, Poet

"To refuse graciously is to confer a favor"

Publilius Syrus, Poet

Publilius Syrus

"The heavier crop is ever in others' fields"

Ovid, Poet

Ovid

"Daring is not safe against daring men"

Ovid, Poet

Ovid

"The lofty pine is oftenest shaken by the winds; High towers fall with a heavier crash; And the lightning strikes the highest mountain"

Horace, Poet

"Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things"

Horace, Poet

"He gains everyone's approval who mixes the pleasant with the useful"

Horace, Poet

"A word, once sent abroad, flies irrevocably"

Horace, Poet

"A shoe that is too large is apt to trip one, and when too small, to pinch the feet. So it is with those whose fortune does not suit them"

Horace, Poet

"The medicine increases the disease"

Virgil, Writer

"I fear the Greeks, even when they bring gifts"

Virgil, Writer

"Want of pluck shows want of blood"

Virgil, Writer

"One man excels in eloquence, another in arms"

Virgil, Writer

"He who seeks for gain, must be at some expense"

Plautus, Playwright

Plautus

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