Marcus Annaeus Lucanus: Trending quotes

“The Bards also, who by the praises of their verse transmit to distant ages the fame of heroes slain in battle, poured forth at ease their lays in abundance.”
Vos quoque qui fortes animas, belloque peremptas Laudibus in longum vates dimittitis aevum, Plurima securi fudistis carmina, Bardi.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Men are ignorant that the purpose of the sword is to save every man from slavery.”
Ignorantque datos, ne quisquam seruiat, enses.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Poverty was scorned,
Fruitful of warriors; and from all the world
Came that which ruins nations.”
Fecunda virorum paupertas fugitur totoque accersitur orbe quo gens quaeque perit.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“[She] is not permitted to reveal as much as she is suffered to know.”
Nec tantum prodere vati quantum scire licet.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“So true it is that love of money alone is incapable of dreading death by the sword.”
Usque adeo solus ferrum mortemque timere auri nescit amor.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“You have taken from me the one privilege of civil war – the power of granting life to the defeated.”
Unica belli praemia civilis, victis donare salutem, perdidimus.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Serpents, thirst, burning-sand – all are welcomed by the brave; endurance finds pleasure in hardship; virtue rejoices when it pays dear for its existence.”
Serpens, sitis, ardor harenae dulcia virtuti; gaudet patientia duris; laetius est, quotiens magno sibi constat, honestum.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“The dead are free from Fortune; Mother Earth has room for all her children, and he who lacks an urn has the sky to cover him.”
Libera fortunae mors est; capit omnia tellus quae genuit; caelo tegitur qui non habet urnam.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“More was lost there than mere life and existence: we were overthrown for all time to come.”
Plus est quam vita salusque quod perit: in totum mundi prosternimur aevum.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Might became the standard of right.”
Mensuraque juris vis erat.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Pompey lives after his battles, but his fortune has perished.”
Vivit post proelia Magnus sed fortuna perit.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Which had the fairer pretext for warfare, we may not know: each has high authority to support him; for, if the victor had the gods on his side, the vanquished had Cato.”
Quis iustius induit arma scire nefas: magno se iudice quisque tuetur; Victrix causa deis placuit sed victa Catoni.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Crime levels those whom it pollutes.”
Facinus quos inquinat aequat.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“How ready are the gods to grant supremacy to men, and how unready to maintain it!”
O faciles dare summa deos eademque tueri difficiles!

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Learn what life requires,
How little nature needs!”
Discite, quam parvo liceat producere vitam, Et quantum natura petat.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“And now cruel famine came – famine that is ever first in the train of great disasters.”
Jamque comes semper magnorum prima malorum<br/>saeva fames aderat.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Boldness is a mask for fear, however great.”
Audendo magnus tegitur timor.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“Either no feeling remains to the soul after death, or death itself matters not at all.”
Aut nihil est sensus animis a morte relictum aut mors ipsa nihil.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia

“The hungry slave
Brings danger to his master, not himself.”
Non sibi sed domino grauis est quae seruit egestas.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus book Pharsalia