latin maxims and quod licet jovi non licet bovi

Whenever I read a book when growing up it seemed there were Latin maxims sprinkled throughout. I never knew what they meant and, like many insecure younger people, I just passed over the words without understanding them. I am now at a point in life where I realize that the reason I passed over words was because I thought that by so doing I could more easily attain some goal--such as to get through the book more rapidly. What I am discovering today, however, is that I use books more and more just to stimulate my own mental journeys which take me down avenues that interest me and few others. I read a sentence, stop, put down the book and follow up that thread. I may never return to the book. Usually I don't. If that is my new modus operandi (you see, even you know Latin phrases), I say to myself, "well, why not return, as it were, to all those Latin phrases I skipped along the way?" Maybe those phrases will take me on further journeys which will lead me so deep into the forest of concepts that I might never be able to extricate myself. Would that be so bad? And, it will provide little ways for you to sound like you know far more than you do--which is really not harmful in our day and age.

So, with these thoughts in my mind, I introduce my first "Latin Maxims" page to you. I hope many more will follow, unless, of course, I get distracted with something else. The maxims here follow no order and are derived from online sources, law reading and hosts of other places. Latin phrases are as prevalent out there as beautiful people. Therefore, just open your eyes.

1. Qualis artifex pereo! Let's begin with this gem from the Emperor Nero. What few know is that he only lived about 31 years, but he managed to wreak quite some havoc in those years. Killing and death was a major preoccupation of his family, as his scheming mother Agrippina killed husbands until she married the Emperor Claudius, who then adopted Nero as his son and future Emperor. After Agrippina poisoned Claudius, Nero took over as Emperor of Rome at about age 17. While the first few years of his reign were promising, he soon decided to kill his mother and some other close family members. Things went downhill quite soon after that. Nero thought of himself as quite gifted artistically, even though the only people applauding at his concerts were those he paid to applaud. But the Senate turned on him after the fire in Rome in (A.D.) 64 C.E., and he left Rome and committed suicide. He is supposed to have uttered the maxim just before committing suicide. "How great an artist (Rome loses when) I perish." I am sure that Rome wasn't thinking this, but it is good for a person today to have this phrase handy whenever feeling un/underappreciated. It will take quite some historian to reverse the negative press that Nero received throughout history, but maybe some potential revisionist is out there.

2. We often try to maximize the effect of what we do, hoping that one act will bring two or more results. It is a sort of happy fortune when this happens. The following maxims hint at that reality. (1) "Qui bene cantat, bis orat;" and (2) "Qui scribit bis legit;" and (3) Bis dat qui cito dat." You notice that the word "bis" ("twice") appears in each. Here are translations: (1) "The one who sings well, prays twice;" (2) "The one who writes reads twice;" and (3) "The one who gives quickly gives twice." How are these true? With respect to (3), let us say that your supervisor gives you an assignment, due in three days. If you do it well and finish it within an hour, you have "given twice"--you not only have completed the assignment but you have saved your boss from worry. I think (2) is especially true for writers. Writing helps you learn something and therefore functions as a "second read." A second reading of a text confirms it in your mind as does writing it. Many people tell me that the reason they love to teach is that this ensures they will learn the material. I suppose the first one suggests that the beauty of the song as well as the words sung are both prayers before God. Memorize one of these, or more, especially if you are a multi-tasker.

3. "Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi." "What is permitted Jupiter is not permitted a cow" (i.e., humans). Double standards. How often have they enraged us? Someone gets into a prestigious university because of family connections and not because of merit. Some people get ushered into the front seats even though they don't pay for them. Special privileges are doled out to special people, but not to us. And, some people get away with conduct that certainly wouldn't be permitted if normal people did it. How do you react when this happens? You can erupt in anger; curse the universe for not being more "fair;" vow to change the system; or you may look at the double standards all around you with amusement and recognize that a rule of life is that there are people and there are special people; what is allowed one group is not permitted the others; quod licet Jovi non licet bovi. It is a handy maxim to have.

Let's continue this.

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