Latin is Everywhere: The Power of Quotes

Latin is Everywhere  

Latina Ubique: that’s “Latin is Everywhere” in the Mother Tongue. And it’s true. That’s a big part of the fun of learning the language. It’s also a big part of the value, for those who feel that the learning of Latin requires some justification. We’ll get to the practical aspects shortly. First, indulge me a moment while we travel back to the 6th century AD.

And what’s so special about the 6th century AD, you may ask? Well, that’s when the Anglo Saxons who had overrun the old Roman province of Britannia, modern day England, first embraced Christianity. Latin was the official language of the new religion. It was also the ordinary medium of worship and instruction in the institutions that the Christian Church established. Not only that, the only schooling available was provided by those Church institutions. Consequently, everyone who received a formal education in England learned Latin. And learned it well. Even after the arrival of secular education in the late Middle Ages, Latin remained an essential component of the curriculum for most of the next millennium and a half.

 Practical Advantages 

That profound penetration of Latin into the language of the invading Angles, Saxons, and Jutes was the alloy that transformed their original Germanic tongue into Modern English. But that wasn’t all. Along with the language of the Romans, English scholars read a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of Latin literature. As a result, a lot of unalloyed Latin made it into English.  Sometimes individual words, such as century. Sometimes well-known quotes or passages from ancient sources. Carpe diem, anyone? Since Roman oratory and history were also in the curriculum, classical figures such as Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Marcus Brutus were as well known as contemporary political figures.

As a consequence, there are real practical advantages to studying Latin, even in this barbarous age when most people have not. Roughly half of English words come from Latin, and the more technical the vocabulary, the higher the proportion. It has also been an inextricable part of what people built, painted, and wrote over the past fifteen centuries.  When I was studying for a master’s degree in English, there was an entire dimension to almost everything we read that was evident to me (with my prior degree in classics) and the professor, but invisible to most of the other students.

Latin-Related Things in the World

That not-always-obvious Latin/Roman element is present in much more than language or literature. For a long time, I have given my 1st and 2nd year Latin students an ongoing assignment to help them train their eyes to see Latin and its Roman origins in everyday life. I found the idea in an article many years ago. I would give proper credit to the author, but all I can remember is that she was a nun. She referred to the project as a “bulletin board” assignment because she tasked her students with finding items to go on the bulletin board in her classroom. They were to keep their eyes open for Latin-related things “out in the world” to share with their classmates.

I loved the idea, and immediately incorporated it into my routine.  Here are my instructions to my students:

 Bulletin Board Project: 

Every semester each student is responsible for finding and sharing with the class at least one example of the Latin or Classical Greek language, or references to Latin or to Classical Antiquity, in a modern context.   Examples are:

– Latin quotations from periodicals and books (other than a Latin textbook!)
– references to Latin or to Classical Antiquity in articles or books, or films, videos, etc.
– articles, illustrations, photographs, cartoons, advertising, etc., having some reference to Latin or Classical Antiquity
– Latin mottos
– students’ own cartoons or illustrations
– poems, either original or from periodicals or books (please credit author!) relating to Latin or Classical Antiquity

TEXTBOOK/ENCYCLOPEDIA/INTERNET ENTRIES DEALING SPECIFICALLY WITH ROMAN ANTIQUITY AND ENTRIES FROM LATIN TEXTBOOKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!

Notice that items must come from a context that is NOT Latin related. The point is to notice that Latin is Everywhere.

Taking Pictures 

Now, some students have figured out that the easiest thing is simply to find the official seal of a college, city, or some other organization that has a Latin motto.  All they need to do is make a pretty poster out of the seal and they’re set for the semester.  Some students, however, get more into the spirit of the thing. Some bring in stray Latin phrases from books or articles. Back when everyone had a VCR in their home many students brought in taped television programs or films. There were plenty of examples, but the most outstanding was famous “Latin Duel” between Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo in Tombstone.

In more recent years, with the advent of smart phones, I’ve made it my practice to take a picture whenever I see a particularly good example “out in the world.” I’m including some samples here, mostly from the Manchester, New Hampshire area (the photo from Chicago is, of course, the exception). I invite all of you to share any examples you find. After all, Latin is everywhere!

Featured Image top of page: a play on Julius Caesar’s Veni, Vidi, Vici, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Seen at an autobody shop in Hooksett, NH.

All photos by author except: “Eamus Catuli zero” via Wikimedia Commons, photo by SecretName101, licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Latin Duel from the film Tombstone

Be sure to watch all the way through!