Latin Worth Knowing: Auribus Teneo Lupum / I Have a Wolf by the Ears

The playwright Terence, in his classic (tee hee) play the Phormio, gives us an interesting quote, which was apparently already a quote in his day:

id quod aiunt, auribus teneo lupum
That which they say, "I have a wolf by the ears." 
(Terentius, Phormio 506)

The fact that he prefaces the quote with "that which they say (id quod aiunt)" means this is not just something he is saying, this is current in their culture.

It is parallel to what we might say with "To Have a Tiger by the Tail." In other words, one is in a situation where action and inaction are equally dangerous and un-(forgive the pun)-tenable.

________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

________________________________________________________________

Latin Worth Knowing: Davus sum, non Oedipus - I'm Davus, not Oedipus

Oedipus, for all of his other Oedipal failings, solved the riddle of the Sphinx:

"What is that which has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?"

He solves it, "A man, who as a baby crawls on all fours, then walks on two feet, and then, in old age, adds a cane."

The Sphinx, in despair that someone solved the riddle, commits suicide. 

The Roman playwright Terence, in his play Andria 1.2, has the trickster slave, when asked to solve a problem, utter the delightful response:

Davus sum, non Oedipus.
"I'm Davus, not Oedipus."

This quote, useful I guess now only within the most erudite settings, can be employed when one is asked to speak to an area far outside their area of expertise. 

My high school Latin students typically are working levels of mathematics far beyond what I was required even for my BA degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987. And I have said, when asked by one of them, "Hey, Dr. Massey, can you help me with Calculus?"

"Davus sum, non Oedipus."

________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

________________________________________________________________

How would you say "I'm Spartacus" in Latin?

In the 1960 movie Spartacus, when the slave rebellion has been conquered, Crassus offers to spare the lives of the lot of them, so long as the real Spartacus steps forward and surrenders so that, presumably, Crassus can parade him as beaten and humiliated in Rome. 

Spartacus, played by Kirk Douglas, certainly wanting the best for the people he has so ably led, stands to give himself up, but, one by one, others proclaim, "I'm Spartacus." If you've never seen the movie, at least watch this short clip of the scene I just described.

Since the movie is set in ancient Rome, this raises the question of how, in Latin, would this scene have really played out? How would you most authentically say "I'm Spartacus!" in Latin?

The answer is clear, but it means we need to explore briefly how Latin conveys the particular emphasis that the scene requires.

________________________________________________________________

If you are moved by stories of heroes fighting against oppressive tyranny, check out the novel A Place of Brightness, the first installment of the Andrew Valquist Saga. 

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $10.10 on paperback). 

You'll share the triumphs and trials of a family of freedom fighters all the way from Cold War Romania down to the present day.

________________________________________________________________

In Latin, like Spanish, you don't actually need to use the pronoun with verbs. So, hablo means "I speak," and yo hablo also means "I speak." In Latin, Sum all on its own means "I am," and ego sum also means "I am."

But in Latin, the pronouns are generally not used, unless one really means to emphasize who exactly is the subject of the verb. So for instance, the Roman playwright Terence has a famous line in which a slave declares:

Davus sum, non Oedipus (Terence, Andria 194)
"I'm Davus, not Oedipus." (i.e., I'm Davus, not someone who can solve riddles.)

Terence doesn't use ego in that line because the contrast is between Davus and Oedipus, not "I" and someone else.

In the scene from Spartacus, however, the whole point is that each person standing up to stand beside Spartacus is declaring, not so much that "I'm Spartacus," but rather that "I am Spartacus."

As a result, Latin would indeed require the use of the pronoun ego here to convey the needed emphasis. 

And so, with great linguistic confidence, we can declare, the way you would say "I'm Spartacus" in Latin is:

Ego sum Spartacus.

And I am also willing to say, "Ego Sum Spartacus - I'm Spartacus." I stand beside you, dear man, because I know I live in a world where liberty reigns more than in your age precisely because you dared to stand up against tyranny and oppression. Requiescas in pace, Spartace...

If you'd like to continue experiencing action adventures set in ancient Rome, please check out my novel In Saecula Saeculorum. I can promise you sword fights, horse races, heartbreaks, and triumphs. Click on the cover to learn more and purchase my novel. Thank you for your consideration.



 

Fortune Favors the Brave - Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat

By Keith Massey, PhD.  Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing.
 

A classic quote from the playwright Terence.

Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat - Fortune Favors the Brave. Indeed, we make our own destiny when we take hold of our lives.

 I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. 

Fortune Favors the Brave! Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat! Tshirts by keithmassey
Make a t-shirt online at Zazzle.

You can change the gender, size, color, and style of this product on the Zazzle site. Enjoy!

________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

________________________________________________________________