I’m not famous.
If I had to guess, neither are you.
But does that mean we aren’t worth knowing? Does that mean people shouldn’t talk to us, hear us, learn from us?
No.
In fact, I have a lot to give this world and so do you. You have insight and a perspective that no one else does. You have ideas that only you could have.
But why am I talking about fame in a blog about Latin quotes?
Good question…
It’s because Latin quotes are a lot like people. Some are household names and others are so unknown that you couldn’t find them if you tried. No google search for “people I should know” is EVER going to bring up my name, just like no search for “Latin quotes I should know” will ever include the ones in this post. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know them. In fact, I’d argue it means we should.
I created this list of lesser known Latin quotes because I was tired of seeing the same list over and over again. Famous quotes like Catullus’s odi et amo (”I hate and I love”) and Seneca’s si vis amari ama (”If you wish to be loved, love”) are great, but they are far from the whole picture.
There are countless other beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring lines from antiquity. And just like you or me, these less-than-famous Latin quotes have something to say, too.
So, without further ado…
1. Haec tibi non tenues veniet delapsa per auras: Quaerenda est oculis apta puella tuis. - Ovid
“She will not come falling for you out of thin air: The right girl must be searched for with your eyes.”
This piece of advice comes from book one of Ovid’s Ars Amatoria (the Art of Love), where the poet shares tips and tricks for love and seduction. Here, he tells readers to search for love because it will not just appear in front of you. In other words, put in the work if you want to find the good ones!
2. Te mea supposita veluti trabe fulta ruina est: siquid adhuc ego sum, muneris omne tui est. - Ovid
“You support my ruins like timber: if I am still anyone, it is all your gift.”
Ovid was exiled from Rome partially due to the controversial subject matter of the Ars Amatoria. This heartfelt line comes from his poem, the Tristia, which was written in exile starting around 9 AD. In this passage, Ovid speaks directly to his wife, who wished to accompany him into exile. He credits her for holding him together during the difficult times and goes on to praise her for protecting him from the “wolves” responsible for his exile.
This line is full of love and shows us that even great figures of the past needed support sometimes. Love is about showing up and doing what we can (even in the face of something as big and damning as exile).
3. Me dispeream nisi amat… dispeream nisi amo. - Catullus
“I’m ruined if she doesn’t love me… I’m ruined if I don’t love her.”
Catullus has given us his fair share of quotes on love. The short and sweet, da mi basia mille (”give me a thousand kisses”) or vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus (”let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love”) are among the most famous.
But this gem comes from Catullus 92, in which the poet works through his feelings for his lover, Lesbia, who is also the subject of many of his poems. This short poem (and these two lines in particular) showcase a universal theme: Love is a complicated thing and it’s not always sunshine and rainbows.
4. Me tamen urit amor; quis enim modus adsit amori? - Vergil
“Still love burns me; for what limit is there for love?”
In his Eclogues, Virgil produced some of the most famous Latin quotes of all time. Ever heard amor vincit omnia (”love conquers all)”? How about nunc scio quid sit amor (”now I know what love is”)? Both come from the Eclogues.
This quote, though lesser known, is also from the Eclogues and speaks of the pain of unrequited love. In this poem, a herdsman named Corydon laments his inability to win over the boy, Alexis. Although Alexis doesn’t feel the same, Corydon continues to “burn” with desire and his limitless love gives way to limitless pain.
I’ll be the first to admit that this is a super depressing thought, but it’s important because it strays from the positive, inspirational themes woven through Vergil’s more famous lines. So many of Vergil’s famous quotes highlight the joy and strength in love, but oftentimes there is pain too.
Vergil did not forget that.
5. Sic amicitiam non spe mercedis adducti sed quod omnis eius fructus in ipso amore inest, expetendam putamus. - Cicero
“We believe that friendship should be desired, and are persuaded not by the hope of reward but because all its profit is in the love itself.”
Cicero was an orator best known for his political speeches. However, his treatise on friendship, De Amicitia, gives readers a glimpse of his softer side.
This heartfelt line describes of a different kind of love, the lasting relationship between friends. Here, Cicero shows that he’s not just a politician with A+ arguing skills. He is also a writer with something to say about friendship.
Relationships—be them romantic or not—are the real reward.
So what?
So, you’ve got the list, but why does it matter? Why should you learn lines that no one else knows?
I’ve spent a lot of time pondering this question, and what I have to say is this: five or ten lines is simply not enough to know a person. If you took ten things I’ve said or written and put them in a list, it wouldn’t even come close to providing the full picture. So how can we do that with the writers of antiquity?
Ovid is most famous for the Metamorphoses, a poem about change and movement and myth. But he also wrote passages full of sadness and love.
Vergil is best known for the Aeneid, an epic about war and the aftermath of the Trojan War. But he also wrote of pain and desire.
Cicero was an orator, a statesman who argued and condemned his enemies in front of the senate. But he also wrote about the value of friendship.
The most famous lines are not always the most telling ones. And sure, they’re famous for a reason. They’re short, sweet, inspirational, and sound really cool. However, if we really want to understand and talk about these writers, we need to dig deeper.
Plus, how impressed will people be if you pull one of these out next time you get to talking about Latin quotes?
Wrapping it up
Five Latin quotes on love you’ve never heard but should:
- Haec tibi non tenues veniet delapsa per auras: Quaerenda est oculis apta puella tuis. ➡️ “She will not come falling for you out of thin air: The right girl must be searched for with your eyes.” - Ovid
- Te mea supposita veluti trabe fulta ruina est: siquid adhuc ego sum, muneris omne tui est. ➡️ “You support my ruins like timber: if I am still anyone, it is all your gift.” - Ovid
- Me dispeream nisi amat… dispeream nisi amo. ➡️ “I’m ruined if she doesn’t love me… I’m ruined if I don’t love her.” - Catullus
- Me tamen urit amor; quis enim modus adsit amori? ➡️ “Still love burns me; for what limit is there for love?” - Vergil
- Sic amicitiam non spe mercedis adducti sed quod omnis eius fructus in ipso amore inest, expetendam putamus. ➡️ “We believe that friendship should be desired, and are persuaded not by the hope of reward but because all its profit is in the love itself.” - Cicero
These five lesser-known lines from well-known writers are just a few of many. I love famous Latin quotes just as much as the next Classics nerd, but in my years studying Latin, I’ve developed a soft spot for the beautiful lines that go unnoticed. Hence this post.
These lines might not be famous, but they’ve certainly got something to say and contain messages that have endured (and will continue to endure) for centuries. Plus, they show us a different side of the writers, orators, and poets we know and love.
Which one’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
With Love and Latin,
💖 Olivia