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Group 89: Latin

 

1154. Ambiguis alis labilis hora volat.

1155. Mors atris circumvolat alis.

1156. Mors non curat munera.

1157. Post mortem cessat invidia.

1158. Fragrat post funera virtus.

1159. Aequat omnes cinis.

1160. Mors omnia aequat.

1161. Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat.

1162. Elephantus culicem non curat.

1163. Et canis in somnis vestigia latrat.

1164. Cani dat paleas, asino ossa.

1165. Exspectat bos aliquando herbam.

1166. Incustoditum captat ovile lupus.

 

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Study Guide

 

1154. The passing hour flies by on ambiguous wings. (This is an inscription from a sundial.)

 

1155. Death flies around on its black wings. (You can find this phrase in Horace.)

 

1156. Death has no interest in gifts. (The "gifts" are would-be bribes, which have no sway over Death.)

 

1157. After death, envy comes to a halt. (You can see this illustrated in one of Vaenius's Horatian emblems.)

 

1158. Virtue continues to smell sweet after the funeral. (This is the Chesley family motto.)

 

1159. The ash makes all things equal. (The ash here refers to the ash of cremation. You can find this saying in Seneca.)

 

1160. Death makes all things equal. (Compare a similar saying in Erasmus, Mors aequa est omnibus, mendicis iuxta ac regibus, "Death is equal to all, paupers along with kings.")

 

1161. Death makes equal sceptres and mattocks. (In other words, kings, with their scepters, and farmers, with their mattocks, are equal in death.)

 

1162. An elephant has no interest in a gnat. (You can also find this saying: Elephas muscam non curat, "An elephant has no interest in a fly.")

 

1163. The dog barks at the trail in his dreams, too. (In Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, he explains that it is a rabbit's trail: Et canis in somnis leporis vestigia latrat.)

 

1164. He's giving straw to the dog and bones to the donkey. (In other words, he's acting like a fool, giving the wrong thing to the wrong animal.)

 

1165. The ox expects grass at least sometimes. (This is saying in Erasmus's Adagia, 3.4.80.)

 

1166. The wolf seizes the sheepfold that is unguarded. (You can read a brief essay about this proverb at the AudioLatinProverbs.com blog.)