Phrases everybody should know

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A truly well rounded student needs a foundation in the traditions of western civilization. This is what Charlotte Mason, the British educator, refers to in her books as "Mother Culture"- a sense of where the political, literary, artistic, and scientific aspects of our world come from. The point of education is not just to be literate, but to develop a cultural literacy as well. Since this is a big topic and cannot be handled in one article, here are some essential words and phrases from ancient Greece and Rome. Use these terms as springboards to find out more out about the classics.

1. Our Colorado state motto, first of all! Nil Sine Numine- Nothing without the Deity.
2. The motto of the United States of America: E pluribus Unum- Out of many, one.
3. Habeas Corpus-Have the body (no-one can be held indefinitely without a charge).
4.  Mens sana in corpore sano- a healthy mind in a healthy body.
5. Facta, non verba- Deeds, not words.
6. Anno Domini (A.D.)- Year of our Lord.
7. De gustibus non est dispudandum- No arguing about tastes.
8. In vino veritas- in wine there is truth.
9. Tempus fugit-Time flies.
10. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?-Who guards the guardians

Now, here are a few from the ancient Greeks (helpfully, not in Greek letters!).

1. Anthropos metron- man is the measure of all things.
2. Gnothi seauton- Know yourself. These words were engraved on the walls of the temple of the Delphic oracle.
3. Eureka! I have found it; the words of Archimedes on discovering his theory of water displacement.
4. E tan e epi tas- With your shield or on it (said to Spartan soldiers).
5. Iesous Christos Theou Uios Soter-Greek code meaning Jesus Christ Son of God, Saviour. Initials spell out the greek for fish.

With each of these phrases, discuss. What does each one mean? And do you agree?

Another fun thing to do, to get kids interested in learning more, is to encourage them to find their own special "mottos". Public buildings, government seals, or sites like  home.att.net/~bandcparker/latin.html and ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_q_latin1.htm are a good place to start. The books "Amo, Amas, Amat, and More" and "Veni, Vidi, Vinci"  by Eugene Ehrlich  also give a thorough survey of common classical expressions.