Plautus
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus, commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus. The word Plautine /ˈplɔːtaɪn/ refers to both Plautus's own works and works similar to or influenced by his...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionPlaywright
mud manners fine
Vulgarity of manners defiles fine garments more than mud.
envy spiteful wells
It is the nature of the unfortunate to be spiteful, and to envy those who are well to do.
hounds folly unwilling
It is sheer folly to take unwilling hounds to the chase.
kindness men purpose
It is not without a purpose when a rich man greets a poor one with kindness.
taken
He who is most on his guard is often himself taken in.
casts ifs precipice
He who rushes headlong into love will fare worse than if he had cast himself from a precipice.
undone ruined
I am undone! I have smashed the waggon. [I have ruined all.]
return ifs hard
If you say hard things you must expect to hear them in return.
want ifs has-beens
If you squander on a holyday, you will want on a workday unless you have been sparing.
certain lost grasping
In grasping at uncertainties we lost that which is certain.
cheerful disposition advantage
In misfortune if you cultivate a cheerful disposition you will reap the advantage of it.
worst knows
It is best to know the worst at once.
wings difficult
It is difficult to fly without wings.
drink difficult
It is difficult to whistle and drink at the same time.