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Felix culpa is a Latin phrase meaning "happy fault" or "fortunate fall" in the Catholic tradition. It refers to the positive outcomes of the Fall of Man, such as the redemption of Christ, and appears in various works of literature and art.
4 days ago · Felix culpa is a Latin phrase meaning fortunate fault, often used to describe original sin that is redeemed by Christ. Learn more about its origin, examples, and related words from Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Aug 1, 2014 · Explore the theological concept of "O Felix Culpa" (O Happy Fault) from Saint Ambrose and other sources. Learn how sin can have a positive character in God's plan and how it leads to a greater good through Christ's redemption.
- Auribus Teneo Lupum
- Barba Tenus Sapientes
- Brutum Fulmen
- Caesar Non Supra Grammaticos
- Carpe Noctem
- Carthago Delenda Est
- Castigat Ridendo Mores
- Corvus Oculum Corvi Non eruit
- Cui Bono?
- Et in Arcadia Ego
It might seem odd to say that you’re "holding a wolf by the ears," but auribus teneo lupum—a line taken from Phormio (c. 161 BCE), a work by the Roman playwright Terence—was a popular proverb in Ancient Rome. Like "holding a tiger by the tail," it is used to describe an unsustainable situation, and in particular one in which both doing nothing and ...
A man described as barba tenus sapientes is literally said to be "wise as far as his beard"—or, in other words, he might look intelligent but he’s actually far from it. This is just one of a number of phrases that show how the Romans associated beards with intelligence, alongside barba non facit philosophum, "a beard does not make a philosopher," a...
Apparently coined by the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, a brutum fulmenis a harmless or empty threat. It literally means "senseless thunderbolt."
In a speech to the Council of Constance in 1414, the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg happened to use the Latin word schisma, meaning "schism." Unfortunately for him, he muddled up its gender—schisma should be a neuter word, but he used it as if it were feminine. When the error was pointed out to him, Sigismund angrily proclaimed that bec...
Carpe noctem is essentially the nocturnal equivalent of carpe diemand so literally means "seize the night." It too is used to encourage someone to make the most of their time, often in the sense of working into the early hours of the morning to get something finished, or else enjoying themselves in the evening once a hard day’s work is done.
At the height of the Punic Wars, fought between Rome and Carthage from 264-146 BCE, a Roman statesman named Cato the Elder had a habit of ending all of his speeches to the Senate with the motto "Carthago delenda est," or "Carthage must be destroyed." His words quickly became a popular and rousing motto in Ancient Rome, and nowadays can be used figu...
Literally meaning "laughing corrects morals," the Latin motto castigat ridendo moreswas coined by the French poet Jean de Santeul (1630-97), who intended it to show how useful satirical writing is in affecting social change: The best way to change the rules is by pointing out how absurd they are.
Picture a politician sticking up for a colleague even in the face of widespread criticism—that’s a fine example of the old Latin saying corvus oculum corvi non eruit, meaning "a crow will not pull out the eye of another crow." It’s essentially the same as "honor amongst thieves," and refers to complete solidarity amongst a group of like-minded peop...
Literally meaning "who benefits?," cui bono?is a rhetorical Latin legal phrase used to imply that whoever appears to have the most to gain from a crime is probably the culprit. More generally, it’s used in English to question the meaningfulness or advantages of carrying something out.
Arcadia was a rural region of Ancient Greece, whose inhabitants—chiefly shepherds and farmers—were seen as living a quiet, idyllic life away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Athens. The Latin motto et in Arcadia ego, "even in Arcadia, here I am," comes from the title of a painting by the French Baroque artist Nicholas Poussin (1594-1665) that d...
Sep 22, 2024 · Felix culpa is a Latin phrase meaning 'happy fault', referring to the sin of Adam that led to the Redemption. Find out more about its origin, usage and related entries in Oxford Reference.
The Fall described in the poem is often referred to as a felix culpa, or fortunate fall, meaning that although the expulsion is the direct result of sin, the outcome of the Fall is essentially for the good of humankind.
Nov 23, 2012 · During the course of our intellectual conversation, I noticed a tattoo on her forearm: a cross, with the words “felix culpa” wrapped around it. She saw me looking at it and explained that it was in memory of her dad who, she said, had told her that even though he had done a lot to screw up his life, nothing was lost because out of that he ...
