3 ms·

If you want peace, prepare for war. What is the purpose of using Latin in this context?

Arnt 1y ago
The quote is old, as old as our month names, which are also Latin, and are Latin because that was the language spoken by the people who named them.
- nandomrumber 1y ago
  Aren't only September, October, November, and December the only unchanged Latin month names?
  - throw0101d 1y ago
    > January (in Latin, Ianuarius) is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.[1] * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January#History > The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means "purification", via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February#History > The name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March#History etc
    - lostmsu 1y ago
      Isn't July also named after Julius Cesar?
maeln 1y ago
This quote has a very long history, most people know the latin locution (like memento mori) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_vis_pacem,_para_bellum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_vis_pacem,_para_bellum
- nandomrumber 1y ago
  I only knew memento mori from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds E01S04 episode title. And I didn't know the Latin of the other phrase being discussed here... but I'm just a high school dropout blue collar worker, so I guess it depends at least to some extent who you associate with.
  - DemocracyFTW2 1y ago
    So if you're interested in Latin you might also find it noteworthy that some object to the translation of the phrase as If you want peace, prepare for war and argue that it was more likely understood as If you want peace, prepare for strife at the time, meaning that the Falcons in Roman politics often did the "so let's send in our boys there to clean up" thing which Rome in fact often did, whereas the Pigeons (doves?) in favor of a diplomatic or otherwise more civil way of conflict resolution found themselves too often in a position where they had to justify themselves and convince the other side with substantial arguments to keep them from exercising the unquestioned default option of the Empire which was, then as now, military intervention.

Arnt 1y ago

The quote is old, as old as our month names, which are also Latin, and are Latin because that was the language spoken by the people who named them.

nandomrumber 1y ago
Aren't only September, October, November, and December the only unchanged Latin month names?
- throw0101d 1y ago
  > January (in Latin, Ianuarius) is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.[1] * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January#History > The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means "purification", via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February#History > The name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March#History etc
  - lostmsu 1y ago
    Isn't July also named after Julius Cesar?

maeln 1y ago

This quote has a very long history, most people know the latin locution (like memento mori) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_vis_pacem,_para_bellum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_vis_pacem,_para_bellum

nandomrumber 1y ago
I only knew memento mori from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds E01S04 episode title. And I didn't know the Latin of the other phrase being discussed here... but I'm just a high school dropout blue collar worker, so I guess it depends at least to some extent who you associate with.
- DemocracyFTW2 1y ago
  So if you're interested in Latin you might also find it noteworthy that some object to the translation of the phrase as If you want peace, prepare for war and argue that it was more likely understood as If you want peace, prepare for strife at the time, meaning that the Falcons in Roman politics often did the "so let's send in our boys there to clean up" thing which Rome in fact often did, whereas the Pigeons (doves?) in favor of a diplomatic or otherwise more civil way of conflict resolution found themselves too often in a position where they had to justify themselves and convince the other side with substantial arguments to keep them from exercising the unquestioned default option of the Empire which was, then as now, military intervention.