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Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant, by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1859), inaccurately depicting gladiators greeting Vitellius. Avē Imperātor, moritūrī tē salūtant ("Hail, Emperor, those who are about to die salute you") is a well-known Latin phrase quoted in Suetonius, De vita Caesarum ("The Life of the Caesars", or "The Twelve Caesars"). [1]
Feb 25, 2019 · Learn the origin and meaning of the phrase "Those who are about to die salute you" from ancient Roman history and culture. Find out how it was used in fiction, music and literature.
The poem is a tribute to the class of 1825 of Bowdoin College on their fiftieth anniversary. It uses the gladiators' cry "We who are about to die salute you" as a motif and contrasts the past and present of the classmates.
- Historical Source Material
- Usage in Roman Times
- Usage in Modern Times
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The source material comes from the works of three Roman historians, who were all born after the events of 52 AD. Suetonius (c. 69–75 to after 130, probably writing around AD 121), and Cassius Dio (around 155–164 to after 229, probably writing 200–22) both wrote about the event and quoted the phrase. Tacitus (c. 56–117, writing from around 98 to 117...
H. J. Leon of the University of Texas considered this salutation in the Transactions of the American Philological Association in 1939. He observed that the salute had become widely represented and embellished in “numerous works dealing with Roman antiquities, so that it has become one of the best known and most often cited of Roman customs”. It was...
The story was well known in the 20th Century, and indeed appears in George Bernard Shaw’s 1912 play Androcles and the Lion immediately before the Christians face the lions as “Hail, Caesar! those about to die salute thee”, with the Emperor responding “Good morrow, friends”. As well as taking root in modern conceptions of Roman customs, the phrase h...
Learn about the famous Latin phrase used by condemned criminals to greet Claudius in AD 52, and its variations and sources. Find out why Claudius replied "Aut nōn" or "Avete vōs" and how historians interpret this incident.
Those Who Are About to Die Salute You is the debut album by Colosseum, released in 1969 by Fontana.It is one of the pioneering albums of jazz fusion. The title is a translation of the Latin phrase morituri te salutant that according to popular belief (but not academic agreement), gladiators addressed to the emperor before the beginning of a gladiatorial match.
We, who are about to die, salute you is from the Latin Nos morituri te salutant! . It is a Latin phrase from Suetonius (c.69-c.122 CE) in ‘The Twelve Caesars’ and from Dio Cassius (155-235 CE). They both quote the phrase as being used by the Naumachiarii (sailors) prior to a mock naval battle in 52 CE on Lake Fucinus attended by the Roman ...
Learn how the phrase "Those who are about to die salute you" was used by Roman gladiators in the arena and recorded by Suetonius. Find out the full Latin expression and its meaning.
