Legenda: Proverbia de Bove

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Proverbia de Bove

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These proverbs about the Ox (Bos) constitute just one group of the large body of proverbs about oxen, bulls, bullocks and cows in Latin.

For more information about the rams and sheep and lambs in Latin bestiaries, visit the Bos in the Zoo. If you find some of the proverbs below difficult to understand, you will find some English translations at the Zoo page, along with many other proverbs!

Use this Study Guide to organize your learning activities.

Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.	quod: relative pronoun, agreeing with implied hoc in main clause
Bos ad aquam tractus non vult potare coactus.	potare: complementary infinitive with vult
Quid bove firmius?
Placide bos incedit.
Bos lassus fortius figit pedem.
Non facile est taurum visa retinere iuvenca.	retinere: infinitive as noun visa...iuvenca: split phrase - ablative absolute
Pulcherrimus videtur bos bovi.
Bos in civitate.
Bos marinus.
Quid delphino et bovi commune?
Prius locusta bovem pariet.
Vulpes bovem agit.
Bove venari leporem.
Ne si bos quidem vocem edat.	edat: subjunctive with si ne...quidem: split phrase Note: In other words, not ever!
Sero paras stabulum taurum iam fure trahente.	fure trahente: ablative absolute
Parva necat morsu spatiosum vipera taurum.	parva...vipera: split phrase spatiosum...taurum: split phrase
Bos in lingua incedit.	Note: This refers to someone who is silent (and perhaps to someone who has been bribed into silence, since some ancient coins were stamped with oxen, so an "ox" could stand for a coin).
In lingua mihi bos.
Capram portare non possum, et imponitis bovem.	portare: complementary infinitive with possum