Using this or that expression, many do not think about its real meaning and origin. Phrases that have become “catchphrases” have become so firmly established in the circulation of words that they seem familiar and natural, occurring by themselves. Meanwhile, each of them has its own story: entertaining, funny, and sometimes tragic.
The harsh Latin slogan “veni, vidi, vici” - the translation of which can be interpreted as: come, see and conquer, has been known for more than two thousand years. It symbolizes determination, courage and power shown in a critical situation. This aphorism belongs to Julius Caesar , who had to defeat several serious opponents at once.
Veni, Vidi, Vici - translation from Latin into Russian
A tattoo with the inscription “Veni, Vidi, Vici” is popular and in demand all over the world, both among men and women. This “catchphrase” was coined many centuries ago in Latin. The literal translation of the words sounds like “I came, I saw, I conquered” and for a long time these words were the motto and slogan of the great warriors heading into battle to conquer lands.
In the modern world, this catchphrase happens quite often and almost everywhere. It is not uncommon for people who are trying to achieve success in life, understand its meaning and find what they want, to put a phrase as a tattoo on different parts of the body: arms, back, chest, shoulders, stomach. These three words always indicate an action (verb) and should always be capitalized.
Tattoo with a phrase on the arm: mirror reflection
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Gaius Julius Caesar (102 (100) - 44 BC) was born into a noble and wealthy Roman family. Received a comprehensive home education. In his youth he served military service in Asia Minor. After the death of the dictator, Sulla began to engage in political activities - he expressed the interests of the Roman plebs.
In 73 BC. e. Gaius Julius Caesar was elected military tribune in 69 BC. e. - quaestor, and in 65 BC. e. - aedile. Three years later he became Pontifex Maximus. This was a hierarchical level that gave him the right to become the governor of one of the provinces of Ancient Rome. Soon he led the Roman troops. Caesar won his first military victories in the province of Further Spain over the freedom-loving Iberian tribes.
In an effort to reach great heights, in 60 BC. e. Caesar entered into an alliance with the most influential political and military figures of the time - Gnaeus Pompey and Marcus Crassus (victor of Spartacus). Very soon this union of three - the first triumvirate - turned into the de facto government of Rome. The triumvirs divided spheres of influence in government affairs. In 59 BC. e. Guy Julius Caesar became consul, and after the end of the consulate he was appointed governor of Cisalpine, and then of Narbonese Gaul, with the right to recruit an army and independently conduct military operations.
In 58–51 BC. e. Caesar made his famous Gallic campaigns. The Romans met fierce resistance from the local population, but the disciplined and well-trained army of legionnaires invariably won victories.
Caesar defeated the tribes of the Helvetii, Belgians, Nervii, Aduatuci, Veneti, Usipeti and Tencteri. He personally participated in hand-to-hand combat, inspiring the legionnaires with his example.
In July 55 BC. e. The Roman army, led by the governor of Gaul, crossed the Rhine (in the area of modern Bonn). For this purpose, a bridge was built, which became a military engineering masterpiece of Ancient Rome. Caesar forced the Germanic tribes to swear allegiance to Rome. The Romans then returned to Gaul, destroying the bridge.
In August 55 BC. e. and in July 54 BC. e. Caesar invaded Britain. The Romans defeated the British army under the command of Cassivelaunus. Caesar headed to the Thames and crossed the river west of modern London. After an unsuccessful attempt to capture the fortified camp of the Roman fleet, Cassivelaunus sued for peace, and the Britons submitted to Rome.
In 54–53 BC. e. An anti-Roman uprising occurred in Gaul. In 53 BC. e. A 50,000-strong Roman army led by Caesar besieged the city of Avaric (modern Bourges in France), the center of the rebel Gauls led by the leader Vercingetorix. The Romans were unable to take Avaric by storm: the Gauls repelled all assaults. When the besieged ran out of food, the army of Gauls led by Vercingetorix secretly left the fortress. Then Caesar's legions burst into the city and killed the inhabitants.
But the Gallic governor met with the leader of the rebels in the battles of Gergovia and near Alesia in 52 BC. e. At the head of the same 50,000-strong army, Caesar besieged the city of Alesia, which was defended by 80,000 foot and 15,000 horse Gauls under the command of Vercingetorix. The Belgae, having gathered a large army, tried to come to the aid of the besieged Alesia, but were defeated by the legionnaires. The news of the Belgae's defeat demoralized the city's defenders so much that they capitulated. The leader of the rebel Gauls was captured and sent to Rome to take part in the military triumph of Gaius Julius Caesar, and was later executed as a rebel.
After the fall of Alesia, the Roman conquests of Gaul (which includes modern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland) ended. Victories over the Gauls made Caesar popular in Ancient Rome. Gaius Julius Caesar told his descendants about his participation in the war against the Gauls, who outnumbered the Romans but did not have the ability to fight, in “Notes on the Gallic War,” written in the third person.
While Caesar was successfully fighting in Gaul, serious events were brewing in the Eternal City. Marcus Crassus died in a lost battle against the Parthians at Carrhae, and the triumvirate disintegrated. A bloody and long struggle began between Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey, another civil war in Ancient Rome, dividing its citizens into two camps. The Roman legions stationed in the provinces were also divided into two hostile camps.
Pompey led the supporters of the Senate Republic, Caesar - its opponents. In 49 BC. e. The Senate, ending Caesar's governorship early, ordered him to disband the army and return to Rome as a private citizen. This was a direct challenge to the commander from his Pompeian enemies.
Guy Julius Caesar, at the head of his legions, went to Rome, whose troops were commanded by Pompey. The beginning of this civil war was marked by the fact that Caesar's troops crossed the Rubicon River at night. Before the crossing, the commander uttered the famous words: “The die is cast!” Caesar's experienced legions began to push back the army of Gnaeus Pompey everywhere and in just two months captured Northern Italy.
Pompey tried to defend Rome. But in the battle of Ilerda in 49 BC. e. was defeated and, with the remnants of his legions (about 25 thousand people) and senatorial supporters, retreated so hastily from Rome through Brindisi to Greece that he did not have time to take the state treasury with him.
Gaius Julius Caesar, at the head of the army that deified him, went to Spain, whose governor was Gnaeus Pompey and where there were seven legions loyal to him under the command of Afranius and Petreus. August 2, 49 BC e. Caesar forced the Spanish legions to surrender, disbanded them and replenished his troops with legionnaires Afranius and Petreus. Only after this the new ruler of Ancient Rome crossed the sea with his troops to Hellas.
Pompey set up a well-fortified camp near the city of Dyrrachium in Epirus. Caesar approached and positioned himself with his troops between the city and the enemy camp, cutting off the enemy’s main communications. This forced Pompey to attack Caesar's army. Having lost a thousand legionnaires in battle, he nevertheless broke through the enemy’s ranks and forced him to retreat.
In the autumn of 49 BC. e. the senators who did not leave Rome with Gnaeus Pompey solemnly proclaimed Caesar dictator. From that day on, he actually became a monarch. The Roman Republic came to an end.
In the summer of 48 BC. e. The famous battle took place in Thessaly at Pharsal. Pompey had 50 thousand people, and Caesar had half as many. At the beginning of the battle, the cavalry of Gnaeus Pompey threw back the enemy's cavalry, but got carried away in pursuit and came under an unexpected blow from Caesar's legions. As a result, the cavalry left the battlefield, dragging the infantrymen with it. In this battle, the winners lost only 200 people, and the vanquished - 8 thousand, 20 thousand surrendered.
Left without an army, Pompey fled to Egypt in the hope of finding refuge there and renewing the war with his enemy. However, the defeated Roman commander did not manage to land on shore: while still in the boat, he was killed by the servants of the Egyptian ruler.
Despite this, Caesar went with part of his army from Greece to Egypt to finish off the remnants of the Pompeian troops. There, the Roman emperor had to fight the young Ptolemy XIII, who ruled Egypt along with his sister Cleopatra. The Romans withstood a difficult siege in Alexandria, but after the arrival of reinforcements, the Caesarians defeated the Egyptian army on the banks of the Nile. King Ptolemy XIII died in the battle, after which the war in Egypt ended.
Guy Julius Caesar fell in love with Queen Cleopatra. Under the influence of an intelligent and well-educated Egyptian queen, the commander in 47 BC. e. In just five days he defeated the king of Pontus Pharnaces. Caesar, without false modesty, sent a laconic report to the Eternal City about another victory of Roman weapons: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
After Pompey's death, his party and supporters in the Senate were still not broken. There were many Pompeians in Italy; they were strong in the provinces, especially in Illyricum, Spain and Africa. In January 46 BC. e. Pompeian commanders Labienus and Petrius, supported by the Numidian cavalry of King Juba, defeated three Caesarian legions in the battle of Ruspina. In April, Caesar's ten legions defeated a vastly superior Pompeian force (14 legions, not counting light auxiliary infantry, cavalry, and 100 war elephants) at Thapsus. Impressed by this victory, the Roman Senate appointed Gaius Julius Caesar as dictator of Ancient Rome for a period of ten years.
The last battle between the Pompeians and Julius Caesar (and in his biography of the commander it turned out to be the very last) took place near Munda on March 17, 45 BC. e. Caesar proved himself to be a skilled commander: his army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Pompeians, losing only a thousand people (30 thousand Pompeians died at Munda, including the commanders Labienus and Atius Varus).
The death of Gnaeus Pompey the Younger marked the end of the civil war in the Roman Republic. The Pompeians, completely demoralized by the military defeat, stopped resisting, and in 44 BC. e. The Senate declared Caesar dictator of Rome for life. After this, his enemies rallied, so he was not able to reign in Ancient Rome even for a year.
At the end of 45 BC. e. Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus organized a conspiracy against the dictator. The conspirators included not only recent Pompeians, but also supporters of Caesar.
March 15, 44 BC e. Gaius Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Roman Senate. As doctors later testified, of all the dagger wounds inflicted on him, only one - in the chest - turned out to be fatal.
Caesar, a commander who achieved full state power at the cost of the lives of many thousands of Roman legionnaires, made a significant contribution to the development of the military art of the ancient world. He far-sightedly and prudently solved strategic problems both in the Gallic wars and in the civil war with the Pompeians, creating superiority over the enemy in the right direction. On the battlefield he placed troops in three battle lines, the last of which was a reserve. Used intelligence effectively. After the victory, he organized a long pursuit of the defeated enemy.
In addition, Julius Caesar is one of the largest military historians of the ancient world, who left several interesting works on the history of wars.
Winged expression - Came, Saw, Conquered: whose words, who said them, who is the author of the words?
The history of the phrase is very interesting. According to the records of the great historian Plutarch, the first prominent person to use this phrase was Emperor Julius Caesar. This happened literally in 47 BC.
Caesar wrote a letter to his friend in which he described his victory over King Pharnaces. He signed the letter with a short phrase, which, in his opinion, most accurately described the entire battle: “I came, I saw, I won.” Later these words were inscribed on a board (symbolic shield) that led the triumphal parade.
Inscription on hand, unusual font
Unusual color version of the inscription
An unusual way to apply a phrase
Gaius Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was one of the noble patricians - family aristocrats, whose ancestors stood at the foundation of Rome. His family was considered one of the most ancient. Possessing a sharp mind, extensive knowledge and talent as a military leader, Caesar from a young age managed to attract the attention and love of the people. Having become the head of the army, he completed the conquest of Gaul, led two campaigns on the island of Britain, and, defeating his rivals one after another, established himself as a dictator.
The struggle for power led to a civil war between supporters of Caesar and Pompey, the ambitious Roman consul. The struggle lasted for four years and covered almost all the provinces of the country. Legions loyal to the Senate fought against Caesar's forces throughout the Roman Republic. The battles took place on the territory:
- Greece.
- Italy.
- Illyria.
- Spain.
When the struggle spread to Africa, Pompey was killed. While in Egypt, the dictator learned that the Pontic king Pharnaces II, a longtime enemy of the Romans, had opposed Rome. Pharnaces' army invaded the empire's possessions in Asia, destroying the garrisons and killing the inhabitants. Caesar hastened to come to the aid of the outskirts of the state, which were left without protection. In addition to the military component of this campaign, there was also a political one. The people were tired of the conflict, a rebellion was brewing, and Caesar was in dire need of a “small victorious war” to come to Rome triumphant.
Came, Saw, Conquered - what does this mean: the meaning of phraseology
It is worth noting that the phrase “Veni, Vidi, Vici” or “I came, I saw, I conquered” is quite strong not only on the energetic level, but also in the verbal sense. It is quite difficult for an ordinary person to fully feel these words; to do this, one must be a great commander or at least a military man.
In the modern world, this phrase is found in all areas of human activity: athletes say it after winning a competition, businessmen after a successful deal, and womanizers after winning another girl. The phrase literally means the simplicity and success of the completed task: “decided, did, became better.”
How to understand the phrase correctly?
“Latin has gone out of fashion now, but if I tell you the truth...”
During the time of A.S. Pushkin, Latin merely “went out of fashion,” although its knowledge characterized a person only from the best side. But even then it had long since lost its status as a spoken language. But even if we omit its fundamental role in medicine, especially in pharmacology, we can state that Latin quotes and expressions will live on for centuries. Jurisprudence is also quite difficult to do without the help of Latin, the name of which was given by the region in Italy - Latia, the center of which is Rome. Sayings in Latin serve not only to decorate the language, sometimes only these phrases can express the essence of the issue. Collections of Latin catchphrases exist and are in demand. Some phrases from them are familiar even to people far from Latin and science in general.
Came, Saw, Conquered in Latin – Veni, Vidi, Vici – tattoo on hand: meaning, photo
Unlike other tattoos, the inscription with the words “Veni, Vidi, Vici” is tattooed so that it catches the eye of its owner and the people around him. This should instill confidence in the “owner” and fear in those who encounter the bearer of the tattoo. The most “popular” place for a tattoo is the hand, or rather the forearm. The inscription “instills confidence” in a person and allows him to achieve success in all his endeavors.
The classic way to depict an inscription
Bright tattoo on hand
Where can the motto be applied: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered?
The motto “Veni, Vidi, Vici” has no restrictions. It can easily be used as a life slogan for any business and every day. The most common uses of the phrase:
- Sport
- Battle, fight
- Business
- Contest
- Gamblers
- Travelers
- Competition
- Quiz
- Quest
- Victory (life, love, personal)
Inscription on the belly
Lettering on the back
Inscription on the chest
