But don’t all things,
virtue, a good name, honor, all that’s human and divine,
obey money, lovely money?

[Omnis enim res,
Virtus, fama, decus, divina, humanaque pulchris
Divitiis parent.]

Horace (65–8 BC) Roman poet, satirist, soldier, politician [Quintus Horatius Flaccus]
Satires [Saturae, Sermones], Book 2, # 3 “Si raro scribes,” l. 94ff (2.3.94-96) (30 BC) [tr. Fuchs (1977)]
    (Source)

Damasippus (quoting the Stoic philosopher Stertinius?) on the mindset of a miser.

(Source (Latin)). Alternate translations:

For all and every thinge (quod he) vertue, renoumne, and fame,
The corpes, the goste, dothe crouch to coyne and serue vnto the same.
[tr. Drant (1567)]

For every thing divine and humane to
Virtue, wit, comeliness and honour do
Submit their Necks to riches splendid sway,
[tr. A. B.; ed. Brome (1666)]

For Honor, Vertue, Fame, and all Divine
And Humane Things must follow lovely Coin.
[tr. Creech (1684)]

For virtue, glory, beauty, all divine
And human powers, immortal gold! are thine.
[tr. Francis (1747)]

All things in his esteem -- fame, virtue, health,
Human and heavenly -- bow to blessed wealth.
[tr. Howes (1845)]

For every thing, virtue, fame, glory, divine and human affairs, are subservient to the attraction of riches.
[tr. Smart/Buckley (1853)]

For merit, fame,
and glory, all things human and divine bow
low before fair Money's power.
[tr. Millington (1870)]

For all things human and divine, renown,
Honour, and worth at money's shrine bow down.
[tr. Conington (1874)]

Riches, you know, are the beautiful things: everything else, worth, repute, honour, things divine and things human, bow down to them.
[tr. Wickham (1903)]

For all things — worth, repute, honour, things divine and human — are slaves to the beauty of wealth.
[tr. Fairclough (Loeb) (1926)]

Everything else is the slave of gorgeous wealth:
Virtue, renown, moral dignity, all thing divine
And human.
[tr. Palmer Bovie (1959)]

Virtue, fame, honor -- everything human,
Everything divine, is illuminated by money, shines only (to his mind)
In the beauty and glow of wealth.
[tr. Raffel (1983)]

In fact,
everything -- virtue, a good name,
honor, human and divine values --
all bowed down to the beauty of riches.
[tr. Alexander (1999)]

The fact is that goodness,
honour, reputation -- everything human and divine -- gives way
to the charm of money.
[tr. Rudd (2005 ed.)]

He thought all things,
Virtue, reputation, honour, things human or divine
Bowed to the glory of riches.
[tr. Kline (2015)]


 
Added on 13-Jun-25 | Last updated 13-Feb-26
Link to this post | No comments
Topics: , , , , , , , , ,
More quotes by Horace

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *