Monosticha Catonis
(Cato’s Monostichs)

Incipiunt dicta Marci Catonis ad filium suum.

Cum animadverterem quam plurimos graviter in via morum errare, succurrendum opinioni eorum et consulendum famae existimavi, maxime ut gloriose viverent et honorem contingerent. Nunc te, fili carissime, docebo, quo pacto morem animi tui componas. Igitur praecepta mea ita legito, ut intellegas; legere enim et non intelligere neglegere est.

[Since I am aware of how many stray in the path of morals, I thought I should come to the aid of their understanding and take their reputations into account, so that they might live with greatest glory and obtain honors. Now I shall teach you, dearest son, how to fabricate morals for your own mind. There read my precepts, that you may understand; to read and not to understand is to be negligent.]

This text is found everywhere in the Middle Ages.

A monostich is a poem which consists of a single line. For the Old Norse version, see Halldor Hermannsson, The Holar Cato, Islandica 39 (Cornell UP, 1958).

1 Itaque deo supplica So, pray to God
2 Parentes ama Love your parents
3 Cognatos cole Respect your kindred
4 Magistrum metue Fear (respect) your teacher
5 Datum serva Keep what is given to you
6 Fora para Be careful of the market-place
7 Cum bonis ambula Keep company with good people
8 Antequam voceris, ne accesseris Don’t go until called
9 Mundus esto Keep clean
10 Saluta libenter Greet freely
11 Maiori concede Give way to your superior
12 Minori parce Be nice to your inferior
13 Rem tuam custodi Keep what you have (your counsels?)  
14 Verecundiam serva Preserve modesty
15 Diligentiam adhibe Be diligent
16 Libros lege Read books
17 Quae legeris, memento Remember what you read
18 Familiam cura Take care of your family
19 Blandus esto Be nice (be laid back)
20 Irascere ob rem noli Don’t get angry for no reason
21 Neminem riseris Don’t laugh at anybody
22 Mutuum da Give in return
23 Cui des, videto Think about to whom you are giving
24 In iudicio adesto Stand by (a friend) in court
25 Ad praetorium stato Keep in good standing
26 Convivare raro Don’t party too much
27 Quod satis est, dormi Sleep the right amount of time
28 Iusiurandum serva Keep your oath
29 Vino tempera Don’t drink too much
30 Pugna pro patria Fight for your country
31 Nihil temere credideris Don’t be gullible
32 Tute consule Give good advice
33 Meretricem fuge Flee the prostitute
34 Litteras disce Study literature
35 Nihil mentire Don’t lie
36 Bono benefacito Do good to the good
37 Maledicus ne esto Don’t curse
38 Existimationem retine Hold on to your reputation
39 Aequum iudica Judge properly
40 Parentem patienter vince Overcome your parent with patience
41 Beneficii accepti esto memor Remember a good turn
42 Miserum noli ridere Don’t sneer at the poor
43 Consultus esto Be a good guru
44 Virtute utere Practice virtue
45 Iracundiam temporale rege Control your anger
46 Trocho lude Play with the hoop (sic!)
47 Aleam fuge Spurn dice-playing
48 Nihil arbitrii virium feceris Don’t be a bully
49 Minorem non contempseris Don’t sneer at your inferior
50 Alienum noli concupisci Don’t covet
51 Coniugem ama Love your wife
52 Liberos erudi Teach your children
53 Pati legem, quam ipse tuleris Keep the law you make yourself
54 Pauca in convivio loquere Don’t talk much at a banquet
55 Illud stude agere, quod iustum est Seek to do that which is right
56 Libenter amorem ferto Be ready to show affection
57 Minime iudica Do not judge

Scanned and translated by James Marchand from Leopold Zatocil, Cato a Facetus, Opera Universitatis Masarykianae Brunensis, Facultas Philosophica. Cislo 48 (Brno, 1952), 229-237.

Reedited and marked up by Martin Irvine. For another edition and translation, see J. W. Duff and A. M. Duff, Minor Latin Poets, Loeb Classical Library, 284 (London: Heinemann, 1934), 585-642.

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