"Sunt quod dico eos esse!" Topic

I Googled English to Latin for "They are what I say they are."
That's what it gave me.

I last "studied" Latin in … 1967. Looks pretty good for me.

So, the next time you need the 34th Foot for a battle, but have the 22nd still unclaimed, use them. And don't forget to use your Latin to pretend you're educated.

It works for using Huns as Tartars, Dakota for Comanche, Dervish as Abyssinians and Alosaurus for T-Rex.

Correct me at your peril!

I think the phrase will be very useful

Love it!

John has spoken.Let it be so!

(only a fool would correct you, John).

"Quod" is neuter singular ("what/that which"), but "eos" is masculine plural ("them"). It's just more woke gender-mixing nonsense.

Res re vera sunt quales sunt.

I do like the translate function.

One of my bands of African natives carries red shields. They are from the Ekunda Magao tribe, which is Swahili for Red Shields.

Grelber

I'm not going to contradict you, John – I don't think I'm brave enough!

So, whilst I totally agree with the pragmatism expressed in the OP, I'd like to add – tinged with aspiration.So by all means use Dervish for Abyssinians but if you plan to game the 1867-1868 Expedition extensively and at length, consider acquiring Abyssinian figures.

The value of the study of the Latin cannot be overstated. I last studied it in 1975, and have used it my entire life.

Not so fast, Oberlindes – koine Greek trumps Latin. Even the Romans thought so, with the educated classes conversing in Greek.

I cannot accept etothepi's "Things in truth are as they are" as equivalent to the OFM's "They are what I say they are."

Not the same meaning.

Also, THIS nonsense. "It's just more woke gender-mixing nonsense." Nope, get this culture wars rubbish out of TMP.

Editors, if I have overstepped take me. but take etothepi too, for BS culture war ranting that has no place in civilized discourse. Enough already.

My meaning is clear.
I strive to make and paint my regiments as "accurate" as possible.
Yet, THAT REGIMENT did not appear in every single battle, so what you gonna do? Refuse to have or play that battle? I think not.
So, as a joke, I Googled (BTW, I have little faith in an unbiased Google) the phrase which is the unofficial motto of at the least my partner in crime, and posted it here. It looked okay to me, and that's all that matters.
Romanes ite domum, y'all.
If you don't like it, complain to Sister Saint Lawrence.

I cannot accept etothepi's "Things in truth are as they are" as equivalent to the OFM's "They are what I say they are."

Where did I say they are equivalent?

You are correct. It is the opposite of what he said. That was the point.

Also, THIS nonsense

That was a stab at the grammatic error I pointed out.

Wargamers do the best they can.

Obviously, the tunic-wearing psiloi armed with a javelin can appear in a wide range of Ancient periods & armies, even though there may be slight issues with historical accuracy.

What becomes more difficult are later wars that are split into periods – Early, middle or Late WW2 or the Sudan with the Mahdi & the latter conflict (several decades later) without him where there are extreme changes in uniform/appearance.

So, as John has stated, will you *not* field your Fuzzy-Wuzzies at Omdurman because by then they'd been barbered & looked like Ansar? Or will your Belgic shako'd British infantry remain on the shelf as you fight Vittoria?

I would suggest that most of us go with John's 'Sunt quod dico eos esse'.

BTW I have a WW2 Russian command truck that I use with my WW2 British divisional command even though I know it secretly horrifies one of my pals. It looks kind of like a Dorchester.

I would suggest that most of us go with John's 'Sunt quod dico eos esse'.

I would suggest that most of us do not impose our personality over reality and attempt to force others to comply.

No where in this thread did he talk about proxying (which I not only support, but do all the time, and consider to be more of a continuum than yes/no) as a social contract.

Not "Hey, this unit should be X, can I use Y?" as a proposal to the group. It is an assertion of his right to redefine reality and a command for others to comply. There is no acknowledgement of anything other than his opinion.

The Latin phrase extends the metaphor (1) by being malformed and asserting his "good enough" is only challenged at one's own peril, and (2) being a flat statement of authority.

BTW, that statement is historically contrary to what the ancients who used Latin would say. They would argue the inherent nature of things exists, though we may imperfectly understand it or limit effort in describing it.

And his basic tone in the OP and the follow ups emphasize the arrogant tone and the passive-aggressive behaviour.

I don't think most of us are like that.

Ochoin wrote:

Not so fast, Oberlindes – koine Greek trumps Latin.

Our statements are not mutually exclusive. Ὁ κόσμος δύναται χρῆσθαι καὶ τῇ Ἑλληνικῇ καὶ τῇ Λατινικῇ, credo. For example, television is half Greek, half Latin.

There is fine scholarly Latin.
There is the "translation" I picked up from Google. It took me less than a minute. I recognize some of the words. 👍😄 It looked fine. 👍

I've read somewhere (so it has to be true!) that fine scholarly Latin was never what the common people, the hoi poloi, spoke.
Graffiti in Pompei would earn a frown. My teacher was tight lipped over an occasional phrase in the Gallic Wars. I forget what. Cicero was flawless.

This thread started as a joke. If people wish to run with it and use it, 👍.
If you wish to do the same in Attic Greek, even better.
English evolved. So did Latin and Greek. The latest version of Shogun was praised by Japanese scholars for using what was spoken at the time.

Funny thing, the centurion immediately knew what "Romanes ite domum" meant, but felt compelled to "correct" it.

Have fun, y'all.

Don't do it, John! There's a reason you stifled and backsliding is the primrose path to perdition.

Apparently, there's a different path to perdition …

Hey, Oberlindes. Is it irony that your credo is in Greek?

i have to admit my bias against all things Roman partly lies in years of wargaming against Roman armies & usually being soundly thrashed.

"Itay isay atwhay iay aysay itay isay."

I defy one to correct that translation.

Oink.

Is it irony that your credo is in Greek?

I guess so. I was just saying, "The world can use both Greek and Latin, I believe." Credo is the first person singular simple present tense of credere, to believe.

"ὁ κόσμος δύναται χρῆσθαι et Graeca et Latina."
Ha!