For them, the phrase was 'the instant identifier of the excesses of tyranny,' she says on her blog. But the saying, which can be traced back to Accius, a second-century BC poet, evoked a very different message for ancient Romans. 5 Oderint dum Metuant: Memory and Accius' Meme Ribbeck 5, 9 and 9a So, we can see that Accius' Atreus enjoys special status in Cicero's discourse. It translates into Let them hate as long as they fear which is the title of. ''Oderint dum metuant'' translates, roughly, as ''let them hate as long as they fear.'' It was a favorite saying of the emperor Caligula, and may seem over the top as a description of current U.S. It was a favorite saying of the emperor Caligula, and may seem over the top as a description of current U.S. Oderint, dum metuant was the motto of the third roman emperor Caligula.

Classics and soccer have had a rare meeting on the forearm of Los Angeles-bound David Beckham, thanks to a new tattoo designed around the motto 'Let them hate as long as they fear.' The star soccer player apparently wanted to convey an air of defiance with the tattoo, says Mary Beard, the classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Oderint dum metuant translates, roughly, as let them hate as long as they fear. This page lists English translations of notable Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera.