Carpe Diem, Quam Minimum Credula Postero

Just a little note to mark the Roman Ides of March (or mid-point of March), which was not a good day for Julius Caesar back in 44 B.C. This, in turn, reminded me of several Web sites where you can look up Latin words and phrases. For instance, the Latin phrase in the title of this post can be found at http://www.yuni.com/library/latin.html. The saying comes from the ancient Roman poet and satirist, Horace, who might have been thinking of Caesar on this memorable day. Translated, it says, "Seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow." For some fun zingers and clever phrases in Latin, try these sites: http://www.biopsych.net/psyhumor/latin_phrases_for_all_occasions.htm and http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/omnibus.html.
If you want to learn more about Julius Caesar, the library has a number of books about him including Adrian Goldsworthy's Caesar: Life of a Colossus (Yale University Press.)