"stilus est valde quam gladium"
is this correct?
Btw, NO GOOGLE TRANSLATIONS. thanks.|||If you search online, you'll find various Latin translations of the saying, which dates from 1839 when it appeared in an English play. The problem with the phrase is the word "pen"; there weren't any pens in the modern sense in Ancient Rome, so there's no right Latin word for this writing instrument. The commonest rendering of "the pen is mightier than the sword" is
Calamus gladio fortior
which means "the (writing) reed is stronger than the sword". It is used as a motto of a university in Japan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pen_is_鈥?/a>
Other versions are "stilus potentior quam gladius (est) and one German translation forum came up with "penna acrior quam gladius", meaning "the pen (feather) is sharper than the sword", on the principle that it's the wielders of the pen and the sword that are being compared, not the instruments themselves.|||I am Italian and my Latin is very basic.
The only correction I'd make is that it should be GLADIUS (sword) and not gladium
My understanding is that a gladium is one who bears the sword - the Latin word for gladiator - but I could be wrong...so don't have it tattooed anywhere!!
Good luck!
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