Translation...this should be easy!

[Magnus]

Looking at "Know your enemy"...how does that translate into latin?

[Kosios]

"Nosce hostem tuum" or "Hostem tuum nosce" (the order of the words can vary without changing the meaning) if you are talking to one person; if you are talking to two or more "Hostem vestrum noscite".

"Enemy" can also be translated with "inimicum", with a little difference of meaning; but if you are talking about war, "hostem" is ok.

[Jona Lendering]

I think that "nosce inimicum" has the disadvantage of creating a hiatus, which sounds unpleasant. Personally, I'd use nosce hostem or hostem nosce, because two words of two syllables create a nice, balanced structure, with the same crispy beauty of expressions like carpe diem, absit omen, or cave canem.

[Magnus]

Thanks guys!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I think that "nosce inimicum" has the disadvantage of creating a hiatus, which sounds unpleasant. Personally, I'd use nosce hostem or hostem nosce, because two words of two syllables create a nice, balanced structure, with the same crispy beauty of expressions like carpe diem, absit omen, or cave canem.

I like the sound of that tthough....I wonder if it is just me, but the roll on of inimicum has a ring to it!

[Jona Lendering]

I like the sound of that tthough....I wonder if it is just me, but the roll on of inimicum has a ring to it!

The point is not inimicum, but the combination with nosce, which creates a hiatus (two clashing vowels). That does not offer a nice pronunciation -it will probably change into nosc' inimicum- and the ancients usually avoided it.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

So is nosce pronounced nos-keh or nosk? I still find it sounds normal to have this together but then I'm not a real roman I guess.....(nor have I learned proper pronunciation.... :oops: )

[caiusbeerquitius]

noskeh

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks. Guess I'm betraying my barbarian roots, but this still sounds good to me! :lol:
My apologies!

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

What about: Inimicum nosce ??

M.VIB.M.