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To: classics@u.washington.edu
From: James Butrica <jbutrica@morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
Subject: Re: Request

>I have had a request for a Latin inscription (epitaph actually) to convey
>the following:
>
>Live fast, die young
>
>Beyond pointing to Horace and his Greek predecessors along the lines of
>carpe diem I am a bit stumped. A literal version would sound a bit silly,
>I think. Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>John Hilton

Here are some other possibilities in addition to the one already suggested:

Bacchabundus vivas, brevi periturus ("Live in drunken riot, [destined] to
die soon" -- I take it that "Live fast" relates to "fast living" as a pun
on lliving quickly, i.e. briefly);

Vita bene acta mors immatura sit ("If your life's been lived well/After
life's been lived well, let death come early"), or Vita bene acta immaturus
pereas ("If your life's been lived well/After life's been lived well, die
beforetime");

Vita lauta, mors praecox [with or without "sit" on the end] ("[Let] Life
[be] rich/sumptuous, death early");

and there are others that could be excogitated differently depending on how
one perceives the exact nuance and ethos of the original expression.




James Lawrence Peter Butrica
Department of Classics
The Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland  A1C 5S7
(709) 737-7914 


.