However, “ as many men, so many opinions” so it is possible that I am mistaken. Sed “ quot homines, tot sententiæ” falli igitur possumus. The Roman statesman, orator and writer Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) quoted Terence in De finibus bonorum et malorum ( On the ends of good and evil):
– Hegio: I believe that he has spoken with due deliberation but it is the fact,Īs many men, so many opinions: to everyone his own way. Quot homines tot sententiæ: suo quoique mos. – Hegio: ego sedulo hunc dixisse credo verum itast, The proverb, therefore, is from Phormio (161 BC), a play by the Roman comic dramatist Terence (Publius Terentius Afer – circa 190-159 BC): Homer thought of this in the Odyssey, book 14:įor one man takes delight in certain things, This man, this God, is after their own heart In deed and fact no likeness can be found. If what were fair and wise were so to allĭisputing strife would not exist for men,īut now for mortals naught is ‘like’ nor ‘same’, The same thought is expressed at greater length by Euripides in the Phœnissae: If the general run of theologians had listened to this advice, there would not now be such fierce contention about little questions of no moment at all for there certainly are some things of which one may remain in ignorance without any lack of piety. St Paul the Apostle seems to have made a reference to this when he says that for the putting aside of strife, we should allow every man to have his own convictions. Terence, in Phormio, plays upon this in jest when he says of three advisers, “the first says yes, the second says no, and the third says ‘let’s think about it’”. that different people are led by different interests, that some have one thing at heart and some another. It was Horace, too, who devoted the first ode of all to the subject of this proverb, i.e. Three guests I have, of wishes quite contrary Īs their tastes differ, so their orders vary. In the same class is that remark in an epigram that one may find people who are willing to yield in the matter of family acres, but not one who will give way on a matter of opinion. Men are of a thousand kinds, and diverse the colour of their lives Įach has his own desires no two offer the same prayer. Nothing is more widely known even today than this saying of Terence, “as many men, so many opinions”, and in the same author there is a similar phrase, “every man has his own way”. Quot homines, tot sententiae – As many men, so many opinions The following is the translation of the adage composed by Erasmus- original text at the end of this post:Īdapted from The Adages of Erasmus, selected by William Barker (University of Toronto Press – 2001): For there be many thynges which without daunger of the christen relygyon maye be vnknowen wel ynough.
Thapostle Paule not forgetfull herof aduertyseth vs, that for the excludynge of contencion we suffer euery man to abunde in hys owne sence, whose counsayle yf oure diuines in Christendome wolde followe, there shulde not be at thys day so great dissensiō in ye church in maters of smal weyght.
The saying first appeared in an English text in Prouerbes or adagies with newe addicions gathered out of the Chiliades of Erasmus (London, 1539), a condensed rendering by Richard Taverner (circa 1505-1575) of Adagiorum chiliades ( Thousands of Proverbs), originally written in Latin by the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (circa 1469-1536): Literally meaning as many men, so many opinions, the Latin proverb quot homines tot sententiæ expresses the fact that there is considerable diversity of opinion, and the difficulty of bringing about agreement.
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