LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum

Festīnā lentē

“Make haste slowly”

FESTINA · LENTE

Adapted: a later form of a classical line

Augustus's saying, in Greek, in Suetonius, Life of Augustus 25.4

Augustus liked to say 'speude bradeōs' in Greek; the Latin form is the Renaissance's.

Word by word

  1. Festīnāfestīnō -āreto hasten, make haste, hurry2nd sg. pres. act. imper.
  2. lentēlentēslowly

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Quick answers

What does “Festina lente” mean?
“Festīnā lentē” means “Make haste slowly”. Augustus liked to say 'speude bradeōs' in Greek; the Latin form is the Renaissance's.
Who said “Festina lente”?
Augustus's saying, in Greek, in Suetonius, Life of Augustus 25.4.

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