LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum

Ō tempora! Ō mōrēs!

“Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!”

O · TEMPORA · O · MORES

Classical: the author's own words

Cicero, Against Catiline 1.2

Cicero's outrage that Catiline still sits in the senate.

Word by word

  1. Ōō n.The name of the Latin script letter O/o.
  2. temporatempus -oris n.timepl. nom.
  3. Ōō n.The name of the Latin script letter O/o.
  4. mōrēsmōs -ris m.custom, habit; (pl.) characterpl. nom.

Using it as a motto or tattoo

Latin endings carry gender and number, so a saying about one person may need changing for another. Check your own version, or have three new ones composed, on the motto desk.

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Quick answers

What does “O tempora! O mores!” mean?
“Ō tempora! Ō mōrēs!” means “Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!”. Cicero's outrage that Catiline still sits in the senate.
Who said “O tempora! O mores!”?
Cicero, Against Catiline 1.2.