Expert: Maria - 3/26/2005

Question
Hi,

I was hoping you could help me with a translation.

I would like to know what:

"With your shield or on it"

is in latin.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide

Paul

Answer
Hello,

The phrase “With your shield or on it" which Spartan women would tell their husbands and sons, before they were  to leave for the war, is in Latin:

“Aut cum scuto aut in scuto" .

In fact if a man came home without his shield, it was obvious he had dropped it to run from the battle.
If a man fell in battle, his friends carried him home on his shield.
In short, the saying told the men that they were to return victorious (with their shield), or injured or dead (on it).

Please note that:
AUT...AUT  = or
CUM = with
SCUTO(ablative)= your shield
IN = on
SCUTO = it(In Latin it's better to repeat the noun SCUTO)

Best regards
Maria