# nec spe, nec metu



## Beccaccia

I am searching for a correction to my spelling of the following and if someone could help in the translation

Nec Spae would this be "without fear"
Nec Metu could this be "without hope"

From Simon Shama program on the painter carravaggio Merisi

Thanks

Qua
M


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## brian

Ciao Beccaccia 

Did you find the Latin first and are looking for a translation? Or are you looking to translate the English?

"Without" in Latin is "sine," so your phrases would be: *sinē* and *sine metū*.

"Nec," on the other hand, means "not" or "nor," and together with these nouns in the ablative case would mean something like: *not with hope* (though it should still be "spē," not "spae") and *not with fear*.

I know some might argue that "without" is more or less the same as "not with," but there are some slight differences/nuances between "sine" and "nec + abl."


brian


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## Beccaccia

brian8733 said:


> Ciao Beccaccia
> 
> Did you find the Latin first and are looking for a translation? Or are you looking to translate the English?
> 
> "Without" in Latin is "sine," so your phrases would be: *sine spe* and *sine metu*.
> 
> "Nec," on the other hand, means "not" or "nor," and together with these nouns in the ablative case would mean something like: *not with hope* (though it should still be "spe," not "spae") and *not with fear*.
> 
> I know some might argue that "without" is more or less the same as "not with," but there are some slight differences/nuances between "sine" and "nec + abl."
> 
> brian


these phrases were used in a movie on the painters in the 1600, as I only heard them spoken, I took a shot at the spelling, however *Sin Spe, Sin Metu . .Nec spe, Nec Metu . . .* As the artists roamed the streets with the creatures of the night, they had used this motto nec spe, nec metu, inferring courage and bravado amongst the debris of the society in Rome.
Thanks for your replies

Michael


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## Kael

If it is used in a sentence, the two "Nec"s could also mean:

Neither ___ nor ___


So, it could be possible that the translation is "Neither fear nor hope."


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## Beccaccia

*N*either fear nor hope.  *T*hank you would seem to fit the context well as it was a knd of slogan used to keep their spirits up*.*

Thank you for your reply*.*

Michael


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## crotuca

Nec spe, nec metu means with (or by) neither fear nor hope. The sine is unnecessary. Spae is Wrong.


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## Schimmelreiter

reverse order: _​with neither hope nor fear_


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