# speculum princeps



## thec00l1

It's a literary phrase, but I'm not sure what it means. I looked up speculum which relates to mirrors and then I looked up princeps, meaning first or foremost, but it still isn't making much sense to me. Has anyone ever heard of this phrase used?


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## Breogan

thec00l1 said:


> It's a literary phrase, but I'm not sure what it means. I looked up speculum which relates to mirrors and then I looked up princeps, meaning first or foremost, but it still isn't making much sense to me. Has anyone ever heard of this phrase used?



It was the name of a literary genre: some sort of political guidance for the rulers (_principes_-plural of _princeps_) of States in Medieval and Renaissance times; the most famous book in that genre was _The Prince_ by Machiavelli.


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## thec00l1

thanks! That helps out a lot!


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## Flaminius

Hello Breogan,

If the word means what you say it does (not that I doubt that!!), wouldn't _princeps_ be better cast in genitive, thus yielding "the mirror of a prince"?


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## Breogan

Flaminius said:


> Hello Breogan,
> 
> If the word means what you say it does (not that I doubt that!!), wouldn't _princeps_ be better cast in genitive, thus yielding "the mirror of a prince"?



Hello Flaminius. 

_Principis speculum_ would obviously be the right expression for meaning "the mirror of a prince", and the related genre too, as you said well. Thanks.


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## Anne345

princeps is used as adjective.


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## relativamente

I searched in a well known searching machine in internet and found 7 matches for "speculum princeps and 618 for "speculum principis"


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## Flaminius

Anne345 said:


> princeps is used as adjective.


I see.  The nominative for this adjective is _princeps_ for all the three genders.  Thank you.


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## Breogan

Anne345 said:


> princeps is used as adjective.



So it's finally _The principal mirror_ (_speculum princeps_) instead of _Prince's mirror_ (_principis speculum_)?

Well, both make sense: either the first mirror (political guidance) where the Prince must see on before acting or just his mirror (for the same purpose).


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## Cagey

Breogan said:


> So it's finally _The principal mirror_ (_speculum princeps_) instead of _Prince's mirror_ (_principis speculum_)?
> 
> Well, both make sense: either the first mirror (political guidance) where the Prince must see on before acting or just his mirror (for the same purpose).



On a "well known searching machine" (the same one?),  6 of the 7 cited "speculum _princeps_" appear to be mistaken substitutions for "speculum _principis_".  

The 7th is a line from a play at this site (Franz Neumayr, 1760) _Theatrum Politicum sive Tragoediae ad commendationem Virtutis et Vitiorum_: 

Dedi speculum, Princeps, inspice, et erubesce .....  
(I have given you a mirror, Prince, look at it and blush .... )​
The form with the genitive (the mirror of a prince) seems to be the correct version for the reference in the first post.


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## Interpres

Hello all,

as a medieval and Ren. scholar, I can assure that the genre is properly called "speculum principis" and is most commonly translated into English as "mirror of princes".  Yes, it maybe should be technically rendered as "mirror of a/the prince", but it is not.  As Quintilian says, usage is the most certain authority in matters of language.

Thus, speculum princeps is most certainly an error, if, that is, context shows that the medieval and Renaissance literary genre is indeed meant.

Interpres


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