Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit
“A good judge condemns what is wrong, but does not hate.”
Seneca, De Ira 1.16
What does “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit” mean?
Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit translates as “A good judge condemns what is wrong, but does not hate.”
Judge the act firmly, but without anger or hatred for the person.
“Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus | good | nominative singular masculine adjective (bonus, bona, bonum), agreeing with iudex |
| iudex | judge | nominative singular masculine noun (iudex, iudicis), the subject of both verbs |
| damnat | condemns | third person singular present indicative active of damno, “I condemn” |
| improbanda | things that must be disapproved of, what is wrong | accusative plural neuter gerundive of improbo, “I disapprove of”; “things to be disapproved”, used as the object |
| non | not | adverb of negation |
| odit | hates | third person singular perfect form of odi, “I hate”, with present meaning (odi is a defective verb) |
How to pronounce “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit”
Both pronunciations sound the same here, since the quote has no c or g before e or i, and no ae. Stress the first syllable of bonus, iudex and odit, and the second-to-last syllable of improbanda.
The story behind it
Word for word the sentence says “A good judge condemns things-to-be-disapproved-of, he does not hate.” The line is from the Roman philosopher Seneca (died AD 65), in his treatise De Ira (On Anger).
In De Ira Seneca argues that anger is a vice and that even punishment should come from reason, not rage. The good judge is his example: he can condemn wrongdoing without hating the person who did it.
Today the line is quoted in discussions of justice, law and discipline, and wherever someone has to judge or correct others while staying calm and fair.
How to use “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit”
It fits a courtroom or law-school setting, a motto for a manager, teacher or parent who has to correct others fairly, or a tattoo or print about justice without anger. It also works as a quote in an essay on punishment or self-control.
- Latin
- Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit
- English
- A good judge condemns what is wrong, but does not hate.
- Source
- Seneca, De Ira 1.16
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Justice
Common mistakes
- The verb odit is perfect in form but present in meaning: it means “hates”, not “hated”.
- improbanda is not a person (“bad people”) but a neuter gerundive meaning roughly “things to be disapproved of”, so “what is wrong” is a fair rendering.
- It does not say a judge should be lenient. Condemnation is firm, but it is meant to come without hatred.
- In some editions the wording differs slightly. Check the form you copy against a reliable text of De Ira.
Questions about “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit”
What does “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit” mean literally?
“A good judge condemns things that must be disapproved of; he does not hate.” It means a good judge condemns the wrong without hating the wrongdoer.
Who said “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit”?
It comes from Seneca, in his treatise De Ira (On Anger), book 1, chapter 16, where he argues that punishment should come from reason, not rage.
How do you pronounce “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit”?
Classically, BOH-noos YOO-deks DAM-naht im-proh-BAHN-dah nohn OH-dit. The Church pronunciation is the same.
Is “Bonus iudex damnat improbanda, non odit” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is genuine Latin from a classical author. Keep the comma and the word order as given, and note that iudex is also written iudex or index in some editions.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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