Greek original · Victory
Ἦλθον, εἶδον, ἐνίκησα
Ēlthon, eidon, enikēsa
“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
Plutarch’s Greek rendering of Caesar’s message (Caesar 50)
Meaning
What does “Ēlthon, eidon, enikēsa” mean?
A swift, total success – described in the fewest possible words.
Origin
The story behind it
After defeating King Pharnaces at Zela in 47 BC, Caesar reported the victory in three words. Plutarch, writing in Greek, gives this Greek version and notes that the Latin original had a force the translation could not match.
Greek and Latin
From Greek to Latin
The Greek originalἮλθον, εἶδον, ἐνίκησα
Ēlthon, eidon, enikēsa
The Latin versionVeni, vidi, vici
The Latin original is veni, vidi, vici (Suetonius, Life of Julius 37).
Pronunciation
How to say it
Roughly AY-lthon, AY-don, eh-NEE-kay-sa.
When to use it
How to use it today
A playful caption for any quick win – a finished exam, a marathon, a successful job interview.
- Greek
- Ἦλθον, εἶδον, ἐνίκησα
- Transliteration
- Ēlthon, eidon, enikēsa
- English
- I came, I saw, I conquered.
- Latin
- Veni, vidi, vici
- Source
- Plutarch’s Greek rendering of Caesar’s message (Caesar 50)
One Latin line. Every Monday.
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