Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas, ne scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello
“Let there be a rule that assigns fair penalties to offenses, so that you do not flay with the terrible scourge someone who deserves only the strap.”
Horace, Satires 1.3
What does “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas, ne scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello” mean?
Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas, ne scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello translates as “Let there be a rule that assigns fair penalties to offenses, so that you do not flay with the terrible scourge someone who deserves only the strap.”
Punishment should be proportionate to the wrong committed. Horace argues against treating every fault as equally grave, a principle that still underlies fair discipline, parenting and criminal justice.
“Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Adsit | let there be | 3rd person singular present subjunctive of adsum, “to be present”; here a wish or command: “let there be” |
| regula | a rule | nominative singular feminine of regula, “rule, standard”; subject of adsit |
| peccatis | to offenses | dative plural neuter of peccatum, “fault, offense”; indirect object of irroget |
| quae | which | nominative singular feminine relative pronoun; refers to regula and is the subject of irroget |
| poenas | penalties | accusative plural feminine of poena, “penalty, punishment”; object of irroget |
| irroget | may assign | 3rd person singular present subjunctive of irrogo, “to impose”; relative clause expressing purpose or characteristic |
| aequas | fair | accusative plural feminine of aequus, “fair, equal”; agrees with poenas |
| ne | so that not | conjunction introducing a negative purpose clause: “so that you do not” |
| scutica | with the strap | ablative singular feminine of scutica, “whip, strap”; here “(only) the strap”, a light punishment, governed by dignum |
| dignum | someone worthy of | accusative singular masculine of dignus, “worthy”; takes the ablative; the person is the implied object of sectere |
| horribili | terrible | ablative singular neuter of horribilis, “dreadful”; agrees with flagello |
| sectere | you flay | 2nd person singular present subjunctive of sector, “I pursue”, in the sense “you cut up”; a deponent verb (passive form, active meaning); spelled sectere for sectēris |
| flagello | with the scourge | ablative singular neuter of flagellum, “whip, scourge”; the instrument of sectere |
How to pronounce “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget …”
The Ecclesiastical version softens g before e or i (flagello becomes flah-JEL-loh), pronounces ae as eh and gn as ny (dignum becomes DEEN-yoom), and drops the h of horribili.
The story behind it
Word for word the lines ask for a rule that sets fair penalties for offenses, so that you do not scourge with a dreadful whip someone who deserves only a strap. The scutica was a light lash, the flagellum a heavy, brutal one.
Horace wrote them in Satires 1.3, a poem about tolerance among friends. In it he mocks the Stoic doctrine that all faults are equal, which would make a small slip as serious as a great crime.
His answer is common sense: we should judge each wrong by its size and treat friends, and others, with a sense of proportion. The idea that a punishment should fit the offense still shapes how people think about discipline, parenting and the law.
How to use “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget …”
A fitting epigraph for an essay on proportionate punishment, sentencing or restorative justice. It also works in a speech or discussion on fair discipline at school, at work or at home.
- Latin
- Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas, ne scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello
- English
- Let there be a rule that assigns fair penalties to offenses, so that you do not flay with the terrible scourge someone who deserves only the strap.
- Source
- Horace, Satires 1.3
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Justice
Common mistakes
- The lines do not argue for leniency in every case. Horace asks for fair penalties, and the point is proportion, not the absence of punishment.
- Scutica is not a modern word for a whip in general. It names a light strap, in deliberate contrast with the heavy flagellum.
- Sectere looks like an infinitive, but here it is a 2nd person singular subjunctive of the deponent verb sector.
- The quote is only the first part of a longer passage in Satires 1.3. Reading it without the surrounding attack on Stoic ideas can make it sound like a general rule rather than a point in an argument.
Questions about “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget …”
What does “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas” mean?
It means “Let there be a rule that assigns fair penalties to offenses, so that you do not flay with the terrible scourge someone who deserves only the strap.” The point is that punishment should match the wrong.
Who wrote “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas”?
The Roman poet Horace, in Satires 1.3. He wrote it as part of his argument against the Stoic claim that all faults are equal.
How do you pronounce “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas”?
In Classical Latin: AD-sit REH-goo-lah pek-KAH-tees kwai POY-nahs ir-ROH-get eye-KWAHS. Ecclesiastical Latin changes a few sounds, such as eh for ae.
Is “Adsit regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas” good for a tattoo?
It is correct Latin, but long and fairly technical, so it suits a quote for an essay or a legal context better than a tattoo. If you want a shorter form, ask a Latin teacher first, since cutting the sentence can break the grammar.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
Related Latin quotes
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.