Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore
“I hope the memory of our friendship will last forever.”
Cicero, Laelius de amicitia 15
What does “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore” mean?
Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore translates as “I hope the memory of our friendship will last forever.”
Real friendship outlives the people who share it. The memory of it can become a lasting legacy.
“Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Amicitiae | of friendship | genitive singular of amicitia, “friendship”; it depends on memoriam |
| nostrae | our | genitive singular feminine of noster, “our”; agrees with amicitiae |
| memoriam | memory | accusative singular of memoria, “memory”; subject of the infinitive fore (accusative and infinitive) |
| spero | I hope | first person singular present indicative active of spero, “to hope” |
| sempiternam | everlasting | accusative singular feminine of sempiternus, “everlasting”; agrees with memoriam |
| fore | will be | future infinitive of sum, “I am”; an alternative form of futuram esse |
How to pronounce “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore”
The differences are the c in amicitiae (k in Classical, ch in Church) and the ending -ae (eye in Classical, eh in Church). Stress falls on the third syllable of amicitiae, the second of nostrae is not stressed, and the second-to-last syllable of sempiternam.
The story behind it
Word for word the sentence says “of our friendship the memory I hope everlasting to be”. The Latin word order is flexible, and here it puts friendship first for emphasis.
The line comes from Cicero’s dialogue Laelius de amicitia (On Friendship), written in 44 BC, near the end of his life. In it Gaius Laelius speaks about his close friend Scipio Aemilianus, who had died.
Laelius says he hopes the memory of their friendship will last forever. The wish matches the main theme of the work: true friendship rests on virtue, and its memory outlives the friends themselves.
Today the line is quoted in tributes, memorial messages and cards for friends, as a way of saying a bond will not be forgotten.
How to use “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore”
Fits a message to a close friend, a tribute to a friend who has died, a farewell card, a wedding or graduation speech, or a tattoo for a lifelong friendship. It suits longer settings better than a short caption because the sentence is long.
- Latin
- Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore
- English
- I hope the memory of our friendship will last forever.
- Source
- Cicero, Laelius de amicitia 15
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Friendship
Common mistakes
- The verb is spero (“I hope”), not a statement of fact. The sentence expresses a wish about the future, not a promise.
- fore is a form of the verb “to be” (future infinitive), not a noun. Do not drop or change it, since it carries the meaning “will last”.
- Nostrae agrees with amicitiae (feminine genitive). Changing the noun, for example to “of our friends”, would require changing the ending of nostrae too.
- It is not a complete saying from Cicero’s most famous lines on friendship. It is one sentence from the dialogue, spoken by the character Laelius, not by Cicero in his own voice.
Questions about “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore”
What does “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore” mean literally?
Literally: “I hope the memory of our friendship will be everlasting.” Memoriam is the subject of the infinitive fore, and sempiternam describes it.
Who said “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore”?
It comes from Cicero’s dialogue Laelius de amicitia (section 15). The speaker is the character Laelius, talking about his friend Scipio, in a work Cicero wrote in 44 BC.
How do you pronounce “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore”?
In Classical Latin: ah-mih-KEE-tee-eye NOH-stry meh-MOH-ree-am SPEH-roh sem-pee-TEHR-nam FOH-reh. The Church pronunciation changes mainly the c (ch) and -ae (eh).
Is “Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is genuine Latin taken from Cicero. If you change “our” to “my” or adapt it to another person, the endings must change too, so ask a Latin reader before inking.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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