An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?
“Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?”
Attributed to Axel Oxenstierna
What does “An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?” mean?
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur? translates as “Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?”
Those in power are often less wise than people imagine. It is both a sobering and an encouraging thought for the young.
“An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| An | or; here it introduces a question, often with a hint of surprise | interrogative particle (conjunction); in a direct question it can mean “or is it that…”, here best left untranslated |
| nescis | you do not know | 2nd person singular present indicative active of nescio, “I do not know” |
| mi | my | vocative singular masculine of meus, “my”; shortened form used before filius |
| fili | son | vocative singular of filius, “son”; the form used when addressing someone directly |
| quantilla | how little | nominative singular feminine of quantillus, “how small, how little”; agrees with prudentia |
| prudentia | wisdom | ablative singular of prudentia, “wisdom, foresight”; ablative of means, “by how little wisdom” |
| mundus | the world | nominative singular masculine of mundus, “world”; subject of regatur |
| regatur | is governed | 3rd person singular present subjunctive passive of rego, “I rule”; subjunctive because it sits in an indirect question |
How to pronounce “An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?”
The main differences are in nescis (hard k sound in classical, ch in church) and prudentia (tee-ah versus tsee-ah). Stress falls on NES-cis, KWAN-til-la, pru-DEN-ti-a and re-GA-tur.
The story behind it
Word for word the line asks “Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is ruled?” It is a question, but it works as a gentle reassurance rather than a real request for information.
The remark is attributed to Axel Oxenstierna, the Swedish chancellor who guided the kingdom through much of the Thirty Years’ War in the seventeenth century. He is said to have written it to his son, who was anxious about taking part in diplomatic negotiations. The story is traditional, and the exact wording and occasion cannot be firmly confirmed.
The line is still quoted in politics and diplomacy, usually with a wry smile, to remind newcomers that people in high office are often less wise than they seem.
How to use “An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?”
A dry epigraph for an essay on politics or history, a card for someone starting out in public service or diplomacy, or a wry office-wall motto. It suits settings where humour and reassurance are both welcome.
- Latin
- An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?
- English
- Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?
- Source
- Attributed to Axel Oxenstierna
- Era
- Early modern
- Theme
- Politics
Common mistakes
- Do not present it as a proven quotation from a known letter. It is only attributed to Oxenstierna, and the wording comes down in tradition.
- Mi is the vocative of meus, not a separate word for “me”. Before a female addressee you would need mea filia.
- Quantilla is a diminutive form meaning “how very little”, so a plain translation such as “how much wisdom” loses the sting.
- Regatur is subjunctive because the clause is an indirect question. Changing it to regitur would break the construction.
Questions about “An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?”
What does “An nescis, mi fili” mean literally?
“Do you not know, my son”. It opens a question that continues “…with how little wisdom the world is governed?”
Who said “An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur”?
It is attributed to Axel Oxenstierna, the Swedish chancellor, in advice to his son. The attribution is traditional rather than proven, so say “attributed to”.
How do you pronounce “An nescis, mi fili”?
In classical Latin: an NES-kees mee FEE-lee. In church Latin the c in nescis becomes ch: an NES-chees mee FEE-lee.
Is the phrase cynical?
Partly, but it was meant as comfort. The point is that leaders are ordinary people, so a nervous newcomer need not be intimidated by them.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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