Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis, ut aliquid dicere possint argutius
“Orators are allowed to falsify history in order to say something more pointedly.”
Cicero, Brutus
What does “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis, ut aliquid dicere possint argutius” mean?
Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis, ut aliquid dicere possint argutius translates as “Orators are allowed to falsify history in order to say something more pointedly.”
Cicero wryly admits that speakers bend historical facts to make a better point. The remark is a warning to read rhetoric with care.
“Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Concessum | allowed, granted | neuter perfect passive participle of concedo, “I allow”; with est it forms the perfect passive, here used impersonally: “it has been allowed” |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am”; helps form the perfect passive concessum est |
| rhetoribus | to orators | dative plural of rhetor, “orator, teacher of rhetoric”; the people to whom the permission is given |
| ementiri | to lie, to falsify | present infinitive of ementior, “I lie, I invent” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
| in | in | preposition taking the ablative: “in” the field of |
| historiis | historical accounts | ablative plural of historia, “history, narrative” |
| ut | so that, in order that | conjunction introducing a purpose clause, followed by the subjunctive |
| aliquid | something | neuter accusative singular of aliquis, “someone, something”; object of dicere |
| dicere | to say | present infinitive of dico, “I say” |
| possint | they may be able | third person plural present subjunctive of possum, “I am able”; subjunctive because it sits in a purpose clause |
| argutius | more pointedly, more sharply | comparative adverb from argutus, “sharp, clever, pointed” |
How to pronounce “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis …”
The main differences are c before e or i (hard k in Classical, ch in Church; in argutius the ti is also softened to tsee in Church Latin) and the pronunciation of the vowel in historiis. Stress falls on the long syllables as marked: concessum, rhetoribus, ementiri, historiis and argutius.
The story behind it
Word for word the sentence says “it has been allowed to orators to lie in histories, so that they may be able to say something more pointedly”. The speaker is Cicero, and it comes from his Brutus, written in 46 BC.
The Brutus is a dialogue that surveys the history of Roman oratory. Cicero makes this remark while discussing a dramatized account of the death of Coriolanus, a story that had grown in the telling.
The line is often quoted today as an early, candid statement that persuasive speech and accurate history do not always go together. It is Cicero’s own wry observation about the habits of speakers, not a rule he recommends.
How to use “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis …”
Fits a media-literacy class, a lecture on rhetoric or propaganda, or a speechwriter’s desk, wherever you want a reminder to check a speaker’s facts. It works best as an ironic, knowing comment, not as a serious motto.
- Latin
- Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis, ut aliquid dicere possint argutius
- English
- Orators are allowed to falsify history in order to say something more pointedly.
- Source
- Cicero, Brutus
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Rhetoric
Common mistakes
- Cicero is describing what orators do, not endorsing it. The tone is dry and a little amused.
- ementiri means “to lie, to make up”, not merely “to be mistaken”, so it is a stronger word than it first looks.
- It is a deponent verb with passive form and active meaning, so it is not a passive infinitive and should not be translated “to be lied about”.
- Shortened versions that drop the purpose clause (ut aliquid dicere possint argutius) lose the point, which is that the lying serves sharper speech.
Questions about “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis …”
What does “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis” mean?
It means “Orators are allowed to falsify history”. The rest of the sentence adds the reason: in order to say something more pointedly.
Who said “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri in historiis”?
Cicero, in his dialogue Brutus (46 BC), a history of Roman oratory. He says it with a wry tone while discussing a dramatized account of the death of Coriolanus.
Does Cicero approve of lying in speeches?
Not clearly. He is observing that speakers bend the facts for effect, and he says so with irony. It reads as a warning to the audience more than as advice.
How do you pronounce “Concessum est rhetoribus ementiri”?
In Classical Latin: kon-KAYS-soom est reh-TOH-ri-boos eh-men-TEE-ree. Church Latin softens the c in concessum to ch.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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