Gloria filiorum patres
“The glory of sons is their fathers.”
Vulgate Bible, Proverbs 17:6
What does “Gloria filiorum patres” mean?
Gloria filiorum patres translates as “The glory of sons is their fathers.”
Children can take pride in the parents who raised them.
“Gloria filiorum patres” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Gloria | glory, pride | nominative singular feminine of gloria, “glory”; the subject of the sentence |
| filiorum | of the sons | genitive plural masculine of filius, “son”; the genitive gives “of sons”. It can also mean “of the children” |
| patres | fathers | nominative plural masculine of pater, “father”; the predicate, so the sentence reads “glory = fathers” |
How to pronounce “Gloria filiorum patres”
The two differ slightly: Classical says fih-lee-OH-room with a short i, Church Latin says fee-lee-OH-room, and the final s of patres is hissed in Classical but softened to a plain s in Church style. The stress falls on the first syllable of gloria, the third of filiorum and the first of patres.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “the glory of sons, the fathers”, which English smooths into “the glory of sons is their fathers”. The Latin has no verb, because “is” is simply understood.
It is the second half of Proverbs 17:6 in the Latin Vulgate: “corona senum filii filiorum et gloria filiorum patres eorum”. The whole verse reads roughly “the crown of the old is their children’s children, and the glory of sons is their fathers”.
The Vulgate is the Latin Bible translated largely by Jerome around AD 400. As a stand-alone line, the phrase is the motto of Eltham College in London, and it is sometimes used on family crests and in dedications to parents.
How to use “Gloria filiorum patres”
Suits a card or dedication for a father, a tribute to parents on a family occasion, a school or family motto, or a tattoo honouring a parent. Remember that the original verse is about fathers and sons specifically.
- Latin
- Gloria filiorum patres
- English
- The glory of sons is their fathers.
- Source
- Vulgate Bible, Proverbs 17:6
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Family
Common mistakes
- The phrase is not a free-standing classical proverb. It is half of a Bible verse, and the first half (about grandchildren being the crown of the old) is left out.
- Patres is “fathers”, not “parents”. Latin can use patres for “parents” in some contexts, but here the sense is fathers, and filiorum most naturally means sons.
- The line is often misread as “the glory of fathers is their sons”. The word order does not decide it: the genitive filiorum shows whose glory it is, so the sons have the glory and the fathers are the source.
- Eltham College uses the motto, but it did not coin it. The source is Proverbs 17:6.
Questions about “Gloria filiorum patres”
What does “Gloria filiorum patres” mean literally?
“The glory of sons, the fathers.” Latin leaves out the verb, so English adds “is”: the glory of sons is their fathers.
Where does “Gloria filiorum patres” come from?
It comes from the Latin Vulgate Bible, Proverbs 17:6, in the Latin text “et gloria filiorum patres eorum”.
How do you pronounce “Gloria filiorum patres”?
In Classical Latin: GLOH-ree-ah fih-lee-OH-room PAH-trayss. In Church Latin: GLOH-ree-ah fee-lee-OH-room PAH-trehs.
Is “Gloria filiorum patres” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is grammatical and comes straight from the Vulgate. Just be aware it speaks of fathers and sons, and that the full verse in the Bible adds more.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
Explore the Book of Proverbs
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.