Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes
“The worst kind of enemies: those who praise you.”
Tacitus, Agricola 41
What does “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes” mean?
Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes translates as “The worst kind of enemies: those who praise you.”
Flatterers do more harm than open critics.
“Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Pessimum | worst | superlative of malus, “bad”; neuter nominative singular, agreeing with genus |
| inimicorum | of enemies | genitive plural of inimicus, “enemy”; “of (all) enemies” |
| genus | kind, type | neuter noun, nominative singular, subject of an implied “is”; of genus, generis, “kind” |
| laudantes | those who praise | present participle of laudo, “I praise”; nominative plural masculine, used as a noun; “those praising” |
How to pronounce “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes”
The differences are the g of genus (hard g in Classical, j in Church), the first i of inimicorum (short in Classical, ee in Church) and the au of laudantes (ow in both). The stress falls on PES in pessimum, MEE in inimicorum, GEH in genus and DAN in laudantes.
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads “worst of enemies kind, those praising”, which gives “the worst kind of enemies: those who praise you”. The English adds “you” because Latin leaves the object of the praise unspoken.
It comes from Tacitus’ Agricola, a biography of his father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola, a Roman governor of Britain. Tacitus wrote it in AD 98, soon after the death of the emperor Domitian, under whom he had lived and served.
Tacitus used the line about Domitian’s court, where praise could be a tool of power and flatterers could be dangerous. Today it is quoted as a warning about flattery, in politics, at work and among friends.
The wording is sometimes quoted in a slightly different order or as a looser paraphrase. The version here is the line as it appears in the Agricola.
How to use “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes”
It suits a tattoo or desk motto for someone who values honest feedback, a caption on flattery in politics or at work, or an epigraph for an essay on power, sycophancy or leadership. It is less fitting for a gift card, since it casts praise in a bad light.
- Latin
- Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes
- English
- The worst kind of enemies: those who praise you.
- Source
- Tacitus, Agricola 41
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It does not say that praise is always bad. The target is flatterers, whose praise is a form of enmity.
- Laudantes means “those who praise”, not “praised”. A passive “praised ones” would need a different form, such as laudati.
- Do not shorten it to “Pessimum genus inimicorum” and treat it as a standalone insult. In Tacitus the line goes on to name flatterers.
- It is sometimes credited to Cicero or Seneca, or to Tacitus’ Histories. The source is the Agricola.
Questions about “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes”
What does “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes” mean literally?
Literally “the worst kind of enemies, those praising”. In natural English: “The worst kind of enemies are those who praise you.”
Who said “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes”?
The Roman historian Tacitus, in his Agricola (chapter 41). He wrote it in the context of the emperor Domitian’s court.
How do you pronounce “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes”?
In Classical Latin: PES-si-moom ih-nih-MEE-koh-room GEH-noos low-DAN-tehs. In Church Latin the g of genus becomes j, so it is JEH-noos.
Is “Pessimum inimicorum genus, laudantes” good Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is an authentic line from Tacitus. Check that you want the full wording with laudantes, since without it the phrase loses its point about flattery.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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