Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat
“He who boasts of his lineage praises what belongs to others.”
Seneca, Hercules Furens
What does “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat” mean?
Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat translates as “He who boasts of his lineage praises what belongs to others.”
Brag about your own deeds, not your ancestors’; merit is not inherited.
“Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Qui | he who, whoever | nominative singular masculine relative pronoun (qui, quae, quod), subject of iactat |
| genus | lineage, birth, family | accusative singular neuter of genus, “race, family, descent”, object of iactat |
| iactat | boasts of, brags about | third person singular present indicative active of iacto, “to toss, to flaunt, to boast of” |
| suum | his own | accusative singular neuter of the possessive suus, agreeing with genus |
| aliena | what belongs to others | accusative plural neuter of alienus, “belonging to another”, used as a noun and object of laudat |
| laudat | praises | third person singular present indicative active of laudo, “to praise” |
How to pronounce “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat”
The two systems differ only in genus, where classical has a hard g and church Latin a soft j sound. Stress genus on the first syllable, iactat on the first, and aliena on the third (a-li-E-na).
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “he who flings about his own family praises things that belong to others”. The point is that a family name is not something you made yourself.
It comes from Seneca’s tragedy Hercules Furens (“Hercules Mad”), a Roman play of the first century AD. There the tyrant Lycus speaks the line while dismissing the weight of noble birth.
The saying is often quoted on its own as a warning against living on ancestral prestige. It reads as a sharp reminder that worth comes from what you do yourself.
How to use “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat”
A fitting caption or motto for someone proud of self-made achievement, a pointed remark in an essay on merit versus inherited status, or a tattoo for those who value their own deeds over their name.
- Latin
- Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat
- English
- He who boasts of his lineage praises what belongs to others.
- Source
- Seneca, Hercules Furens
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Character
Common mistakes
- It does not condemn having a good family. It criticises boasting about ancestors instead of your own deeds.
- The word aliena is plural and neuter, “other people’s things”. It is not a feminine singular noun.
- Do not shorten it to the first half: “Qui genus iactat suum” alone is incomplete and loses the point.
- It is not a general proverb of unknown origin. It is a line spoken by a character (Lycus) in Seneca’s play, not Seneca’s own stated opinion.
Questions about “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat”
What does “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat” mean literally?
“He who boasts of his own lineage praises things that belong to others.” Credit for ancestors’ deeds is not credit for your own.
Who said “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat”?
It comes from Seneca’s tragedy Hercules Furens, spoken by the character Lycus.
How do you pronounce “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat”?
In classical Latin: kwee GEH-noos YAHK-taht SOO-oom ah-lee-EH-nah LOW-daht. In church Latin genus starts with a j sound.
Is “Qui genus iactat suum, aliena laudat” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the grammar is sound as written. Keep the full sentence, since the first half alone does not make sense.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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