Sic semper tyrannis
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Sic semper tyrannis is a Latin phrase meaning "thus, ever (or always), to tyrants." It is sometimes mistranslated as "Death to tyrants." The phrase is a shortened version of Sic semper evello mortem Tyrannis, which translated means "Thus always death comes to tyrants." It is the state motto of Virginia in the United States (and also that of the USS Virginia), recommended by George Mason to the Virginia Convention in 1776.[citation needed] The Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia shows Virtue, sword in hand, with her foot on the prostrate form of Tyranny, whose crown lies nearby. The Seal was designed by George Wythe, who signed the United States Declaration of Independence and taught law to Thomas Jefferson. The phrase is also the motto of the U.S. city Allentown, the third largest city in Pennsylvania, and is referenced in the official state song of Maryland.
John Wilkes Booth is said to have shouted the phrase after shooting United States President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.[1][2]
Timothy McVeigh was wearing a T-shirt with this phrase and a picture of Lincoln on it when he was arrested on April 19, 1995, the day of the Oklahoma City Bombing.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Diary Entry of John Wilkes Booth
- ^ TimesMachine April 15, 1865 - New York Times
- ^ Kilzer, Lou and Kevin Flynn (1997-12-19). "Did McVeigh Plan to get Caught, or was he Sloppy?", Denver Rocky Mountain News.
[edit] External links
- Webster entry - audio pronunciation
