I am a beginner in Latin and had a question. The word "parare" means "to make ready". Why do people translate "Si vis pacem, para bellum" as "If you want peace, prepare for war"?
It should have been "If you want peace, make war ready." (or "make ready war")
"Para bellum" shouldn't meant simple "Prepare war" ?
I think you get the meaning wrong, the "thing" that should be prepared is "War", not yourself or the country. His meaning isn't that if you want peace the people will attack you, the meaning is that according to him if you want peace you should wage wars against other countries.'Prepare war' is gibberish, no English speaker would ever say it or know what it means. So we can't translate 'para bellum' that way. But that is the literal meaning of the Latin words.
And remember that this is being addressed not just to anyone, but to the head of a country, so 'para bellum' doesn't mean 'prepare yourself for war', it means 'prepare your country for war', i.e. make sure your country has a strong and well-trained army.
I think you get the meaning wrong, the "thing" that should be prepared is "War", not yourself or the country.
His meaning isn't that if you want peace the people will attack you, the meaning is that according to him if you want peace you should wage wars against other countries.
That is not how we use the word 'prepare' in English, and so I'm afraid the above sentence is gibberish. You have to say 'prepare for war'.
... well, no, his meaning is that you should prepare to wage war against other countries, but otherwise that is exactly what I said.
the meaning is that according to him if you want peace you should wage wars against other countries.
The meaning is that if you want peace then you should be prepared for war -- a defensive war. Being unprepared invites people to attack you. (Maybe that's what you're saying, but I wasn't quite sure.)
Seem that the for the translation I'm right but it is used mostly on your meaning. Anyway the thing that must be prepared, is the war. Because if you prepare the war you are ready both to defend yourself or attack in case of aggressive opponents. Here what Treccani, one of the most prestigious (and big) Encyclopedia in Italy say about it: (Source: si vis pacem, para bellum in Vocabolario - Treccani )No, that's completely wrong. It doesn't make sense logically, and it would be expressed in Latin as "Si vis pacem, gere bellum" anyway.
si vis pacem, para bellum(lat. «se vuoi la pace, prepara la guerra»). – Sentenza latina anonima in questa forma, ma presente, in modo poco diverso nella formulazione o nella sostanza, in varî autori; si cita soprattutto per affermare che uno dei mezzi più efficaci per assicurare la pace è quello di essere armati e in grado di difendersi, in modo da scoraggiare eventuali propositi aggressivi degli avversarî.
si vis pacem, para bellum(lat. «if you want the peace, prepare the war»). – Anonymous latin sentence in this formulation, but contained,in a little different way in the formulation or in the essence,in various authors; it is quoted mostly to affirm that one of the most efficient means to ensure peace is the one to be armed and able to defend yourself, in order to discourage potential aggressive aims of the opponents .
Here what Treccani, one of the most prestigious (and big) Encyclopedia in Italy say about it: (Source: si vis pacem, para bellum in Vocabolario - Treccani )
Seem that the for the translation I'm right but it is used mostly on your meaning. Anyway the thing that must be prepared, is the war. Because if you prepare the war you are ready both to defend yourself or attack in case of aggressive opponents. Here what Treccani, one of the most prestigious (and big) Encyclopedia in Italy say about it: (Source: si vis pacem, para bellum in Vocabolario - Treccani )
si vis pacem, para bellum
(lat. «if you want the peace, prepare the war»). – Anonymous latin sentence in this formulation, but contained,in a little different way in the formulation or in the essence,in various authors; it is quoted mostly to affirm that one of the most efficient means to ensure peace is the one to be armed and able to defend yourself, in order to discourage potential aggressive aims of the opponents.
The translation is done by myself. "Prepare for war" has totally another meaning, (anyway transitive verbs can work even with abstract thing). If we want to do a less literal translation that maintain mostly original sense you could say "Organize the war" but "Prepare for war" is simple a wrong translation (In Italian it would be "Preparati per la guerra, not "Prepara la guerra)Is this an official translation, or your own translation? I'm sorry but it is nearly unreadable, it doesn't make sense. Forunately I read Italian however. I see the root of the problem: in Italian, it is possible to say 'prepara la guerra'. The correct English translation of this phrase is not 'prepare (the!) war' which is not an English sentence. It is 'prepare for war'. 'Prepare' is a transitive verb which must always be applied to an object, but 'war' is not an object in the real world, it's an abstract noun. 'Prepara la guerra' in Italian is quite simply an alien sentiment that does not exist in English if taken literally. You can say 'prepare for war' but that implies that an object in the real world is being prepared: yourself, your army, your country, etc. Indeed I'd go so far as to say that 'prepara la guerra' makes the same assumption, it can't make sense literally.
I would not presume to correct a native Italian on his translation from Latin into his mother-tongue, but I can assure Pugnator that Glenfarclas and Coppernickers, who are both native English speakers as well as excellent Latinists, are quite correct about this - which is a matter of English idiom, rather than about the meaning of the Latin proverb, which is perfectly clear."Prepare for war" is simple a wrong translation
I was talking about the translation of italian "Prepara la guerra" into English. Anyway, the literally meaning of "Para Bellum" is "Organize the war" (I used organize but a most accurate long translation would be "Iniziate the preparation of the war "/"Do the preparation of the war" ) ) (As it was translated into Treccani as "Prepara la guerra") . I don't think that the Encyclopedia Treccani, awarded with a golden medal by Italian state, so big that is needed an entire bookshelf to contain it (I would not presume to correct a native Italian on his translation from Latin into his mother-tongue, but I can assure Pugnator that Glenfarclas and Coppernickers, who are both native English speakers as well as excellent Latinists, are quite correct about this - which is a matter of English idiom, rather than about the meaning of the Latin proverb, which is perfectly clear.
[My emphasis]a most accurate long translation would be "Iniziate the preparation of the war "/"Do the preparation of the war"
Anyway, the literally meaning of "Para Bellum" is "Organize the war" (I used organize but a most accurate long translation would be "Iniziate the preparation of the war "/"Do the preparation of the war" ) )