     quo vadis? (, ) is a latin phrase meaning "where are you going?" the modern usage of the phrase refers to a christian tradition regarding saint peter. according to the apocryphal acts of peter (vercelli acts xxxvthe acts of peter, by m. r. james), peter is fleeing from likely crucifixion in rome at the hands of the government, and along the road outside the city he meets a risen jesus. in the latin translation, peter asks jesus "quo vadis?, to which he replies, "romam vado iterum crucifigi ("i am going to rome to be crucified again"). peter thereby gains the courage to continue his ministry and returns to the city, to eventually be martyred by being crucified upside-down. the phrase also occurs a few times in the vulgate translation of the bible, such as in  when peter asks jesus the same question, to which he responds, "whither i go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me." the church of domine quo vadis in rome is built where, according to legend, the meeting between peter and jesus took place. __notoc__ ==in popular culture== the polish writer henryk sienkiewicz authored the novel quo vadis: a narrative of the time of nero in 1895, which in turn has been made into motion pictures several times, including a 1951 version that was nominated for eight academy awards. for this epic novel (among others), sienkiewicz received the 1905 nobel prize in literature. ==references== == external links == *  *  
Latin_words_and_phrases Peter_the_Apostle Vulgate_Latin_words_and_phrases