The times., 1901-06-16
EXPRESSIONS With POINT
Phrases That Had Their Birth in
Medieval Times.
Many Terse Sentences in Daily Use
the Origins of Which Are Not
Known-PIutarch the Creator of
Common Remark of Present Days.


the Origins of which Are Not
/ Known-PIutarCh the Creator of II
Common RemnrI1 of Present Days.
a conversation overheard a few days
! since contained. among other allusions aD-
/ prOpriate TO the subject matter under dis
| cussion, the familiar expressions. Hes $
a brick" and Sub rosa" Probably
neither of the speakers could give the
origin of these popular phrases, each of
which is several thousand years old.
Plutarch, in his Life of Lycurgus," is
responsible for the common expression,
Hes a brick" The Spartans or Lace
| daemonians, were celebrated for force or
I poignanCy of expression, which cut down
! all the flower of studied elegance. They
were trained to speak conCisely and en-
couraged in repartee. The English word
/ ''laconic" is derived from the Laoones or
/ Spartans and implies that much is ex-
pressed in few words. Lycurgus himself
was short and sententious in his dis
/ course. When asked why he had made so
few laws he replied. ITO men of few
words few laws are sufficient" When
asked how they could best guard against
/ the invasion of an enemy he replied
! BY continuing poor" and to the query
whether they should enclose Sparta with
walls. That city is well fortified which
has wall of men instead of brick
This is probably the foundation of the
story that on a certain occasion an Am
bassad0r from Epirus on a diplomatic
mission was shown by the King Of Sparta
over his capital The Ambassador. know
ing that, though nominalIy only King of
/ sparta, he was virtually ruler of Greece.
looked to see massive walls for the de-
fence of the towns but found none He
narveled much, and at last said to the
King Sire, / have visited most of the
towns, but found no walls built for their
defence. Why is this?" Indeed replied
the King; thou canst not have looked
carefully. Come with me tomorrow. and
will show you the walls of Sparta" The
following morning the King led his guest
out upon the plains where his army was
drawn up in battle array, and pointing
to the imposing host, he exclaimed:
There thou beholdest the walls of Sparta.
and every man is a brick"
sub rosa literally means under the
rose. The phrase dates from 477 3. c..
when Pansanias, the commander of the
confederate feet of the Spartans and
Athenians, was engaged in an intrigue
with EerXes to betray Greece TO the Per
sian rule, and to obtain the hand of the
mon&rchs daughter in marriage. Their
negotiations were carried on in building
attached TO the temple Of Minerva. called
the Brazen House, the roof of which was
covered with roses. The schemes Cplanned
with the utmost secrecy were matured
literally under the rose" Pansanias
however, was betrayed by one of his
emissaries, who, by preconcerted plan.
enabled the ephori (the five overseers and
counselors Of state) to hear Pansanias
criminate himself. To escape arrest Pan
sanias then fled to the temple of Minerva,
and the sanctity of the place forbidding
intrusion for violence of any kind. the
populace walled up the edifice with stones
and left the fugitive to die of starvation.
1t afterward became a custom among the
Athenians to wear a rose when they had
a confidential communication 10 make,
the flower implying strict secrecy. Hence
the rose became the emblem of silence
and was sculptured on the ceilings Of ban
quet halls to remind the guests that what
was spoken sub vino was not to be ut
tered sub dive. These phrases have been
translated into the couplet:
What we say when drinking high,
Utter not beneath the SKY.
It was customary among the ancient
Germans on festive occasions 10 suspend
a rose from the ceiling above the table
a d token that whatever was said during
the feast by those present should after
ward be forgotten or at least kept secret
among themselves.