"Ed Cryer" <ed@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:g4g33r$iie$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Johannes Patruus" <invalid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:6d13n1F9ntbU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>
>>> "Johannes Patruus" <invalid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>> news:6d0o2cF7figU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>
>>>> http://abstrusegoose.com/31
>>>>
>>>> Patruus
>>>
>>> Ah, ah. Nice one. How do you say "tables turned" in Latin? "Mensae
>>> (in)versae"?
>>
>> Tables were being turned all the time in the Romans' battles, so an
>> idiom for it must exist somewhere.
>>
>
> I've seen lots of references to gods and especially Fortune (who had
> her temples and "collegium" of priest). Things like "Dis aliter
> placitum est", "secunda fortuna", "adversa fortuna" and even "Fortunae
> in gremio sedens" from Cicero himself. But "tables turned" is very
> specific; very popular as well. And until I read BT's post I had no
> idea where it came from.
>
> You can talk about "luck", "divine dispensation", "likelihood and
> probability", but when you play a board game and at a certain point
> "turn the table" so that you take over your opponent's position and he
> yours, well, that's something very, very specific.
> All that comes to mind is the Saturnalia holidays when master/slave
> roles were sometimes reversed (although I suspect more in thought and
> talk than in actuality).
>
> Ed
>
>
>
>
I can't find anything more fitting than dicing; very popular with Romans
and gave rise to many idioms.
Iacta alea esto! Let the game commence.
Dare summam rerum in aleam; to risk everything.
M. Tullius extra omnem ingenii aleam positus; raised above all doubt of
his talents.
Ed
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