Vae victis

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Vae victis (IPA /wai wiktiːs/) is Latin for "Woe to the vanquished" or also "Woe to the conquered". (This is the plural form - the singular is Vae victo if the conquered is masculine, Vae victae if the conquered is feminine).

In 387 BC, an army of Gauls led by Brennus attacked Rome, capturing all of the city except for the Capitoline Hill, which was successfully held against them. Brennus besieged the hill, and finally the Romans asked to ransom their city. Brennus demanded 1,000 pounds (327 kg) of gold, and the Romans agreed to his terms.

Livy, in Ab Urbe Condita (Book 5 Sections 34-49), records that the Gauls provided Steelyard balances and weights, and the Romans brought out their gold. But the Romans noticed that the weights were fixed, and the tribunes dared to complain to Brennus about the issue. Brennus took his sword, threw it on to the weights, and exclaimed: "Vae victis!", for the conquered have no rights, forcing the Romans to bring even more gold to fulfill their obligation.

[edit] In popular culture

In more recent history, Brennus' phrase was borrowed for the videogame series Legacy of Kain; it was translated as "suffering to the conquered". The lead character, the vampire Kain, cries 'Vae Victis' periodically while engaging in combat in the first game, Blood Omen. Kain eventually reprised this catchphrase in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Also, the series' second lead character, the wraith Raziel, uttered the phrase once during this game. However, as is common with Latin phrases as used in English, it was given the Anglicized pronunciation [veɪ ˡvɪk.təs], leading some to confuse it with the nominative masculine singular (and not its true, dative masculine plural) form victus.

Vae Victis is used as the name of a professional wrestling promotion, based out of northern California.

In the setting Warhammer 40,000, the character Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines travels on a strike cruiser named Vae Victus (sic) in reference to the phrase.

Also mentioned in the popular RTS Rome Total War, "Vae Victus" is displayed during a loading sreen.