This page contains a collection of love quotes and sayings in Classical Latin with a few pieces of medieval origin. Elsewhere on the site I have some complete Latin love poems and longer verse fragments. The quotations chosen for this page are shorter and sometimes rather gnomic in their nature (meaning that they resemble proverbial sayings). You may also be interested in seeing a selection of Latin poems about love.
Ama tanquam osurus. Oderis tamquam amaturus - Love as though you might hate. Hate as though you might love. (Proverb)
Amor omnibus item - Love is in all the same (Virgil).
Amore et melle et felle est fecundissimus - Love is the most fuitful both in honey and in gall (Plautus).
Amor tussisque non celantur - Love and coughing cannot be concealed (Proverb).
Amore nihil mollius, nihil violentius - Nothing is more tender, nothing is more violent than love.
Qui amat, tamen hercle si seurit, nullum esurit - He that's in love, for sure, even if he is hungry, isn't hungry at all (Plautus).
Dicere quae puduit, scribere jussit amor - What I was ashamed to say, love has commanded me to write (Ovid).
Rivalem patienter habe - With patience bear a rival (in love) (Ovid).
Omnia vincit amor, nos et cedamus amori - Love conquers all things, let us too yield to love (Virgil).
Militat omnis amans - Every lover is a soldier (Ovid).
Militiae species amor est - Love is a kind of warfare (Ovid).
Qui in amorem praecipitavit, pejus perit quam si saxo saliat - He who plunges headlong into love, perishes more irremediably than if he leapt from a rock (Plautus).
Dulcibus est verbis alliciendus amor - Love must be allured with kind words.
Ubi idem et maximus et honestissimus amor est, aliquando praestat morte jungi quam vita distrahi - Where there exists the greatest and most genuine love, it is sometimes better to be united in death than separated in life (Valer. Maxim.).
Ubi inerit amor, condimentum cuivis placiturum credo - Where love is an ingredient, the seasoning, I believe, will please anyone (Plautus).
Multi te oderint si teipsum ames - Many will hate you if you love yourself.
Odero si potero, si non, invitus amabo - I will hate if I can, if not, I will love against my will (Ovid).
Credula res amor est - Love is a credulous thing (Ovid).
Lucrum amare nullum amatorem decet - No lover ought to be in love with pelf (Plautus).
Qui non vult fieri desidiosus, amet - Let him who would not be an idler, fall in love (Ovid).
Notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit; tempore crevit amor - Proximiti caused their first acquaintance, and their first advances in love, with time their affection increased (Ovid).
In amore haec omnia insunt vitia: injuria, suspiciones, inimitiae, induciae, bellum, pax rursus - In love there are all these evils: wrongs, suspicions, enmities, reconcilements,war, and then peace again (Terrence).
Moribus et forma conciliandus amor - Pleasing manners and good looks conciliate love (Ovid).
Improbe amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis? - Oh, cruel love! To what dost thou not impel the human heart? (Virgil).
Incitamentum amoris musica - Music intices to love.
Quisquis amat ranam, ranam putat esse Dianam - If a man is in love with a frog, he will think that his from is Diana herself.
Qui finem quaeris amoris, cedit amor rebus; res age, tutus eris - You who seek to end your passion, love gives way to employment; attend to business, then you will be safe (Ovid).
Haec scripsi non otii abuntantia, sed amoris erga te - I have written this, not from having an abundance of leisure, but of love for you (Cicero).
Uratur vestis amore tuae - Let him be inflamed by love of your very dress (Ovid).
Audax ad omnia femina, quae vel amat vel odit - A woman, when inflamed by love or by hatred, will dare everything.
Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem - It is difficult to suddenly relinquish a long cherished love (Catullus).
Simulatio amoris pejor odio est - Pretended love is worse than hatred (Pliny the Younger).
Nullis amor est medicabilis herbis - Love is to be cured by no drugs (Ovid).
Res est solliciti plena timoris amor - Love is full of anxious fears (Ovid).
See also: Latin inscriptions for wedding rings