Did You Know Sic Semper Tyrannis Could Do THIS?

The assassin, actor john wilkes booth, shouted, sic semper tyrannis! (ever thus to tyrants!) the south is avenged, as he jumped onto the stage and fled on horseback. Sic semper tyrannis is a latin phrase meaning thus always to tyrants. In contemporary parlance, it means tyrannical leaders will inevitably be overthrown. The phrase also suggests that bad but justified outcomes should, or eventually will, befall tyrants.

Sic semper tyrannis is a phrase with a somewhat problematic history. Some sources have claimed that this was spoken by brutus as he delivered the knife blow to julius caesar. John wilkes booth is likewise said to have claimed the same utterance was made when he assassinated abraham lincoln. When john wilkes booth put a bullet in abraham lincolns head at fords theatre on april 14th. 1865, he jumped over the balcony rail onto the stage, broke his leg, then stood up, faced the audience, and proclaimed sic semper tyrannis, or thus always to tyrants! Sic semper tyrannis (thus always to tyrants) is the most famous latin slogan around. Its been the state motto of virginia since 1776. John wilkes booth shouted it the moment he assassinated. The phrase sic semper tyrannis, which translates to thus always to tyrants or more liberally as this is what happens to tyrants, is a powerful and enduring motto with a long history of association with the rejection of tyranny and authoritarianism. Sic semper tyrannis is a latin phrase translating to thus always to tyrants. Possibly originating in 44 bc, the phrases first recorded usage was during the assassination of julius ceaser, the roman emperor widely regarded as a tyrant.