Did You Know Sic Semper Could Do THIS?

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 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. Brutus probably never said, sic semper tyrannis. Theres another famous quote attributed to brutus himself, whos believed to have shouted, sic semper tyrannis thus always to tyrants as he stabbed caesar.

John wilkes boothe, a famous actor in antebellum america and rabid southern sympathizer, shouted this from the. 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. Reportedly uttered sic semper tyrannis to a schoolteacher tied up by his son, john tyler (later 10 th president of the united states), and classmates. The 1780 virginia medal, designed by thomas jefferson, featured the slogan rebellion to tyrants is obedience to god and depicted virtue triumphing over. 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. It is the state motto of the u. s.