NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 1FROM THE EDITORAmy Briggs, Executive EditorVeni, vidi, vici. I came, I saw, I conquered. Pithy, precise, parallel:
The phrase was first found in the works of second-century A.D. historians
Suetonius and Plutarch when they wrote about Julius Caesar’s military
successes. “Veni, vidi, vici” appears in their accounts of Caesar’s lightning-
fast, absolute victory over the kingdom of Pontus in 47 B.C.
Rome rewarded Caesar with a triumph for that victory, and history rewarded
him with something far more enduring: a catchphrase.
When you start to look, “Veni, vidi, vici” (or its English equivalent) turns
up everywhere. A 1724 Handel opera and the 1984 movie “Ghostbusters”
both reference it. Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole have all
crooned “You came, you saw, you conquered me,” in “These Foolish Things
(Remind Me of You).” Spaghetti Westerns got in on the act in 1968 with
“I Came, I Saw, I Shot.” Jay-Z’s 2003 song “Encore” employs it to remind
listeners of his swift, dominant rise to fame.
Victory celebrations end. Glory fades. Heroes fall. But a clever turn of
phrase? That can last forever.