hic Rhodus, hic salta

English

Etymology

The phrase arises from the Latin form of Aesop's Fables (Gibbs 209; Perry 33; Chambry 51), as translated from Ancient Greek "Αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ Ῥόδος καὶ πήδημα" (literally) "Here is Rhodes, jump here!". In the fable, a boastful athlete brags that he once achieved a stupendous long jump in competition on the island of Rhodes. A bystander challenges him to dispense with the reports of the witnesses and simply repeat his accomplishment on the spot: "Here is Rhodes, jump here!"

Proverb

hic Rhodus, hic salta

1. (politics) Prove what you can do, here and now.

References

• Quotations, Isaiah Berlin Virtual Library
• The Boastful Athlete, as translated by Laura Gibbs.