History Main / SmartPeopleKnowLatin

* Daniel Dankovski from ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' frequently uses Latin in his speech and even more in his diary. {{Justified|Trope}}, since he is a Bachelor of Medicine.

* Johan Liebert from ''Manga/{{Monster}}''. ([[{{Omniglot}} He also knows French, German, English, and Czech]].) This actually becomes a plot point, as he reads books in Latin for Hans Georg Schuwald, a wealthy man who he is trying to get close to.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'', which takes place around 50 BC when Latin was a living language, always show the Romans speaking the same language as the Gauls. Except that whenever a group of Roman legionnaires are speaking, then one of them will likely be qouting something in Latin. Often to the frustration of the other legionnaires since it usually happen in a situation too serious for that -- for example while running from the invincible Gauls. One of the pirates whose ship the Gauls wreck OncePerEpisode also has a tendency to offer pithy quotes in Latin when they're all floating on a raft.

%%* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' knows Latin.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* ''Fanfic/TheDearSweetieBelleContinuity'' uses Latin as the ancient language of the unicorns, and Professor Crescendo, and his family and students, are very much immersed in it.
* The author of ''Fanfic/ThePrayerWarriors'' believes this, including atheists as some of the people he believes are too stupid to understand Latin. Unfortunately for him, his Latin comes off as a BlindIdiotTranslation. In-story, Satan tells Literature/{{Percy Jackson|and the Olympians}} that only the traitor among the Prayer Warriors will know what the traitor's password "Deus Mortuus" means.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* In a ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1997-07-06/ comic strip]], Wally has a DreamSequence in which he becomes smarter and exclaims "Suddenly I can speak Latin!"
* {{Parodied|Trope}} in a ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' strip in which Jason says that his new year's resolution is to speak entirely in Latin. He recites common-knowledge Latin phrases such as "a priori", "quid pro quo", etc. just to annoy his sister, Paige.
[[/folder]]

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Theatre/ErasmusMontanus'', a satirical play about academic snobbery. The titular character's birth name is Rasmus Berg, but after studying in Copenhagen, he starts flaunting his new knowledge. This includes using gratuitous Latin in his speech and insisting that people refer to him by his Latinised name Erasmus Montanus.

* The daughter in ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'', who is supposed to be the smartest character, takes a course on Latin.

* Gil Grissom has done this a time or two in ''Series/{{CSI}}'' -- his insect names are the most common, but there has been once or twice besides that.

** To [[SlumberPartyPloy cover going on a road trip]], Bart tells his family that he's going to the National Grammar Rodeo.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': Diana tests [[CunningLinguist Sameer's]] knowledge of languages and they get through four before Diana trips him up with ancient Greek. Fitting as Diana's entire knowledge of the world at that point is academic while Sameer is a bit more [[ConMan worldly]].

* ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'': Lord Peter and Harriet Vane trade all sorts of learned quotations, but Latin is part of the deal. The last time he proposes marriage to her (in ''Gaudy Night''), he does so in Latin while wearing his cap and gown (he took a First at Balliol). She accepts in the same language: "Placet." [[labelnote:Lat.]]"It pleases."[[/labelnote]] One of his frequent terms of endearment for her is "domina" (a feminine form of "dominus" "master") meaning "lady" or "mistress".

* In ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorneyCase5TurnaboutSubstitution '', Chief Justice Paul Strings is an extremely wise and cultured judge who loves to [[ProverbialWisdom quote philosophers]] and recite Latin proverbs. It's later {{parodied|Trope}} with his son, Gerald -- when Apollo asks ''him'' whether he knows Latin, he recites the lyrics to [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII One-Winged Angel]] as "proof".

->'''Lydia''': I know Archaic Latin.\\
'''Allison''': You know Archaic Latin?\\
'''Lydia''': I got bored with Classical Latin.\\
'''Allison''': Just how smart '''''ARE''''' you?!
-->-- ''Series/TeenWolf 2x06 Frenemy''

This has a fundamental basis on TruthInTelevision, as back during the Renaissance when classical Greek and Roman texts were rediscovered by Europeans, the ability to translate the original literature was considered a necessity. Even earlier during the Medieval Era, most literate Europeans were members of the clergy or nobles who were educated via clerical universities that preserved Latin as the legitimate ecclesiastical language, and ergo, had Latin as a Lingua Franca that neglects nationality. Given the above, Latin became the primary language of scholarship, and literature on science, the arts and such subjects of intellectual material were often inscribed in Latin. This is one of the reasons science's opted language for terminologies (especially in taxonomy) is Latin ([[AncientGrome combined with]] GratuitousGreek). The norm only received reduction during the 19th century, when more and more scientists began to use their own languages. But, for instance, the English vocabulary still uses many Latin and Greek words, some imported via French.

The names of several secondary types of school, such as Lyceum and Gymnasium, is an evidence of the Classical influence in the education. Moreover, "grammar schools" were schools which, when created, taught the Latin and Ancient Greek [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin ''grammar'']].

* Johan Liebert from ''Anime/{{Monster}}.'' ([[{{Omniglot}} He also knows French, German, English, and Czech.]]) This actually becomes a plot point, as he reads books in Latin for Hans Georg Schuwald, a wealthy man who he is trying to get close to.

[[folder:Comicbooks]]
* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': In one issue, Hank [=McCoy=] (The Beast) converses with a Roman Catholic nun in Latin.

%%* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' knows Latin.

* Fanfic/TheDearSweetieBelleContinuity uses Latin as the ancient language of the unicorns, and Professor Crescendo, and his family and students, are very much immersed in it.

* In the film ''Film/EventHorizon'', the use of Latin by the captain of that ship on its ApocalypticLog seems to be there partly to suggest what an educated guy he is, although it's the ''mistranslation'' of one of the quotes by the protagonists that turns out to be relevant to the plot.
* Natasha (Black Widow) from ''Film/IronMan2'' speaks multiple languages including Latin, which impresses Tony. Pepper, corrects him in saying no one 'speaks' Latin, as it's a dead language (which isn't true, because all that makes it a "dead" language is that people don't have it as a first language and thus it doesn't change).
* In the live-action ''Film/RichieRich'' movie, Cadbury is seen to be skilled in reading Latin. Richie himself apparently knows enough Latin to send him a secret message in a greeting card:
-->'''Policeman''': ''[trying to read the card]'' What's this?
-->'''Richie''': Latin.
-->'''Policeman''': Latino? Thought he was English!

* Edmund Rutledge in ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'', although in that context almost certainly a marker of social class. [[ManInAKilt Col. MacIan]] mistakes it for French.

* In ''Theatre/AManForAllSeasons'', the king tests how smart Thomas' daughter is by asking her to talk in Latin.
* Meeks is supposed to be the Brain of the group in ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'' because he "aced Latin," according to Charlie.
* In ''Film/{{Jasminum}}'' Zdrówko is [[WorkingClassHero not posh]] but he turns out to read Latin better than his bookish superior, Kleofas, who is nonplussed.
* ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'': Diana tests [[CunningLinguist Sameer's]] knowledge of languages and they get through four before Diana trips him up with ancient Greek. Fitting as Diana's entire knowledge of the world at that point is academic while Sameer is a bit more [[ConMan worldly]].
* In ''Film/JungleCruise'' one of the hints that Frank is a bit more than a shady riverboat captain [[spoiler: specifically an immortal conquistador and cartographer]] is when he corrects [=McGregor=]'s Latin.

* In ''Literature/TenSixtySixAndAllThat'', the victory of the Romans over the Britons is attributed to their superior classical education, including knowing the correct pronunciation of "Veni, Vidi, Vici." The Lollards' insistence on reading the Bible in an English translation rather than in Latin is taken as a sign of stupidity as well as heresy.
* In ''Wolf Sea'' by Robert Low, the wise monk Brother John is really fond of quoting Latin phrases.
* Creator/DorothyLSayers' Literature/LordPeterWimsey and Harriet Vane. They trade all sorts of learned quotations, but Latin is part of the deal. The last time he proposes marriage to her (in ''Gaudy Night''), he does so in Latin while wearing his cap and gown (he took a First at Balliol). She accepts in the same language: "Placet." [[labelnote:Lat.]]"It pleases."[[/labelnote]] One of his frequent terms of endearment for her is "domina" (a feminine form of "dominus" "master") meaning "lady" or "mistress".
* The ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' series invokes this in universe. Stephen Maturin is a physician that speaks Latin (along with a half a dozen other languages) and he will often use Latin around patients both to keep them from knowing what he is saying (when he is talking to another physician or an assistant who also speaks Latin) and because patients are reassured by the fact that their doctor is learned enough to speak Latin. The crews of the ships he serves on often brag that their ship has a real physician that speaks Latin and Greek.
** Note that these were the times when surgeons and physicians were two radically different occupations, surgeons being little more than half-literate artisans who could let the blood, put on the leeches, extract the tooth or [[BreadEggsMilkSquick perform a field amputation]]. Having a real trained doctor on the ship (which was required to have a ''surgeon'', not a physician) was a rare luck indeed.

* In Creator/SpikeMilligan's ''Literature/{{Puckoon}}'' (set in partition-era Ireland) the Catholic Father Rudden laments the lack of Latin education amongst his flock. On one occasion, we are told, he recited a dirty joke that he had translated into Latin, eliciting a solemn "Amen" from his congregation.
* Creator/GeorgeEliot complains of this in ''Literature/SillyNovelsByLadyNovelists'':
-->''In "Laura Gay," another novel of the same school, the heroine seems less at home in Greek and Hebrew, but she makes up for the deficiency by a quite playful familiarity with the Latin classics–with the "dear old Virgil," "the graceful Horace, the humane Cicero, and the pleasant Livy;" indeed, it is such a matter of course with her to quote Latin. . . It is as little the custom of well-bred men as of well-bred women to quote Latin in mixed parties; they can contain their familiarity with "the humane Cicero" without allowing it to boil over in ordinary conversation, and even references to "the pleasant Livy" are not absolutely irrepressible''

-->'''Simon:''' "Basia coquum". Or whatever their motto is.
-->'''Alec:''' It's "Descensus Averno facilis est." "The descent into hell is easy." You just said "Kiss the cook".
-->'''Simon:''' Dammit, I knew Jace was screwing with me.
* In ''Literature/TheGargoyle'' by Andrew Davidson, the EccentricArtist Marianne Engel is really fond of Latin (she even has a penchant for [[ThinkingOutLoud speaking to herself]] in Latin). [[WomenAreWiser She also becomes]] [[SageLoveInterest something of a wise mentor]] to the protagonist, teaching him about the PowerOfLove.
* In the novel ''It Always Gets Worse'', the RagtagBunchOfMisfits assumes [[TheStoic their]] [[MysteriousPast leader]] speaks Latin because he's smart, since they don't know his backstory. Actually he speaks it because his extremely Catholic mother shoved it down his throat and put him through Catholic school from preschool to highschool. His father is also a priest who had an affair with one of his congregation, and drove it in further. He actively hates this trope and avoids Latin unless it's necessary to the plot, which of course it is because, well, see the title.
* In ''Literature/TheManWhoLaughs'' by Creator/VictorHugo, the vagabond philosopher Ursus is well-versed in Latin and often uses Latin phrases in everyday speech.
* In the ''Commandant Martin Servaz'' series by Bernard Minier, the titular protagonist frequently quotes Latin aphorisms.

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', Latin is the formal language of the White Council and so any wizard who's a member is of course expected to know it. (Harry's own notably poor grasp of the language -- [[RunningGag "Stupid Latin correspondence course"]] -- has come up to bite him here before.) Justified in that the Council as an organization really does go back that far. Also, they need a ''lingua franca'' because they have members from all over the world.
* [[Literature/TheHungerGames Mockingjay]] implies that Plutarch Heavensbee speaks at least some Latin.
* In ''Thank You For Flying Air Zoe'' by Erik Atwell, one of the characters, Lauren (Lo), studied Latin in college, and has a penchant for quoting Latin phrases which annoys her friends.
* Given the number of {{UsefulNotes/Oxbridge}} sorts and Anglican and Roman Catholic clergymen in the ''Literature/VillageTales'' novels, there is a critical, er, [[MultipleReferencePun mass]] of Clever Characters who do in fact Know Latin. Including FarmBoy and [[FarmersDaughter Farm Girl]] students at the Free School, parish choristers, and the country-boy headstone carver at the local undertakers' ("I'm all right with Church Latin as I've seen a hundred times").
* In Creator/GKChesterton's ''Four Faultless Felons'', one of the signs that a burglar may be more than he seems is that he can translate the motto "Omnia Vincit Amor" on the jewellery he is stealing.
* Despite otherwise being an evil overlord manipulating events from the shadows, Coil from ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' averts this by not knowing Latin when it comes up in Prey 14.9. This is lampshaded by the person talking, since she's using it to pass a message along to a powerful enemy of Coil's. Had he known it, he'd have realized Skitter was in danger and that a very dangerous piece of information was just given to the person who least needed to know it.
* ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'': Inverted. In this setting (Eastern Roman Empire, 6th century), Latin is the language of slack-jawed yokels from the backwards and barbarian West, and the language of smart people is Classical Greek (as opposed to the commonly spoken ''koine'' Greek). One minor character is mocked for his Latin accent, which, to the listeners, makes him sound like a hick.
* In ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', Thomas Aquinas renders an complex theological doctrine in Latin while making a point about how that abstract knowledge relates to practical wisdom.
* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'': Both John Rumford and Bill Kraft quote Roman statesmen and scholars in Latin, often at each other. Though they are both far more fond of German.
* In Literature/LonesomeDove Gus McCrae and a passing cattle boss exchange Latin maxims, though later both admit that they're just remembered fragments from their school days.
* In ''Creator/RobertAHeinlein'' juvenile ''Literature/HaveSpaceSuitWillTravel'' the hero Kip learns Latin because his father thinks it will improve his education, especially his Spanish. Which comes in handy when he meets a time-travelling Roman legionnaire from late-Imperial Iberia who speaks a rough-and-ready mixture of the two.
* In ''Magicae Mathematica'' series by Jim West, the protagonist Alex was taught Latin by her mother, [[TeasingFromBehindTheLanguageBarrier and they often spoke it in front of their husband/father just to tease him]]. It came in handy later when Alex was transported to a world where Latin is the language of magic.
* In ''A Griffin in Her Desk'' by Zee Ann Poerio, the teacher Mrs. Moneta is really fond of quoting Latin.
* OlderThanPrint: In ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales'', the Pardoner mixes "a wordes fewe" in Latin into his sermons to make them more impressive.

* As the title quote shows, in ''Series/TeenWolf'', Lydia can read Archaic Latin (She got bored with Classical Latin).
* Most of the hunters in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' are able to recite Latin incantations, and many hunters like Bobby Singer can read obscure Latin texts as well as other ancient languages.
* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', ''Hex'', Chloe is shown to speak Latin but Lois and Clark can't.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat Sir Humphrey Appleby of ''Series/YesMinister'' is often fond of flaunting his {{UsefulNotes/Oxbridge}} education in front of his LSE-educated boss with Latin. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeF_o1Ss1NQ#t=1m8s Here]] is an example.

* President Bartlet on ''Series/TheWestWing'', who is a giant nerd and has a Nobel Prize in economics, understands Latin enough that he can spontaneously compose prayers in it. Granted he is also a Catholic (by choice, not birth), studied at Notre Dame, and wanted to be a priest until he met his wife. "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" delves into this further with regards to how his smarty image plays out when it comes to campaigning for federal office:
-->'''Bartlet''': (Our campaign) did not lose Texas because of the hat joke. Do you know when we lost Texas?
-->'''C.J.''': When you learned to speak Latin?
-->'''Bartlet''': Go figure.
* Sheldon and Wolowitz try to use this against each other in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''.
** Also, in the episode in which Leonard meets Sheldon for the first time, Sheldon says "Cathedra mea, regula mea", which (according to Sheldon) is Latin for "My chair, my rules".
* ''Series/{{Cupid}}'' (1998 version): A love-lorn professor and Trevor Hale (who believes he is [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane and/or may actually be]] Cupid) are discussing picking up women in a bar.
--> '''Jennings:''' Ille qui haesitat...[[labelnote:Lat.]]"He who hesitates..."[[/labelnote]]\\
'''Trevor:''' ...dormit in vacuo lecto.[[labelnote:Lat.]]"Sleeps in an empty bed."[[/labelnote]]

* Dr. Huang, TheShrink / TheSmartGuy / MrExposition on ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' effortlessly steps in to correct a mistranslated Latin word in the episode "Silence".
* It's a running gag on ''Series/{{QI}}'' to make fun of Creator/StephenFry's perceived posh upbringing. On one occasion, Creator/BillBailey made a joke about him knowing the Lord's Prayer in Latin, to which Stephen responded by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLPXmVk5mHU quoting the first few lines of such at high speed]]. Helps that the Lord's Prayer is probably the most widely-known Latin text in the world, given the number of people who recite it by rote every single day, and the first two words "Pater noster" are a common alternative name for the prayer.
* An episode of ''Series/{{Sliders}}'' had the protagonists end up in a world where being smart and well-educated is cool (they pass a punk on the street with a boombox blasting classical music and see a rap video about how cool it is to hang out at the library). Sports are all a mix of physical endurance and knowledge (kinda lends a whole new meaning to the term "mathlete"). Quinn in this world is a well-known athlete and a slider (although, [[spoiler:Quinn-prime finds out that this Quinn never discovered sliding and was just faking]]). He's also involved with some unsavory types. The episode's BigBad is a mobster who constantly likes to quote phrases in Latin and gets annoyed when the others have no idea what he said. Of course, it's entirely possible that many people know at least some Latin in this world, given the obsession with intelligence. At the end of the episode, right before sliding, Quinn departs with a Latin quip: ''Via Corinas Inundum.'' It's actually ''amazingly'' [[CanisLatinicus bad Latin.]]
* Gil Grissom has done this a time or two on Series/{{CSI}}-his insect names are most common, but there has been once or twice besides that.
* Temperance Brennan and Zack Addy on ''Series/{{Bones}}''. When the trio visit a very upscale private school, Catholic Booth doesn't get a word of its PretentiousLatinMotto; ''Omnia Mea Mecum Porto'', snarking that it must mean, "[[SlobsVersusSnobs Normal People Stay Out]]." Bones and Zack translate it without pause - "[[TheProfessor I carry with me all my things]]." In unison.
* Fred and Wesley on ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Angel himself is a bit of an inversion, he does have his smart areas, but isn't really upper class. He probably learned some as a youth, and the rest from experience with the old books.
* Methos on ''Series/{{Highlander}}''. Justified since he was alive back then and lived in the Roman Empire for a while.
* Apparently Latin is part of the curriculum at Starfleet Academy for some reason, as one episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' reveals that Wesley Crusher is studying it, and in another episode, Counselor Troi suggests that Picard, who's been turned into a child in a transporter accident, can go there to "brush up on [his] Latin."
** Possibly justifiable in that a great deal of scientific terms have at least Latin roots. A decent grounding in Latin (and some basic knowledge of Greek) is enough to make deciphering Franchise/StarTrek TechnoBabble much easier.
** Picard and Wesley learned Latin in the 24th century for much the same reason that 20th century people do: to read works of classical philosophy in the original language, and as a mental exercise. The only difference is that instead of being removed from the sources by 20 centuries, they are removed by 24 centuries. Star Trek did this with a lot of human culture, i.e. why Picard is a fan of the works of William Shakespeare: it's hard to predict if popular and even critically acclaimed literature and films from the 20th century will age well three hundred years from now, but Shakespeare and Latin have ''already'' held up for many centuries, so they're probably not a passing fad.
* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': One academic in "The Glitch" insists on saying nearly everything twice, first in Latin then in English.
* ''Series/HoratioHornblower'': When Horatio comes aboard the ''Justinian'', Captain Keene asks him about his education. Horatio says he was a Grecian at school, meaning that he studied both Latin and Greek, and Horatio actually looks slightly excited for the first time in the series. Keene promptly tells him that in the Navy, there is no use for absolute ablatives and similar stuff. However, there is, apparently. Keene uses it as a means of mocking his middies with style. He wonders what ''terrae incognitiae'' (unknown lands) they might have discovered during their navigational exercise. And because Horatio is also GoodWithNumbers, he's the only one who got the exercise right.
* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Hartley Rathaway, AKA The Pied Piper is shown often conversing with Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne in Latin. In Season 2, after he underwent a HeelFaceTurn off-screen due to Barry interfering in the past, he continues to do so, and Caitlin has to remind him that since Thawne was erased from existence nobody spoke Latin there anymore.
* ''Series/YesMinister'': Sir Humphrey and Bernard Woolley both know Latin, but Hacker does not.
* In the ''Series/JonathanCreek'' episode "The Grinning Man", Jonathan knows Latin, and [[spoiler: the murderer spoke it so well he doodled in it]]. Joey, presented as very intelligent herself, does not and finds the whole thing very pretentious.

* Parodied in a ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' strip where Jason says that his new year's resolution is to speak entirely in Latin. He recites common-knowledge Latin phrases such as "a priori", "quid pro quo", etc. just to annoy his sister, Paige.
* In a ''{{ComicStrip/Dilbert}}'' [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1997-07-06/ comic strip]], Wally has a DreamSequence where he becomes smarter and exclaims "Suddenly I can speak Latin!"

* Brutally parodied in ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost'' when a group of foolish "pedants" get together and argue over usage of Latin grammar. [[GeniusBonus None of them are right]].
* Tranio in ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'':
--> "If love have touched you, nought remains but so,
--> ''Redime te captum quam queas minimo.''[[labelnote:Translation]] "Redeem yourself from captivity as cheaply as possible", a quotation from Terence.[[/labelnote]]"
* Famously parodied in Molière's ''Theatre/TheImaginaryInvalid'': all the doctors are very good at sneaking CanisLatinicus into every other sentence, but they're all complete morons or conmen.

-->'''Wolsey''': The writing is a quotation from a poem. It says: "Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am." You have studied Latin?\\
'''Anne''': Yes.\\
'''Wolsey''': "Touch me not," the translation might go, "I belong to the king."
* ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'' has Rutledge showing off his aristocratic refinement by (sarcastically) referring to Delaware's bickering delegation as ''tria juncta in uno''. Colonel [=McKean=] mistakes it for French.

* In the fan-made ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' case ''[[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorneyCase5TurnaboutSubstitution Turnabout Substitution]]'', Chief Justice Paul Strings is an extremely wise and cultured judge who loves to [[ProverbialWisdom quote philosophers]] and recite Latin proverbs. It's later {{parodied|Trope}} with his son, Gerald - when Apollo asks ''him'' whether he knows Latin, he recites the lyrics to [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII One-Winged Angel]] as "proof".

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series has an in-universe equivalent to Latin with Aldmeris, the ClassicalTongue of the ancient Aldmer, ancestors to the modern [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer (Elves)]]. In the spirit of this trope, intelligent characters throughout the series are frequently able to read and translate Aldmeris. In several instances, this is a quest point where Aldmeris is used as a key for translating "dead" languages.
* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' your player can use Latin phrases in certain trees provided their Intelligence is 8 out of 10 or higher. The lower ranks (composed of teens and newly conquered tribals) of Caesar's Legion seem only to know "vale" and "ave", while a centurion POW you meet seems to be fluent. Companion Arcade Gannon is also very fluent in Latin (he has an Intelligence of 10) and dislikes its connection to the Caesar's Legion in the eyes of the current time.
* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'': Invoked by the AI's, who will often start using Latin when they're posturing. Tycho taunts Durandal in Latin at several points, and Durandal is fond of using Latin when acting smug and superior. Presumably, as AI's, they would know any language known to mankind, but they deliberately use Latin due to this trope.
* Daniel Dankovski from ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' frequently uses Latin in his speech and even more in his diary. JustifiedTrope, since he is a Bachelor of Medicine.
* Doctus from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]
* Phase (Ayla Goodkind) of the Literature/WhateleyUniverse reads Latin, ancient Greek, and Middle English, all part of his classism and upper-upper-class upbringing in private schools. He also speaks several modern languages, and is a snob about it.
* ''WebVideo/TheAutobiographyOfJaneEyre'': Adele Rochester, precocious ChildProdigy frequents intermediate Latin courses, among other stuff like applied physics boot camp, advanced marine zoology, fencing, ballet, or opera, and she sometimes uses Latin on her twitter.
* ''Literature/TheNewHumans'': Lawrence is apparently conversant in Latin. He is also an upper-class, Cambridge-educated Australian who is frequently noted as speaking and acting in such a British way as to be nearly indistinguishable from the genuine article.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' episode "Faking Miracles", Pete and Billy demonstrate nanomachines to Rusty by activating dormant portions of the brain to increase intelligence. Unbeknownst to them, the nano-tech is affecting Dean, causing him to speak Latin (though Billy states it's Babylonian), making Brock think that Dean has become possessed.
** And ''[[Recap/TheVentureBrosS04AllThisAndGargantua2 All This and Gargantua 2]]'' shows that Billy (BrilliantButLazy supergenius) knows more Latin than Dr Venture (who's probably not half as smart as he likes to think he is), since Rusty is only pretending to understand the GratuitousLatin names of the rooms on the space station, but Billy actually does. Rusty ends up angrily telling Billy in Latin that he can go kiss Rusty's... knee. Billy then translates it back at him sarcastically. Incidentally, Billy points out in the same conversation that he's a lot more entitled to the title of "doctor" than Rusty is.
* Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/GreenArrow exchange Latin proverbs in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' to [[strike:come over as smartasses]] demonstrate their [[GeniusBruiser intelligent rivalry]].
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', in the episode "More Smarter", Mordecai and Rigby overdose on a smart drink, and one of the side effects is that they can only speak in Latin.

** To [[SlumberPartyPloy cover going on a road trip]], Bart tells his family he's going to the National Grammar Rodeo.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', Dexter is at one point shown with a Latin textbook, for a nice combination of this and NerdsLoveToughSchoolwork.
* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Jet, the alien ChildProdigy, knows at least some Latin; his catchphrase is "excelsior", which he acknowledges as being Latin for "onward and upward".

** In the "WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror" parody of ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'', {{Nerd}} and TVGenius Martin is seen AsleepInClass dreaming about conjugating Latin verbs.

* President Bartlet on ''Series/TheWestWing'', who is a giant nerd and has a Nobel Prize in economics, understands Latin enough that he can spontaneously compose prayers in it. Granted he is also a Catholic (by choice, not birth), studied at Notre Dame, and wanted to be a priest at first. "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" delves into this further with regards to how his smarty image plays out when it comes to campaigning for federal office:

* ''VideoGame/{{Brigador}}'': One of the info brokers, Cephei Chatfield, signs all his reports with "m.p.C.C.", which stands for "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_propria manu propria]], Cephei Chatfield", a very antiquated way of saying "From, [...]". Chatfield is a Spacer, a group of technologically advanced humans who spend most of their lives in outer space. To them, "planetdwellers" are comparable to animals and are downright ashamed to even be related to them and the fact to land on a planet occasionally to raise their children and fight off muscle atrophy. Using Latin is just one of the ways Spacers flaunt their superiority over the "dirt-eaters".

* ''VideoGame/{{Brigador}}'': One of the info brokers, Cephei Chatfield, signs all his reports with "m.p.C.C.", which stands for "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_propria manu propria]], Cephei Chatfield", which is a very antiquated way of saying "From,[...]". Chatfield is a Spacer, a group of technologically advanced humans who spend most of their lives in outer space and have utter disdain towards people who live in planets and even dread the fact they have to spend some time in on and raise their children on planet so their bodies don't atrophy from zero gravity. Using Latin is just one of the ways Spacers flaunt their superiority over the "dirt-eaters" they view as tamed animals at best.

* OlderThanPrint: In ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales'', the Pardoner mixes "wordes a fewe" in Latin into his sermons to make them more impressive.