9 Gates Latin Phrases
June, 2017
NUNC SCIO TENEBRIS LUX
SILENTIUM EST AUREUM
CLAUSAE PATENT
VERBUM DIMISSUM CUSTODIAT ARCANUM
FORTUNA NON OMNIBUS AEQUE
FRUSTRA
DITESCO MORI
DISCIPULUS POTIOR MAGISTRO
VICTA IACET VIRTUS
NUNC SCIO TENEBRIS LUX
SILENTIUMESTAUREUM
CLAUSAEPATENT
VERBUMDIMISSUMCUSTODIATARCANUM
FORTUNANONOMNIBUSAEQUE
FRUSTRA
DITESCOMORI
DISCIPULUSPOTIORMAGISTRO
VICTAIACETVIRTUS
NUNCSCIOTENEBRISLUX
SILENTIUM EST AUREUM
CLAUSAE PATENT
VERBUM DIMISSUM CUSTODIAT ARCANUM
FORTUNA NON OMNIBUS AEQUE
FRUSTRA
DITESCO MORI
DISCIPULUS POTIOR MAGISTRO
VICTA IACET VIRTUS
NUNC SCIO TENEBRIS LUX
SILENTIUMESTAUREUM
CLAUSAEPATENT
VERBUMDIMISSUMCUSTODIATARCANUM
FORTUNANONOMNIBUSAEQUE
FRUSTRA
DITESCOMORI
DISCIPULUSPOTIORMAGISTRO
VICTAIACETVIRTUS
NUNCSCIOTENEBRISLUX
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Gate 1: A knight on horseback approaches a castle while holding a finger against his lips. Caption: SILENTIUM EST AUREUM [Silence is golden].
Gate 2: An old man holding two keys approaches a closed door. Caption: CLAUSAE PATENT [Open that which is closed].
Gate 3: A traveler approaches a bridge over which looms a cherub with a cocked bow. Caption: VERBUM DIMISSUM CUSTODIAT ARCANUM [Wasted breath keeps a secret].
Gate 4: A jester approaches a maze. Caption: FORTUNA NON OMNIBUS AEQUE [Chance is not the same for all].
Gate 5: Death holds a pitchfork and an hourglass and watches a man counting his money. Caption: FRUSTRA [In vain].
Gate 6: A man hangs upside down, his foot caught in a noose. Caption: DITESCO MORI [I enrich myself with death].
Gate 7: A king and a young man play chess. Caption: DISCIPULUS POTIOR MAGISTRO [The disciple outshines the Master].
Gate 8: A knight stands poised to perform a beheading. Caption: VICTA IACET VIRTUS [Virtue is conquered].
Gate 9: A girl riding on a 7-headed beast approaches a castle. Caption: NUNC SCIO TENEBRIS LUX [I know now that the shadows come from light].
How do the AT and LCF engravings differ?
Corso notices that, although each of the three books contain nine engravings, three of the engravings in each book differ from those in the other two books. In addition, the engravings that are different are signed LCF, while the others are signed AT. Corso concludes that AT refers to Aristide Torchia (Aristidem Torchiam) and that LCF refers to Lucifer. The differences are:
Engraving 1: The castle has four turrets (AT); the castle has three turrets (LCF).
Engraving 2: The man holds the keys with his right hand (AT); he holds keys with his left hand (LCF).
Engraving 3: The cherub's quiver is empty (AT; not shown); the cherub has an arrow in his quiver (LCF).
Engraving 4: The maze exit is bricked up (AT); the exit is open (LCF).
Engraving 5: The sand is at the top of the hourglass (AT); the sand has sifted to the bottom of the hourglass (LCF, not shown).
Engraving 6: The rope is around the left ankle (AT); the rope is around the right ankle (LCF).
Engraving 7: The chessboard is black (AT); the chessboard is white (LCF).
Engraving 8: The knight is haloed (LCF); the knight is not haloed (AT).
Engraving 9: The castle is on fire, the girl's hand is on the beast (AT); the castle is backed with an eight-pointed starburst of glowing light, the girl's hand points to the castle (LCF). There is also a third version of this one, where the castle is not on fire, since the "castle on fire" engraving proves to be a forgery, replacing the true image of the starburst and the woman pointing.
SILENTIUMESTAUREUM
CLAUSAEPATENT
VERBUMDIMISSUMCUSTODIATARCANUM
FORTUNANONOMNIBUSAEQUE
FRUSTRA
DITESCOMORI
DISCIPULUSPOTIORMAGISTRO VICTAIACETVIRTUS
NUNCSCIOTENEBRISLUX
SILENTIUM EST AUREUM
CLAUSAE PATENT
VERBUM DIMISSUM CUSTODIAT ARCANUM
FORTUNA NON OMNIBUS AEQUE
FRUSTRA
DITESCO MORI
DISCIPULUS POTIOR MAGISTRO
VICTA IACET VIRTUS
NUNC SCIO TENEBRIS LUX
*****
FRUSTRA
DITESCO MORI
CLAUSAE PATENT
VICTA IACET VIRTUS
SILENTIUM EST AUREUM
NUNC SCIO TENEBRIS LUX
DISCIPULUS POTIOR MAGISTRO
FORTUNA NON OMNIBUS AEQUE
VERBUM DIMISSUM CUSTODIAT ARCANUM
****
FRUSTRA
DITESCOMORI
CLAUSAEPATENT
VICTAIACETVIRTUS
SILENTIUMESTAUREUM
NUNCSCIOTENEBRISLUX
DISCIPULUSPOTIORMAGISTRO
FORTUNANONOMNIBUSAEQUE
VERBUMDIMISSUMCUSTODIATARCANUM
*****
FRUSTRA
DITESCOMORI
CLAUSAEPATENT
VICTAIACETVIRTUS
SILENTIUMESTAUREUM
NUNCSCIOTENEBRISLUX
DISCIPULUSPOTIORMAGISTRO
FORTUNANONOMNIBUSAEQUE
VERBUMDIMISSUMCUSTODIAT
ARCANUM
****
FRUSTRA
DITESCOMORI
CLAUSAE
PATENT
VICTAIACETVIRTUS
SILENTIUMEST
AUREUM
NUNCSCIOTENEBRISLUX
DISCIPULUSPOTIORMAGISTRO
FORTUNANON
OMNIBUSAEQUE
VERBUMDIMISSUMCUSTODIAT
ARCANUM
****