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Veni, vidi, vici (IPA or ) is a famous Latin phrase coined by Roman general and consul Julius Caesar in 47 BC; Caesar used the phrase as the full text of his message to the Roman senate describing his recent victory over Pharnaces II of Pontus in the Battle of Zela. Caesar's terse remark -- translated as "I came, I saw, I conquered" -- simultaneously proclaimed the totality of his victory and served to remind the senate of Caesar's military prowess (Caesar was still in the midst of a civil war); alternatively, the remark can be viewed as an expression of Caesar's contempt for the patrician senate, traditionally representing the most powerful group in the Roman Republic.
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Use in society today
Today it is a common Latin term used often in business and sometimes in social competition. Jokingly, an executive might sign a profitable contract and utter the phrase. Many popular media also place it in the mouths of different Roman figures. The comic Asterix sees the various centurions crossing the two protagonists using the phrase quite often, or variations thereof.
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Television
The phrase has been misconceived as a sort of "magic word." The television show Doug from Nickelodeon applied the term as such. The three words in the phrase are very similar, suggesting a sort of chant or spell rather than language in the modern sense.
In an early episode of Johnny Bravo, a relatively recently retired show from Cartoon Network, Johnny Bravo made a parody of this line after getting injured prior to his collapse: "I came, I saw, I broke a hip."
In the original pilot to the series The Black Adder, the family crest read "Veni Vidi Castratavi Illegitimos" which translates roughly as "I came, I saw, I castrated the bastards."
In the TV show The Vicar of Dibley, the Horton motto is veni, vidi, spurius brutus deitrum cowi. It means I came, I saw, I tore the thick bastards limb from limb.
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Music
I came, I saw, I conquered
From record sales, to sold out concerts
In the song "Get Back" by Ludacris, Ludacris says: "I came, I saw, I hit him right there in the jaw."
"You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" is the title of a song by Phil Spector, Irvin Levine, & Toni Wine, recorded by the Ronettes:
Ooh, you came, you saw, you conquered all the love in me
Oh baby, you came, you saw, you turned your lovin' right on at me.
"Beware! Criminal" by Incubus features a chorus with the line "you came, you saw, you conquered..."
Virgin Steele, an American epic-metal band, have a 10-minute song named "Veni Vidi Vici" on their 1998 album Invictus.
The title song for the hit Broadway musical "Mame" (written by Jerry Herman) contains the lyrics:
You came, you saw, you conquered
And absolutely nothing is the same
On Apple Computer's website for their product iPod, one of the suggested laser engravings is 'iCame, iSaw, iPod'.
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Literature
In his Discworld novel Jingo, Terry Pratchett's character Samuel Vimes speculates on other possible phrases (Veni, vermini, vomui - I came, I got ratted, I threw up; Visi, veneri, vamoosi - I visited, I caught an embarrassing disease, I ran away), and decides that "he probably made it up first, and then went off to see somewhere and conquer it".
Also in Discworld, the character of Havelock Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork coins the phrase "Veni, vici, Vetinari".
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Other
Another alternative is Veni, Vidi, Volo in domum redire ("I came, I saw, I want to go home")
It has been used on the cover of Marlboro cigarettes on the small logo with the two lions. "Veni Vidi Vici" can also be found on the coat of arms of Philip Morris International, producer of Marlboro cigarettes.
In the 1990s, T-shirts were available with the line, "Veni, vidi, veggie: I came. I saw. I had a salad."
There is a level on the computer game Anno 1602, on the campaign On his majesy's service.
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