ὀδύνη τοῖς νενικημένοις
From LSJ
Κρεῖττον τὸ μὴ ζῆν ἐστιν ἢ ζῆν ἀθλίως → Death is better than a life of misery → Satius mori quam calamitose vivere → Der Tod ist besser als ein Leben in der Not
Wikipedia EN
Vae victis (IPA: [ˈwae̯ ˈwɪktiːs]) is Latin for "woe to the vanquished", or "woe to the conquered". It means that those defeated in battle are entirely at the mercy of their conquerors and should not expect—or request—leniency.
