Sub rosa
Sub rosa (Neo-Latin for "under [the] rose") is a Latin phrase which denotes secrecy or confidentiality. The rose has an ancient history as a symbol of secrecy. Its opposite term is sub vino, meaning "under [the grape]vine", referring to being loose-lipped whilst under the influence of alcohol.
History
[edit | edit source]In Hellenistic and later Roman mythology, roses were associated with secrecy because Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates (the Hellenistic god of silence) so he would not reveal the secrets of Venus.[1] Banquet rooms were decorated with rose carvings, reportedly as a reminder that discussions in the rooms should be kept in confidence.[1]
This was inherited in later Christian symbolism, where roses were carved on confessionals to signify that the conversations would remain secret.[1]
The phrase entered the German language (unter der Rose) and, later, the English language, both as a Latin loan phrase (at least as early as 1654) and in its English translation.[1]
