Proverbial Use
Often quoted as, Vox populi, vox Dei (/ˌvɒks ˈpɒpjuːlaɪ ˌvɒks ˈdiːaɪ/), "The voice of the people the voice of God", is an old proverb often erroneously attributed to William of Malmesbury in the twelfth century.
Another early reference to the expression is in a letter from Alcuin to Charlemagne in 798, although it is believed to have been in earlier use. The full quotation from Alcuin reads:
- Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, Vox populi, vox Dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit.
English translation:
- And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness.
The usage indicates that the phrase had long since become an aphorism of common political wisdom by Alcuin and Charlemagne's time.
Read more about this topic: Vox Populi
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