Knowledge gives hope, and hope, survival. Vitruvius recounts the wash up from a shipwreck.

Bene speremus! Hominum enim vestigia video.
Let us hope for the best! For I see the traces of men.

Bene: well or favorably.

Speremus: Let us hope. A hortatory subjunctive in the first person plural present 

Hominum: genitive of homo (man, human), modifying vestigia.

Enim: for or indeed.

Vestigia: traces or signs. Neuter plural accusative. 

Video: I see. First person singular present indicative.

Great are the stakes we try to change, but fate may bind the outcome. Statius gives an account of the dilemmas of gods.

"Exscindisne tuas, divum sator optime, Thebas?"

"Will you destroy your own Thebes, greatest father of the gods?"

Exscindis: present indicative, second person singular from exscindo (to tear down or destroy)

Ne: interrogative particle showing a yes or no question.

Tuas: your; accusative feminine plural

Divum Sator optima: father of the gods; vocative case

Thebas: Thebes; accusative feminine plural

Tibullus tells of the goddess of love granting his wishes.

"Exsolvit promissa Venus: mea gaudia narret."

"Venus has fulfilled her promises: let her now tell of my joys."

Exsolvit: has fulfilled; in the perfect indicative, third person singular.

Promissa: promises; in the accusative neuter pleural.

Venus: the Roman goddess of love in the nominative singular.

Mea gaudia: my joys or my happiness; accusative neuter plural

Narret: let her tell; present subjunctive, third person singular

When self image and legacy are worlds apart, Nero said this:

"Qualis artifex pereo!"

"What an artist dies in me!"

Qualis: ”what kind of" or "what a”; an exclamatory phrase.

Artifex: artist; in the nominative singular.

Pereo: I perish or I die; in the first-person singular.

Some inherit privilege, others earn command. Tacitus on the Germans.

"Reges ex nobilitate, duces ex virtute sumunt."

"They choose their kings from nobility, their leaders from virtue."

Reges: kings

Ex nobilitate: from nobility

Duces: leaders (military leaders in this context)

Ex virtute: from virtue 

Sumunt: "they take" or "they choose" is the present active indicative third-person plural of sumere ("to take, choose, select"). 

Everyone who has loved has fought, and Terence doesn’t think this is a bad thing.

"Amantium irae amoris integratio est."

"The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love."

Amantium ("of lovers") is the genitive plural of amans ("lover"). 

Irae ("quarrels" or "anger") is the nominative plural of ira, irae ("anger, wrath”).

Integratio ("renewal" or "restoration") is a nominative singular noun acting as a predicate nominative. 

Amoris ("of love") is the genitive singular of amor, amoris ("love").

Est - is.

Want to live like the rich and famous? Petronius satirises the high life in opulent Rome

Hic nescio quid boni debet esse.

This must be something good, I don’t know what.

Hic (this) is a demonstrative pronoun.

Debet (must be or ought to be) is the third person singular present indicative form of "debere."

Nescio quid (something) from "nescio" (I do not know), and "quid" (what).

Boni (good) is the genitive singular form of "bonus," used to describe the quality of "quid".

Esse (to be) used with "debet" to complete the expression "must be."

Ever felt someone is trying to dupe you? Laocoon knew but it would not save him or his countrymen.

quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.

Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when bringing gifts.

Quidquid (whatever) a pronoun

Id (that or it)

Est (it is)

Timeo (I fear or I dread) is in the first person singular present indicative form.

Danaos (Greeks or Danaans) is the accusative plural form of "Danaus," used here to refer to the Greek soldiers in the Trojan War.

Et (and)

Dona (gifts) is the accusative plural form of "donum."

Ferentis (bringing) is the present active participle of "ferre," modifying "dona."

Seneca faces up to that most valuable of things, time and how to spend our precious moments, when facing into his own mortality.

Quid agam? mors me sequitur, fugit vita.

What should I do? Death follows me, while life flees.

Quid (what) is an interrogative pronoun.

Agam (should I do) is the first person singular present subjunctive form of "agere," used here in an indirect question to express the speaker’s uncertainty about their actions.

Mors (death) is a feminine noun with a declension consonant stem following the third declension. It is in the nominative singular form.

Me (me) is the first person pronoun used as the object of "sequitur."

Sequitur (follows) is a deponent verb in the third person singular present indicative form of "sequi." Note sequere is the gerund.

Vita (life) is in the nominative singular form.

Fugit (flees) is the third person singular present indicative form of "fugere."

Something trivial getting under your skin? Persius knows this!

O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane!

Oh, the cares of humans! Oh, how much is vain in their affairs!

O is an exclamation or interjection.

Curas (cares or anxiety) is an a declension feminine noun in the accusative plural form of "cura."

Hominum (of humans or of men) is an i stem masculine noun in the genitive plural form of "homo."

Quantum (how much) is an a/o declension neuter adjective in the nominative singular form.

Est (is)

In (in or within)

Rebus (affairs or concerns) is an e declension feminine noun in the ablative plural form of "res." Here used to specify where the inane exists.

Inane (empty or vain) is a mixed declension neuter adjective in the nominative singular form, agreeing with quantum. It functions as a predicate adjective, providing more information about the subject, which is "quantum" in this context.