Il n'y a pas loin du Capitole à la roche Tarpéienne
Meaning: Glory and disgrace are close neighbors — the fall can follow the honors very quickly.
Language: French
Literally: It is not far from the Capitol to the Tarpeian Rock
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Victorious Roman generals were carried in triumph to the temple on the Capitoline Hill. The Tarpeian Rock, from which traitors were thrown to their deaths, stood on the same hill a short walk away. The geography made the moral, and Mirabeau put it to the Assembly in 1790.
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More French idioms
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From our proverbs
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