← Latinum Institute Ecclesiastical Latin Reading Course
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Today we study how Ecclesiastical Latin expresses extraordinarily large numbers, particularly the concept of “million.” Classical Latin had no single word for one million; Romans expressed this quantity as decies centena milia (literally “ten hundred thousands” or “ten times a hundred thousand”). However, Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin eventually adopted the term millio, millionis (third declension), a borrowing from Italian millione, which itself derives from Latin mille with an augmentative suffix.
In Church texts, these vast numbers appear prominently in apocalyptic and prophetic literature, where they describe the innumerable hosts of angels ministering before the Divine Throne, the multitudes of the faithful throughout history, and the scope of God’s infinite mercy extended to countless souls. The Prophet Daniel and Saint John in the Apocalypse both employ the striking phrase milia milium (”thousands of thousands”) to convey numbers beyond human calculation.
Understanding how Latin expresses large numbers is essential for reading papal encyclicals, church demographic reports, historical chronicles, and especially the liturgical texts derived from Daniel 7 and Revelation 5, which form part of the Church’s angelic worship tradition.
FAQ: What does “million” mean in Ecclesiastical Latin?
A million in Ecclesiastical Latin can be expressed either as decies centena milia (the classical periphrasis meaning “ten hundred thousands”) or as millio, millionis (the medieval loan-word). The classical expression uses decies (ten times), centena (distributive numeral meaning “a hundred each”), and milia (thousands). The medieval form millio declines as a third-declension noun: millio, millionis, millioni, millionem, millione.
Key Takeaways: -
Classical Latin expressed one million as decies centena milia (ten hundred thousands) -
Medieval/Ecclesiastical Latin adopted millio, millionis from Italian -
Mille (singular) is an indeclinable adjective; milia (plural) is a third-declension neuter noun requiring the genitive -
Biblical texts use milia milium (”thousands of thousands”) for innumerable hosts -
These expressions appear throughout Scripture, liturgy, and papal documents
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
199.1 Milia thousands-NOM milium of-thousands-GEN ministrabant were-ministering ei to-him-DAT
199.2 Decies ten-times centena a-hundred-each milia thousands angelorum of-angels-GEN Deum God-ACC laudabant were-praising
199.3 Ecclesia the-Church-NOM hodie today plus more quam than millionem a-million-ACC fidelium of-faithful-GEN habet has
199.4 In in caelo heaven-ABL milia thousands-NOM milium of-thousands-GEN sanctorum of-saints-GEN gaudent rejoice
199.5 Numerus the-number-NOM martyrum of-martyrs-GEN centena a-hundred-each milia thousands superavit has-exceeded
199.6 Quot how-many milia thousands animarum of-souls-GEN salvanda to-be-saved-NEUT sunt are
199.7 Pontifex the-Pontiff-NOM ad to decies ten-times centena a-hundred-each milia thousands fidelium of-faithful-GEN locutus having-spoken est is
199.8 Orationes prayers-NOM milia thousands-NOM milium of-thousands-GEN hominum of-men-GEN ad to Deum God-ACC ascendunt ascend
199.9 Misericordia the-mercy-NOM Dei of-God-GEN ad to millia thousands-ACC generationum of-generations-GEN extenditur is-extended
199.10 Cum with tribus three-ABL milibus thousands-ABL monachorum of-monks-GEN orabat he-was-praying abbas the-abbot-NOM
199.11 Viginti twenty milia thousands-NOM passuum of-paces-GEN ambulaverunt they-walked peregrini the-pilgrims-NOM
199.12 Basilica the-basilica-NOM duo two milia thousands-ACC hominum of-men-GEN capere to-hold potest is-able
199.13 Sanctus Saint-NOM Franciscus Francis multa many-ACC milia thousands-ACC convertit converted peccatorum of-sinners-GEN
199.14 In in exercitu the-army-ABL Xerxis of-Xerxes-GEN plus more quam than decies ten-times centena a-hundred-each milia thousands militum of-soldiers-GEN fuerunt were
199.15 Milia thousands-NOM milium of-thousands-GEN et and decies ten-times milies a-thousand-times centena a-hundred-each milia thousands assistebant were-standing-before ei to-him-DAT
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
199.1 Milia milium ministrabant ei. → “Thousands of thousands were ministering to Him.”
199.2 Decies centena milia angelorum Deum laudabant. → “Ten hundred thousands of angels were praising God.”
199.3 Ecclesia hodie plus quam millionem fidelium habet. → “The Church today has more than a million faithful.”
199.4 In caelo milia milium sanctorum gaudent. → “In heaven, thousands of thousands of saints rejoice.”
199.5 Numerus martyrum centena milia superavit. → “The number of martyrs has exceeded a hundred thousand.”
199.6 Quot milia animarum salvanda sunt? → “How many thousands of souls are to be saved?”
199.7 Pontifex ad decies centena milia fidelium locutus est. → “The Pontiff has spoken to ten hundred thousands of the faithful.”
199.8 Orationes milia milium hominum ad Deum ascendunt. → “The prayers of thousands of thousands of people ascend to God.”
199.9 Misericordia Dei ad millia generationum extenditur. → “The mercy of God extends to thousands of generations.”
199.10 Cum tribus milibus monachorum orabat abbas. → “The abbot was praying with three thousand monks.”
199.11 Viginti milia passuum ambulaverunt peregrini. → “The pilgrims walked twenty thousand paces.”
199.12 Basilica duo milia hominum capere potest. → “The basilica can hold two thousand people.”
199.13 Sanctus Franciscus multa milia convertit peccatorum. → “Saint Francis converted many thousands of sinners.”
199.14 In exercitu Xerxis plus quam decies centena milia militum fuerunt. → “In the army of Xerxes there were more than a million soldiers.”
199.15 Milia milium et decies milies centena milia assistebant ei. → “Thousands of thousands, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand, were standing before Him.”
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
199.1 Milia milium ministrabant ei.
199.2 Decies centena milia angelorum Deum laudabant.
199.3 Ecclesia hodie plus quam millionem fidelium habet.
199.4 In caelo milia milium sanctorum gaudent.
199.5 Numerus martyrum centena milia superavit.
199.6 Quot milia animarum salvanda sunt?
199.7 Pontifex ad decies centena milia fidelium locutus est.
199.8 Orationes milia milium hominum ad Deum ascendunt.
199.9 Misericordia Dei ad millia generationum extenditur.
199.10 Cum tribus milibus monachorum orabat abbas.
199.11 Viginti milia passuum ambulaverunt peregrini.
199.12 Basilica duo milia hominum capere potest.
199.13 Sanctus Franciscus multa milia convertit peccatorum.
199.14 In exercitu Xerxis plus quam decies centena milia militum fuerunt.
199.15 Milia milium et decies milies centena milia assistebant ei.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Grammar Rules for This Passage:
These sentences illustrate the complex grammar of large numbers in Latin, particularly the behavior of mille and milia, and the construction of multiplicative expressions.
The Dual Nature of Mille/Milia
The word for “thousand” behaves differently in singular and plural. In the singular, mille is an indeclinable adjective that modifies a noun directly: mille homines (”a thousand men”), mille passus (”a thousand paces”). The noun being counted appears in the nominative (or whatever case the syntax requires), and mille simply agrees conceptually.
In the plural, however, milia becomes a third-declension neuter noun (nominative/accusative milia, genitive milium, dative/ablative milibus). Because milia is now a noun meaning “thousands,” the objects being counted must appear in the genitive: duo milia hominum (”two thousands of men” = “two thousand men”), tria milia passuum (”three thousands of paces” = “three miles”).
The Construction of One Million
Classical Latin lacked a single word for “million.” The standard expression is decies centena milia, which breaks down as follows: decies (the multiplicative adverb “ten times”), centena (the distributive numeral “a hundred each”), and milia (thousands). The distributive centena is used rather than the cardinal centum because multiplicative adverbs like decies require distributives. Thus decies centena milia literally means “ten times a hundred thousand each” = 1,000,000.
The formula for other multiples follows the pattern: vicies centena milia (twenty hundred thousands = 2,000,000), tricies centena milia (thirty hundred thousands = 3,000,000), and so forth.
The Biblical Expression Milia Milium
Scripture employs a distinctive idiom: milia milium (”thousands of thousands”), which uses a genitive of the same word to indicate an indefinitely large, essentially incalculable number. This construction appears in Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 5:11. An even more emphatic form appears in Daniel: decies milies centena milia (”ten thousand times a hundred thousand” = 100,000,000, or more symbolically, an incomprehensibly vast multitude).
Grammatical Summary:
The declension of milia (plural):
Nominative: milia (thousands) Genitive: milium (of thousands) Dative: milibus (to/for thousands) Accusative: milia (thousands) Ablative: milibus (with/by/from thousands)
Note that milia takes a partitive genitive for what is being counted: tria milia militum (three thousands of soldiers), centena milia fidelium (a hundred thousands of the faithful).
The medieval term millio, millionis (m.) follows third-declension patterns:
Nominative: millio (a million) Genitive: millionis (of a million) Dative: millioni (to/for a million) Accusative: millionem (a million) Ablative: millione (by/with/from a million)
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The use of vast numbers in Church Latin reflects profound theological and pastoral concerns. When Scripture speaks of “thousands of thousands” of angels, it communicates not merely quantity but quality: the overwhelming majesty of the heavenly court, the infinite resources of divine providence, and the boundless extent of God’s creative power.
The Angelic Hosts
The passages from Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 5:11 form the basis for much of the Church’s angelology and liturgical worship. The Preface of the Mass recalls these heavenly hosts when it invites the faithful to join the angelic chorus: cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus. The numbers employed are deliberately beyond precise calculation, indicating that the worship of God in heaven surpasses all earthly imagination.
Pilgrimage and the Universal Church
Medieval chronicles frequently employed large numbers when describing pilgrimages, crusades, and Church councils. While these figures were often rhetorical or conventional rather than statistically precise, they expressed the medieval conviction that the Church embraced all peoples and nations. The milia milium idiom appears in descriptions of the faithful gathered at Rome for jubilees or at Jerusalem for Easter.
Papal Communications
Modern papal documents routinely reference the worldwide Catholic population (approximately 1.4 billion faithful), requiring translators to employ either the classical decies centena milia or the more practical medieval millio. Vatican Latin continues to evolve, and contemporary documents from the Latinitas office show increasing use of millio for practical purposes, while biblical and liturgical texts preserve the classical periphrasis.
The Roman Mile
The expression mille passuum (a thousand paces) constituted the Roman mile, approximately 1,480 meters. Thus viginti milia passuum represents about twenty Roman miles. This measure appears throughout patristic literature and medieval itineraries describing pilgrimages and ecclesiastical journeys.
Reminder: This lesson is for English speakers learning Ecclesiastical Latin.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
From Daniel 7:10 (Vulgata Clementina)
Part F-A: Interleaved Construed Text
Fluvius a-river-NOM igneus fiery-NOM rapidusque and-swift-NOM egrediebatur was-going-forth a from facie the-face-ABL eius of-him-GEN
Millia thousands-NOM millium of-thousands-GEN ministrabant were-ministering ei to-him-DAT
et and decies ten-times millies a-thousand-times centena a-hundred-each millia thousands-NOM assistebant were-standing-before ei to-him-DAT
iudicium judgment-NOM sedit sat et and libri books-NOM aperti opened sunt are
Part F-B: Text with Translation
Fluvius igneus rapidusque egrediebatur a facie eius. Millia millium ministrabant ei, et decies millies centena millia assistebant ei: iudicium sedit, et libri aperti sunt.
→ “A fiery and swift river was flowing forth from before His face. Thousands of thousands were ministering to Him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand were standing before Him: the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”
Part F-C: Latin Text Only
Fluvius igneus rapidusque egrediebatur a facie eius. Millia millium ministrabant ei, et decies millies centena millia assistebant ei: iudicium sedit, et libri aperti sunt.
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This passage from Daniel 7:10 presents the Prophet’s vision of the Ancient of Days seated for judgment, surrounded by the innumerable angelic host. The construction millia millium employs the genitive of the same word to indicate an indefinitely vast number—literally “thousands of thousands,” meaning an uncountable multitude.
The even more elaborate expression decies millies centena millia multiplies this further: decies (ten times) × millies (a thousand times) × centena (a hundred each) × millia (thousands). Mathematically this yields 10 × 1,000 × 100 × 1,000 = 1,000,000,000 (one billion), but the theological intent is to convey number beyond human comprehension.
The verb ministrabant (imperfect active, third person plural of ministrare) describes ongoing service, while assistebant (imperfect of assistere) indicates standing in attendance. Both verbs take the dative ei (”to him”).
The phrase iudicium sedit uses iudicium abstractly for “the court” or “the tribunal,” with the perfect sedit indicating that the session formally commenced. Libri aperti sunt employs the perfect passive of aperire, describing the opening of the books of judgment.
This text entered the Roman liturgy through the Office of the Angels (September 29) and appears in numerous hymns and antiphons celebrating the angelic ministers of God.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Fifteen additional examples drawn from liturgical texts, papal documents, and apocalyptic literature.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text Part F-A: Interleaved Construed Text
Fluvius a-river-NOM igneus fiery-NOM rapidusque and-swift-NOM egrediebatur was-going-forth a from facie the-face-ABL eius of-him-GEN
Millia thousands-NOM millium of-thousands-GEN ministrabant were-ministering ei to-him-DAT
et and decies ten-times millies a-thousand-times centena a-hundred-each millia thousands-NOM assistebant were-standing-before ei to-him-DAT
iudicium judgment-NOM sedit sat et and libri books-NOM aperti opened sunt are