''Fex urbis lex orbis'' is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

saying, meaning "Dregs faex''">Feces.html" ;"title="lassical Latin ''Feces">faex''/nowiki> of the city, law of the world", that is, the lowest class of citizens determines how the world works. First written by St. Jerome, the phrase is often erroneously attributed to Victor Hugo, who quotes it ironically at the beginning of Volume V of ''Les Misérables'' while advising one to be careful in labeling social groups:Victor Hugo, ''Les Misérables''

Notes

{{Reflist Latin words and phrases Works by Jerome