Wanting to be bold, but not brash...
June 4, 2010 1:51 PM Subscribe
Can someone provide me the verifiable, accurate original Latin phrase that is often translated into "fortune favors the bold"?
I'm looking to get the original Latin phrase that translates into "fortune favors the bold" tattooed on my body in the near future. However, as with all tattoos in other languages, I want to be absolutely 100% sure that what I'm about to indelibly mark on my body is, in fact, what I think it says.
The Wiki says it's "fortes fortuna adiuvat", but there's no cite to anything proving that assertion. Furthermore, a quick Google of the phrase leads me either to people asking similar questions on sites I don't trust, or to other spellings of the phrase; so far, I can tell that the first two words seem to be universally accepted. The last word, though, seems to change depending on where I look.
It takes me almost forever to decide on new tattoos, but when I do, I want to do them very quickly. This is the only thing standing in my way - help me get my new summer ink, MeFites!
I'm looking to get the original Latin phrase that translates into "fortune favors the bold" tattooed on my body in the near future. However, as with all tattoos in other languages, I want to be absolutely 100% sure that what I'm about to indelibly mark on my body is, in fact, what I think it says.
The Wiki says it's "fortes fortuna adiuvat", but there's no cite to anything proving that assertion. Furthermore, a quick Google of the phrase leads me either to people asking similar questions on sites I don't trust, or to other spellings of the phrase; so far, I can tell that the first two words seem to be universally accepted. The last word, though, seems to change depending on where I look.
It takes me almost forever to decide on new tattoos, but when I do, I want to do them very quickly. This is the only thing standing in my way - help me get my new summer ink, MeFites!
I believe it's Fortes fortuna iuvat and it comes from Terence. But I'm going to double check on Perseus.
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2010
Also, I like "audentis" because it's closer, I think, to our notion of brave (audacious), where fortes is more strength.
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:04 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:04 PM on June 4, 2010
Best answer: Yep, it's from Terence's Phorimo. The edition on Perseus uses "aduivat." Cite.
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:07 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:07 PM on June 4, 2010
That probably explains most of the discrepancy--Lotslawski is using Terence as a source, I was using Vergil. Terence pre-dates Vergil, although Vergil's version may be better known. At any rate they're both valid renditions of the phrase.
posted by phoenixy at 2:12 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by phoenixy at 2:12 PM on June 4, 2010
Best answer: The edition on Perseus uses "aduivat."
("adiuvat")
posted by grobstein at 2:57 PM on June 4, 2010
("adiuvat")
posted by grobstein at 2:57 PM on June 4, 2010
To be clear, it would be "audentes" (accusative), not "audentis" (dat./abl.)
posted by hiteleven at 3:47 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by hiteleven at 3:47 PM on June 4, 2010
Hiteleven is right in general, but it's definitely audentis in Vergil; sometimes you see an -is ending (with a long i) where you would normally expect an -es ending. It's an alternative form of the suffix, which according to Google is most common in the era that Vergil wrote.
posted by phoenixy at 4:06 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by phoenixy at 4:06 PM on June 4, 2010
phoenixy: thanks for correcting me. And that's reason #x million that I dislike Latin poetry.
posted by hiteleven at 7:04 PM on June 4, 2010
posted by hiteleven at 7:04 PM on June 4, 2010
I always thought it was Pliny. I remember it from my third form Latin Reading competion:
Gubernator regredi volebat, sed avunculus "Fortuna" inquit, "fortes iuvat. Cursum teneamus!".
See here for the text. So that would make it Fortuna fortes iuvat.
Great memories, I loved studying Latin.
posted by humpy at 2:41 AM on June 5, 2010
Gubernator regredi volebat, sed avunculus "Fortuna" inquit, "fortes iuvat. Cursum teneamus!".
See here for the text. So that would make it Fortuna fortes iuvat.
Great memories, I loved studying Latin.
posted by humpy at 2:41 AM on June 5, 2010
Related: Fortuna favet fortibus. ("Fortune favors the strong/prepared.")
posted by IAmBroom at 9:23 PM on June 6, 2010
posted by IAmBroom at 9:23 PM on June 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by phoenixy at 2:02 PM on June 4, 2010 [1 favorite]