Fortune favours the bold
"Fortune favours the bold", "Fortune favours the brave", "Fortune helps the brave", and "Fortune favours the strong" are common translations of a Latin proverb. The slogan has been used historically in the military in the Anglosaxon world. It and is used up to the present in the US marine, the coat of arms of individual families and clans.
Background
Fortune favours the bold is the translation of a Latin proverb, which exists in several forms with slightly different wording, where Fortuna is the goddess of luck, such as
- audentes Fortuna iuvat (literally: "Fortune helps those daring")
- audentes Fortuna adiuvat ("Fortune comes to the aid of those daring")
- Fortuna audaces iuvat (from the adjective audax, audacis, from the verb audeo), literally: "Fortune helps the bold".
These Proverbs in turn descended from fortis Fortuna iuvat (literally: "fortune favors the strong") used in Terence's comedy play Phormio, line 203. It was cited by Cicero in the 1st century BCE as a vetus proverbium ("an old proverb").
Historical examples
Denmark
This is used by the Jydske Dragonregiment or Jutish Dragoon Regiment in the Royal Danish Army.
United Kingdom & Ireland
It is used as the motto for the British Army's Yorkshire Regiment.
The Latin version Audentes Fortuna Juvat is the motto of Clan MacKinnon and features on the clan crest.[1]
It is the motto for Clan Turnbull.[2]
It is used as the motto for the O'Flaherty family in Ireland and is also used on their coat of arms.[3]
This is used as the motto for the Dixon family and is presented on their family crest.[4]
The motto Fortuna Audaces Juvat was used by the Clevland family of Tapeley Park, Westleigh, Devon, in the 18th and 19th centuries, as seen with their armorials on several of the family's mural monuments in Westleigh Church.
United States
It is used by the 3rd Marine Regiment (United States) of the United States Marine Corps and appears on the regiment insignia.
It is the motto of the ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7), named after US Navy Master Diver Carl Brashear and appears on the ship's insignia.
The motto was adopted by the USS Florida (SSGN-728) after it was converted from an SSBN to a SSGN, to launch a Tomahawk missile.
The motto is used by the crew of the USS Montpelier (SSN-765).
The Latin equivalent fortuna audentes juvat" is used as the motto for the Turing family, dating back to 1316 AD.[5]
The motto is used by the 366th Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force and appears on the wing patch.
Netherlands
The motto is used by the Cornielje family of The Netherlands alongside their coat of arms.[6]
South Korea
Motto used by the 80th Fighter Squadron stationed at Kunsan AB, Republic of South Korea.
See also
References
- ↑ "Clan MacKinnon Society". Retrieved 2016-10-05.
- ↑ "Turnbull Clan Association". Turnbullclan.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
- ↑ "Name History - The Chieftain Clan O'Flaithbheartaigh Kings and Queens of Connemara {english variants:O'Flaherty, Lafferty}". Laffertyhistory.webs.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
- ↑ "Dixon Family Crest and History". Houseofnames.com. 2014-05-22. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
- ↑ Turing, Sara (2012). Alan M. Turing: Centenary Edition.
- ↑ "cornielje.org".
External links
The dictionary definition of fortis Fortuna adiuvat at Wiktionary