Esto perpetua

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Great Seal of Idaho with the state motto esto perpetua."
Great Seal of Idaho with the state motto esto perpetua."

Esto perpetua (Latin "Let it be perpetual") is the state motto of Idaho. It was also adopted by the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, a farm organization constituted in Washington D.C. on December 4, 1867.

The words are traced back to the Venetian theologian and mathematician Paolo Sarpi (1522-1623), also known as Fra Paolo. The day before his death he had dictated three replies to questions on affairs of state, and his last words were "Esto perpetua" reportedly in reference to his beloved Venice and translated as "Mayest thou endure forever!" When the designer of the state seal Emma Edwards Green described the motto on the seal, she translated it as "It is perpetuated" or "It is forever".

[edit] See also

  • Esto Perpetua Award