Fortune favours the bold

Salvator Rosa's 1658 painting Allegory of Fortune shows Fortuna, the Goddess of luck, as an allegory of Fortune

"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 Anglo-Saxon world, and it is used up to the present in the US Army and on the coats 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

These Proverbs in turn descended from Fortes fortuna adiuvat. (literally: "fortune favours the strong") used in Terence's comedy play Phormio, line 203.[3]

Pliny the Younger quotes his uncle,[4] Pliny the Elder as using the phrase when deciding to take his fleet and investigate the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79, in the hope of helping his friend Pompianus. "‘Fortes’ inquit ‘fortuna iuvat: Pomponianum pete.’" “'Fortune', he said, 'favours the brave: head for Pomponianus.'”.[5] The expedition cost the elder Pliny his life.

Historical examples

Denmark

The quote "Fortes Fortuna Juvat" is used by the Jydske Dragonregiment, or Jutish Dragoon Regiment, in the Royal Danish Army.[6]

United Kingdom & Ireland

It is used as the motto for the British Army's Yorkshire Regiment having been previously used by one of the Yorkshire's antecedent regiments, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding [33rd/76th Foot]).[7]

The Latin version Audentes Fortuna Juvat is the motto of Clan MacKinnon and features on the clan crest.[8]

It is the motto for Clan Turnbull.[9]

It is used as the motto for the O'Flaherty family in Ireland and is also used on their coat of arms.[10]

This is used as the motto for the Dickson family and is presented on their family crest.[11]

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.

The phrase was used as the motto of the Royal Air Force station based at East Fortune, in East Lothian. The base was operational in the First World War and between 1940 and 1947.[12]

It is the motto of the Ulster Loyalist terrorist group the Orange Volunteers.

United States

It is the official motto of the United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 1982, which has produced more Coast Guard flag officers than any other class that graduated from the Academy.

The motto "Fortes Fortuna Juvat" appears on the gates of Honor Hill at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where U.S. Army infantrymen ceremoniously receive the iconic cross rifle 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.[13]

The motto is used by the 366th Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force and appears on the wing patch. The motto is also used by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 3rd Field Investigation Region, Detachment 327, Little Rock Air Force Base.

It's also the unit motto for 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, stationed out of MCBH.

Netherlands

The motto is used by the Cornielje family of The Netherlands alongside their coat of arms.[14]

South Korea

Motto used by the 80th Fighter Squadron stationed at Kunsan AB, Republic of South Korea.

See also


References

  1. ↑ "audentes fortuna juvat". www.merriam-webster.com. Merriam Webster. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  2. ↑ Aeneid 10.344
  3. ↑ "Latin Texts & Translations". www.perseus.uchicago.edu (in Latin). The ARTFL Project. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Letters, Book 6, Letter 16
  5. ↑ https://quemdixerechaos.com/2013/01/01/translatingplinypt6/
  6. ↑ "Hæren Jydske Dragonregiment". www.forsvaret.dk/ (in Danish). Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  7. ↑ "The British Army - About the Regiment". www.army.mod.uk. The British Army. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "Clan MacKinnon Society". Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  9. ↑ "Turnbull Clan Association". Turnbullclan.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  10. ↑ "Name History - The Chieftain Clan O'Flaithbheartaigh Kings and Queens of Connemara {english variants:O'Flaherty, Lafferty}". Laffertyhistory.webs.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  11. ↑ "Dixon Family Crest and History". Houseofnames.com. 2014-05-22. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  12. ↑ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1st publish. ed.). London [u.a.]: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 86. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  13. ↑ Turing, Sara (2012). Alan M. Turing: Centenary Edition.
  14. ↑ "cornielje.org".
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