A Place of Brightness: Latin Quotes Worth Knowing: Each One is the Craftsman of Their Own Fortune

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Latin Quotes Worth Knowing: Each One is the Craftsman of Their Own Fortune

As we approach the beginning of the New Year 2020, I will highlight a few important quotes particularly significant for positive resolutions in the upcoming year.

We begin with 4th century BCE Roman statesman Appius Claudius Caecus.

The historian Sallust, in a letter to Caesar, preserves the quote for us from lost works of Appius:

Appius ait, "Fabrum esse suae quemque fortunae."
Appius says (that) "Each one is the craftsman of their own fortune."

In grammatical form, this is an indirect statement construction. The quote itself can be normalized into the following:

Faber est suae quisque fortunae.
Each one is the craftsman of their own fortune.

Appius Claudius Caecus himself is a fascinating character. He is the first ancient Roman whose life can convincingly be tracked historically. He is called "Caecus" (blind) because he reported lost his sight due to a curse.

Regardless, good advice to all of us milennia later to take responsibility for our own destinies and work to achieve our goals.

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