Latin Worth Knowing: Nulla Dies Sine Linea - No Day Without a Line

I learned this quote from a dear man, David McCarthy, PhD, who taught me Syriac at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He died before the world was ready for him to pass, but that is too often the way of the world.

The quote comes to us from Pliny the Elder, who translates it from the Greek of the artist Apeles:

Nulla dies sine linea 
Not a day without a line
Apeles, Greek painter, quoted by Pliny, Natural History 35.36

The artist Apeles means this to refer only to art. An artist should not let a single day pass without drawing something, even a single line on the medium.

But Dr. McCarthy cast a wonderful secondary sense upon it. Those of you who love languages, who love Scripture, who love learning of any topic whatsoever--never let a day pass without a line. 

A line, a single line of text in that language you want to keep in your heart. A line of Scripture, open the Bible and read just a bit of what you see. Whatever it is you want to keep strong in ability, do just even a little bit of it every day.

Who am I to tell you all this? A shameful hypocrite. I haven't read so much as a line of the Syriac Dr. McCarthy taught me in--no more lying--years.

[Five Minutes Later]

I've just remedied that. I just read Matthew 1:1 in Syriac. 

In other words, I've just read a line. Tomorrow is another day.

Requiescas in pace, David. Memory Eternal. May you be in a Place of Brightness, a Place of Verdure, a Place of Repose.

I promise you, David, tomorrow, I will read another line...

________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

________________________________________________________________

 

Persistence and Practice: the Keys to Success

I'm going to admit that I'm a bit annoyed when people find out I'm a polyglot and sometimes say, "You must have a gift for languages!" 

It annoys me because I know that every language I speak (except my native English) came from thousands of hours writing out and studying vocabulary cards, memorizing dialogues, and practicing with natives every chance I got. 

If I had a "gift" for languages, I wouldn't have needed to study a card twenty times before I finally could use that word in a conversation effectively!

But I eventually learned those words because I put in those long hours of study.

What I have a "gift" for is persistence and patience in practicing those things I want to master.

The ancients knew what we even today express through the saying "Practice Makes Perfect."

But while it is true that "Practice Makes Perfect," the key to success is making sure that the practice we do is regular and persistent.

One of the clearest ancient statements of this concept comes

from Cicero (Pro Balbo 45):

Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit.
Constant practice given to one matter often conquers both genius and art.

In other words, there probably are people with an "ingenium" for languages. I wish I were one of them! But the person who studies hard and long to learn a language could easily surpass such a talent, if that talented person does nothing with it.

Ovid expresses the same concept when he writes (Pontica 4.10.5)

Gutta cavat lapidem.
The drop (of water) excavates the stone.

One drop of water seems to do nothing when it falls on a rock. But we've all seen holes in stone carved out by drops in the million. Again, I can't personally learn a word the first time I see or hear it. And that's why I keep seeing and hearing it until I finally know it well.

As a Latin proverb also points out:

Mater studiorum repetitio est.
Repetition is the mother of learning.

And it has been my experience that effective repetition doesn't have to mean necessarily studying or practicing a skill for dozens of hours in a row. Regular practice for even a short period of time can be more helpful than sporadic attention for lengthy periods of time. 

This fact is well described by the Greek painter Apeles (quoted by Pliny, Natural History 35.36):

Nulla dies sine linea.
No day without a line.

He's saying that, as an artist, even drawing one line on a picture each day is better than nothing, and crucial to long-term growth in whatever skill or talent you wish to achieve.

There are some nice modern statements of this ancient wisdom regarding regular practice and persistence. Note, for instance, a quote attributed to Bruce Lee:

"I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once. I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times."

Another painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, wrote (Discourses, ii):

If you have great talents, industry will improve them; if you have but moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiency.

Similarly, the French scientist Georges Louis Buffon:

Le génie n’est autre chose qu’une grand aptitude à la patience.
Genius is nothing else than a great aptitude for patience.

So whatever we want, be it a new talent or to speak a new language, persistent practice promises us success. 

Be patient, be persistent. Practice, practice, practice...  Make it so.

Good luck, and God bless...

________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

________________________________________________________________