Saturday, June 19, 2004
Dare To Be Wise
The Latin expression 'carpe diem' ('seize the day', from Horace, Odes 1.11.8) is familiar even to those without Latin. If you're looking for another simple Latin phrase to learn, I recommend 'sapere aude' ('dare to be wise', also from Horace, Epistles 1.2.40). The imperative 'aude' means 'dare' (cf. 'audacious'), and the infinitive 'sapere' means
'to be wise' (cf. 'homo sapiens' = 'wise man', an optimistic description if there ever was one).
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'to be wise' (cf. 'homo sapiens' = 'wise man', an optimistic description if there ever was one).