phrase
also: Roman History
also: Philosophy & Psychology
Fortune Favors the Bold
Risk-takers get the rewards — the warrior's proverb, borrowed from Latin.
Origin
*Audentes fortuna iuvat* in Virgil's *Aeneid* (29–19 BCE), spoken by Turnus before battle. The exact phrasing was a soldier's catchphrase in Roman culture, has been the motto of countless military units, and was famously the last words of Pliny the Elder before he sailed toward Vesuvius (and died). The English form is fixed by the 16th century.
Modern usage
The startup founder's favorite proverb, the venture capitalist's tattoo, and the standard motivational opener for any 'just go for it' speech. The exact counterargument to [[a-bird-in-the-hand-is-worth-two-in-the-bush]]; both proverbs are deployed depending on which decision the speaker already wants to defend.
In the wild
Audentes fortuna iuvat.— Virgil, Aeneid, 29–19 BCE
Tags
courage
risk
latin
proverb