"Fortune favours the bold", "Fortune favours the brave" and "Fortune favours the strong" are common translations of a Latin proverb. The slogan has been used historically by people in the military in the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in different sources vary, ...

, and it is used up to the present 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 but effectively identical meaning, such as la,

audentes Fortuna iuvat }. Name of episode 1 in season 3 of '' Berlin Station''. , - , ''aut cum scuto aut in scuto'', , either with shield or on shield, , Or, "do or die" or "no retreat". A Greek expression («Ἢ τὰν ἢ ἐπὶ τᾶς») that Spartan mothers sa ...

, label=none, ''audentes Fortuna adiuvat'', ''Fortuna audaces iuvat'', and ''audentis Fortuna iuvat''. This last form is used by

Turnus Turnus ( grc, Τυρρηνός, Tyrrhênós) was the legendary King of the Rutuli in Roman history, and the chief antagonist of the hero Aeneas in Virgil's ''Aeneid''. According to the ''Aeneid'', Turnus is the son of Daunus and the nymph Ven ...

, an antagonist in the ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the ...

'' by Virgil. ''Fortuna'' refers to luck or its personification, a Roman goddess. Another version of the proverb, la, fortes Fortuna adiuvat , label=none , translation=fortune favours the strong/brave, was used in Terence's 151 BC comedy play '' Phormio'', line 203. Ovid further parodies the phrase at I.608 of his didactic work,

Ars Amatoria The ''Ars amatoria'' ( en, The Art of Love) is an instructional elegy series in three books by the ancient Roman poet Ovid. It was written in 2 AD. Background Book one of ''Ars amatoria'' was written to show a man how to find a woman. In book t ...

, writing "audentem Forsque Venusque iuvat" or "Venus, like Fortune, favors the bold." Pliny the Younger quotes his uncle, Pliny the Elder, as using the phrase la, Fortes fortuna iuvat, label=none when deciding to take his fleet and investigate the

eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 Of the many eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, a major stratovolcano in southern Italy, the best-known is its eruption in 79 AD, which was one of the deadliest in European history. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD is one of the best-known in h ...

, in the hope of helping his friend

Pomponianus Pomponianus was a Roman Senator who was present at Stabiae during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. He attempted to escape by ship, but was stuck on shore because the prevailing wind was not favorable. His personal friend, the noted author ...

: ''Fortes' inquit 'fortuna iuvat: Pomponianum pete.'' (Fortune', he said, 'favours the brave: head for Pomponianus.) Pliny the Elder ultimately died during the expedition. The Latin phrase ''Fortuna Eruditis Favet'' ("fortune favours the prepared mind") is also used. Louis Pasteur, the French microbiologist and chemist, made this remark: "''Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés''", meaning "In the fields of observation, chance favours only the prepared mind." The proverb may be a rewording of a line by

Democritus Democritus (; el, Δημόκριτος, ''Dēmókritos'', meaning "chosen of the people"; – ) was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Abdera, primarily remembered today for his formulation of an atomic theory of the universe. N ...

that "boldness is the beginning of action, but fortune controls how it ends" ( grc, Τόλμα πρήξιος αρχή, τύχη δε τέλεος κυρίη, Tólma préxios arché, túche de téleos kuríe).

Historical examples

Poland

The motto is used by the 6th Airborne Brigade (Poland).

Australia

'Virtutis Fortuna Comes' (Fortune is the companion of virtue) is the Unit motto of the

12th/16th Hunter River Lancers The 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers is an Australian Army Reserve cavalry regiment. It was formed on 1 May 1948, although it draws its lineage from units that were originally formed in the 1880s. It is currently a Light Cavalry unit equipped with ...

; an Army Reserve unit based in Northern New South Wales (The Hunter River region, hence the name) and South-East Queensland.

Brazil

The motto for the

GRUMEC The Combat Divers Groupment ( pt, Grupamento de Mergulhadores de Combate), abbreviated to GRUMEC, is a special operations and Counterterrorism unit of the Brazilian Navy. The GRUMEC was created in 1974 and is subordinate to the Submarine Force, ...

(Brazilian navy's special group) is "''Fortuna Audaces Sequitur" (Fortune follows the brave – A sorte acompanha os audazes).''

Denmark

The quote "''Fortes Fortuna Juvat'' is used by the

Jydske Dragonregiment ( Fortune Favours the Brave) , colours = , colours_label = , march = ''Danmarks Blå Dragoner'' (Denmark's Blue Dragoons) , mascot = , anniversaries = Formation (1 November 1679) The Rytterfægtning by Rosengarten (12 Oktober 1813) Battle of ...

, or Jutish Dragoon Regiment, in the Royal Danish Army.

Italy

The quote "''Audentes fortuna iuvat'' appears in the University of Milano Bicocca logo.

Malaysia

"''Fortuna Eruditis Favet'' is the motto of

Sunway University Sunway University is a private university in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It has a 10 hectare (24 acre) campus comprising academic and residential blocks adjacent to the Sunway Lagoon theme park. It offers undergradua ...

and

Sunway College Sunway College is a private college based in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It was established on 25 July 1987 by Jeffrey Cheah. It has a 10-hectare (24 acre) campus comprising academic and residential blocks adjacent to the ...

Netherlands

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

Portugal

The motto for the Portuguese Commandos is "''Audaces Fortuna Juvat'' (''A sorte protege os Audazes'').

Romania

"audaces fortuna juvat" is the motto of the Naval Special Operations Forces known as FNOS or GNFOS.

South Korea

Motto used by the

80th Fighter Squadron The 80th Fighter Squadron (traditionally nicknamed the "Headhunters", and since 1971 also the "Juvats") is a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 8th Operations Group of ...

stationed at Kunsan AB, Republic of South Korea.

Sri Lanka

The Motto is used by the

Special Boat Squadron (Sri Lanka) The Special Boat Squadron (abbreviated as SBS) ( si, විශේෂ යාත්‍රා බලගණය, Viṣēśa Yāthrā Balagaṇaya; ta, சிறப்பு படகு படை, Ciṟappu Paṭaku Paṭai) is the Sri Lanka Navy' ...

United Kingdom

Because it was the motto of the Duke of Wellington, Earl of Mornington, ''Virtutis Fortuna Comes'' 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 3rd/76th Foot. It is also the motto for Wellington College, Berkshire. A number of armigerous families use this motto, often featured on their coats of arms; these families include

Clan MacKinnon Clan MacKinnon ( gd, Clann MhicFhionghain ) is a Highland Scottish clan from the islands of Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides. Popular tradition gives the clan a Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th-century historian W. F. Skene named the clan ...

Clan Turnbull Clan Turnbull is an armigerous Scottish clan. Origins of the name A legendary account of the '' Turnbull'' name was told by Hector Boece, in his ''History of Scotland''. Boece tells the legend that during the Wars of Scottish Independence ...

, and several Dickson families, including a number resident in

Forfarshire Angus ( sco, Angus; gd, Aonghas) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross. Main industries include agr ...

, and the Dickson Barons Islington. 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. It is the motto of the football club

Linfield F.C. Linfield Football Club is a Northern Irish professional football club based in south Belfast which plays in the NIFL Premiership – the highest level of the Northern Ireland Football League. The fourth-oldest club on the island of Ireland, Li ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

. It is also the motto of Liverpool John Moores University. The Latin equivalent "''Fortuna audentes juvat'' is used as the motto for the Turing family, dating back to 1316 AD.

Ireland

The O'Flaherty clan has historically used the phrase ''"Fortuna Favet Fortibus"'' as a motto. The

O'Keeffe O'Keeffe ( ga, Ó Caoimh), also O'Keefe, Keef, Keefe, Keeffe, Keifer or Keever is the name of an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Cork, particularly around Fermoy and Duhallow. The name comes from ''caomh'', m ...

family motto is “Forti et fideli nihil difficile” which translates as “For the brave and faithful, nothing is difficult”. The Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, also shared the motto "Virtutis Fortuna Comes".

United States

As "''Fortes Fortuna Juvat'' it appears on the crest of the

3rd Marine Regiment The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment is a regiment of the United States Marine Corps that is optimized for littoral maneuver in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the regiment falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Divisi ...

at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. It is on the seal of the

Joint Maritime Training Center The Joint Maritime Training Center (JMTC), also known as the Special Missions Training Center (SMTC), is a joint United States Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps training facility located on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. JMTC's mission is to pr ...

, known in the United States Coast Guard as the Special Missions Training Center. It is the official motto of the United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 1982. "''Fortuna Favet Fortibus'' ("Fortune favors the brave") is the official motto of the United States Naval Academy Classes of 1985, 2004, and 2012. "Audaces Fortuna Juvat" is the official motto of the United States Naval Academy Class of 1992. The motto "''Fortes Fortuna Juvat'' appears on the gates of Honor Hill at Ft. Benning, Georgia. It has been the motto of several United States Navy ships: * USNS ''Carl Brashear'' (T-AKE-7). The motto appears on the ship's insignia. * USS ''La Jolla'' (SSN-701) * , after her conversion from an SSBN to a

SSGN A cruise missile submarine is a submarine that carries and launches cruise missiles ( SLCMs and anti-ship missiles) as its primary armament. Missiles greatly enhance a vessel's ability to attack surface combatants and strike land targets, and al ...

. * * 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 The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is a U.S. federal law enforcement agency that reports directly to the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI is also a U.S. Air Force field operating agency under the administrativ ...

, 3rd Field Investigation Region, Detachment 327, Little Rock Air Force Base. "''Audentes Fortuna Juvat'' is the motto of the

(The Headhunters) stationed out of Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. It is the unit motto for

2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors. The battalion fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Reg ...

, stationed out of

Marine Corps Base Hawaii Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County ...

. It is the unit motto for

3rd Battalion, 8th Marines 3rd Battalion 8th Marines (3/8) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, consisting of approximately 1,100 Marines and Sailors. The battalion fell under the command o ...

, stationed out of Marine Corps Camp Lejeune, NC. The motto is also used on the

Seattle Police Department The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, United States, except for the campus of the University of Washington, which is under the responsibility of its own police departmen ...

SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

unit patch. It is the squadron motto for US Navy Growler Squadron VAQ-209, stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, WA. "''Fortuna favet audaci'' is the motto of Trumbull College of Yale University. During the American Civil War, the Confederate States of America Army's 7th Alabama Cavalry displayed "Fortuna Favet Fortibus" on its flag. In 2021, Matt Damon appeared in an advertisement for Crypto.com encouraging investors using the proverb as a slogan. The advertisement was widely criticized, and it was frequently satirized by the animated series ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand their ...

'', beginning in its twenty-fifth season.

In popular culture

In the movies John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2, the title character bears a tattoo across his upper back reading "FORTIS FORTUNA ADIUVAT".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fortune Favours The Bold Latin proverbs Fortuna