Knowledge of Rome: Virgil - Fortune Favors the Bold

Virgil, one of ancient Rome's most revered poets, is often associated with the phrase "Fortune favors the bold" (Latin: *audentes Fortuna iuvat* or *Fortes Fortuna adiuvat*), an idea rooted deeply in Roman culture. Though Virgil himself did not invent this phrase, it reflects the themes he explored in his works, especially in the *Aeneid*, his epic masterpiece that glorifies Roman values and destiny.

In the *Aeneid*, Virgil tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who, guided by fate and the gods, overcomes great obstacles to reach Italy, where his descendants would eventually found Rome. This story mirrors the phrase "Fortune favors the bold," as Aeneas embodies Roman virtues of courage, duty, and resilience, often needing boldness to fulfill his divine mission. Though the specific phrase appears in other classical sources, such as in the writings of Terence and even later in Pliny the Elder's *Natural History*, the sentiment was highly regarded in Rome, where bravery and a fearless embrace of destiny were essential qualities.

Virgil’s work became a foundation of Roman identity, especially under the reign of Augustus, who promoted the *Aeneid* as a testament to Rome’s divine right to rule and its exceptional destiny. In Rome, the ideal that "fortune favors the bold" was more than a motto; it was a cultural ethos that encouraged leaders and citizens alike to embrace risk and heroism, and Virgil’s *Aeneid* immortalized this philosophy in Roman literature.