fortis Fortuna adiuvat

== Latin == === Alternative forms === fortēs Fortūna adiuvat (Pliny Epistles 6 16) audentīs Fortūna iuvat (Virgil Aeneid 10 284) audentēs deus epse iuvat (Ovid Metamorphoses 10 586) === Etymology === Literally "(the) strong (ones), Fortune helps." From Terence's comedy play Phormio, line 203, dating to 161 BCE. Cited by Cicero in the 1st century BCE as a vetus prōverbium (“old proverb”). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈfɔr.tiːs fɔrˈtuː.na ˈad.jʊ.wat] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈfɔr.tis forˈtuː.na ˈad.ju.vat] === Proverb === fortīs Fortūna adiuvat fortune favors the bold ==== Usage notes ==== Often misquoted in English texts as fortēs Fortūna juvat, which uses the accusative plural ending -ēs instead of the accusative ending -īs. Although grammatically correct, the form ending in -ēs is not the one used in Terence's play. ==== Descendants ==== → English: fortune favors the bold (calque)