Et facere et pati fortia Romanum est

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Et facere et pati fortia Romanum est is a Latin phrase meaning "It is the attribute of a Roman to perform as well as to suffer mighty things." Its comes from Livy's Ab urbe condita 2, 12, 9.

Origin[edit]

According to legend, a certain Mucius Cordus attempted to kill the Etruscan king Lars Porsena, who was besieging Rome. When the Etruscans caught him, he said “Romanus sum civis” (I am a Roman citizen) and continued with "et facere et pati fortia Romanum est". To prove his point, he held his right hand without flinching in a fire that the king had ordered to torture him. Porsena was so impressed by this, that he gave up the besiegement of Rome.^[1]

In this way Mucius Cordus became an example for a brave and audacious Roman burgess. He is assumed to have got his byname “Scaevola” ("The “left-hand”) because of his act.

Cicero was later famously to use the phrase civis romanus sum in a different context.

References[edit]

• Page 641 (German)
• Page 168, 3,5 (German)