Translate Please
Michael Beatrice
On the back of the one dollar bill, there are words in latin (at least I
think they are Latin) around the eerie pyramid with the eye (which is
designated as part of the Great Seal of the United States). On the top
it reads ANNUIT COEPTIS, and below NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM. My uneducated
guess is that it says something about New Secure World Order, but if
somebody could let me know what it all really means, I would appreciate it.
For that matter, do any of you classics-folk know the history of the
Pyramid with the eye?
Dumdum. Orion P.
: On the back of the one dollar bill, there are words in latin (at least I
* * * * I have part of the answer . . . * * * * * * ** *
Actually, ANNUIT COEPTIS and NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
are phrases that come from the AENEID by Publius Vergilius Maro,
otherwise known as VERGIL or VIRGIL. NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
is Latin for NEW ORDER of the AGES, while ANNUIT COEPTIS means something
like "He has made the Undertaking." (I'm not so sure about that myself--
----> I read something on that several years ago!)
I don't know much about the Pyramid with the eye myself, but
I'll try finding that one out. . .
Just sharing the little that I know...
Orion Perez Dumdum (doom-doom)
IV BS Computer Science (dabbling in History, Anthropology, and CLASSICS!)
Ateneo de Manila University
Philippines
PS. The AENEID is the account of the adventures of the Trojan hero
AENEAS during the latter part of the ten year Trojan War. The story
includes his adventures that brought him to the Italian peninsula
and his dynastic line until Romulus and Remus who eventually founded
ROME.
PS/2 . . . (not the IBM model) I'll immediately send you new mail on the
ANNUIT COEPTIS phrase after I get the exact translation from the book I
read it from years ago. (Don't worry, it won't take long)
PS/3 . . I actually think that the original Old Latin phrase version of
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM is really "NOVUS ORDO SAECULORUM." At least
in the Roman Catholic church, the phrase "For ever, and ever" goes
"Saecula saeculorum." (Literally, AGES OF AGES)
David Turrell
chj...@wwa.com (Christopher Jones) wrote:
>Michael Beatrice (bea...@girtab.usc.edu) wrote:
>
[. . .]
>: On the back of the one dollar bill, there are words in latin (at least I
>"Novus ordo seclorum" is obvious; BTW is 'ordo' the only masculine noun
>of the 3rd declension that ends in -o?
Michael seemed to want a translation, and that would be "New Order of
the Ages". Note that it appears under MDCCLXXVI, which helps with the
context, i.e. in 1776 a new order of the ages began.
>: For that matter, do any of you classics-folk know the history of the
>: Pyramid with the eye?
>
>It is an ancient symbol for the eye of Providence, but I would love to
>read a better explanation, and the whole discussion placed in the FAQ
>under "Common Greek and Latin Phrases Explained and Translated".
The inclusion of an Eye of Providence in a Radiant Triangle in the seal
was suggested by Ben Franklin in 1776. It's an important Freemason's
symbol, but I don't know it's significance beyond that. For more you
might look at Thomson's "Remarks and Explanation" regarding the
symbolism of the US seal, which can be found in the Journals of the
Continental Congress, v. 22, pp. 339-340.
The official blazon, or heraldic description, of the reverse of the US
seal runs thusly:
REVERSE. A pyramid unfinished. In the zenith, an eye in a triangle,
surrounded with a glory proper. Over the eye these words, "Annuit
Coeptis." On the base of the pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI.
And underneath the following motto, "Novus Ordo Seclorum."
--
David Turrell dTh San Francisco
"We will refight the old wars, and again
the great Achilles will be sent to Troy." -Virgil
Martin Purdy
: * of the 3rd declension that ends in -o?
:
: Hey, that's kind of unfair. Not everyone who reads this group is required
: to know Latin! (Would that they were...) Anyway, it means "a new order of
: [the] centuries." Now what the hell does that mean?
:
Isn't "seclorum" a mis-spelling? I would have expected "saeculorum" at
least. My dictionary suggests that the "u" can be dropped in poetic forms,
and I take it the "e" instead of "ae" could be justified as a mediaeval
form. What is the source of the text on the greenbacks anyway?
Martin Purdy
-------------------------------------------
P.O. Box 1819, Wellington 6015, New Zealand
Fax: +64-4-384-8554
Internet: pur...@central.co.nz
Secretary, Royal Numismatic Society of NZ
P.O. Box 2023, Wellington 6015, New Zealand
-------------------------------------------
Christopher Jones
: On the back of the one dollar bill, there are words in latin (at least I
: think they are Latin) around the eerie pyramid with the eye (which is
: designated as part of the Great Seal of the United States). On the top
: it reads ANNUIT COEPTIS, and below NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM. My uneducated
: guess is that it says something about New Secure World Order, but if
: somebody could let me know what it all really means, I would appreciate it.
"Annuit coeptis" = "He has approved the undertaking"; the 'He' in this
case is God. It is from Vergil's Georgics I.40.
"Novus ordo seclorum" is obvious; BTW is 'ordo' the only masculine noun
of the 3rd declension that ends in -o?
: For that matter, do any of you classics-folk know the history of the
: Pyramid with the eye?
It is an ancient symbol for the eye of Providence, but I would love to
read a better explanation, and the whole discussion placed in the FAQ
under "Common Greek and Latin Phrases Explained and Translated".
--
chj...@wwa.com | "Nil admirari prope res est una, Numici,
Christopher Jones | solaque quae possit facere et servare beatum."
Chicago, IL | - Horace Epi. I.6
j-son
writes:
>Re: Translate Please
* "Novus ordo seclorum" is obvious; BTW is 'ordo' the only masculine noun
* of the 3rd declension that ends in -o?
Hey, that's kind of unfair. Not everyone who reads this group is required
to know Latin! (Would that they were...) Anyway, it means "a new order of
[the] centuries." Now what the hell does that mean?
As for the pyramid, my old roommate always tried to get me to read Tom
Robbins' "Still Life with Woodpecker." It sounded like a book replete
with urban legends, including one about how all of the U.S. Presidents
have been Freemasons or something, and the pyramid is one of their secret
symbols. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.
jason
jtib...@indiana.edu
http://silver.ucs.indiana.edu/~jtibbett
"That's always been the biggest problem with biology. There is simply no
way
to upgrade..." ã"Drake", ISCABBS (telnet to whip.isca.uiowa.edu)
Richard M. Alderson III
>"Novus ordo seclorum" is obvious; BTW is 'ordo' the only masculine noun of the
>3rd declension that ends in -o?
homo, hominis, comes to mind...
--
Rich Alderson You know the sort of thing that you can find in any dictionary
of a strange language, and which so excites the amateur philo-
logists, itching to derive one tongue from another that they
know better: a word that is nearly the same in form and meaning
as the corresponding word in English, or Latin, or Hebrew, or
what not.
--J. R. R. Tolkien,
alde...@netcom.com _The Notion Club Papers_
Richard M. Alderson III
FAQ, but a *pointer* to it (wherever it lives) is relevant.
*******************************************************************************
Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!netcomsv!decwrl!olivea!sgigate.sgi.com!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eff!linus!linus.mitre.org!bistromath.mitre.org!ptrei
From: pt...@bistromath.mitre.org (Peter Trei)
Newsgroups: sci.classics
Date: 10 Jan 1994 18:06:40 GMT
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
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Distribution: world
References: <2grppa$p...@balsam.unca.edu>
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In article <2grppa$p...@balsam.unca.edu> BTHU...@UNCA.EDU (BILL THURMAN)
writes:
>would not the iconography and terminology appearing on $1 note be derived from
>the import of this in the minds of the freemasons and other illuminati who
>have controlled much of the politics of usa 'since the beginning'? what? no
>subscribers to the 'new age' magazine of the scottish rite?
>b. b. of a.
Well, for the Shift key challenged among us, here's the whole FAQ, as amended:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a FAQ file on the symbolism of The Great Seal of the
United States, which appears on the back of the one dollar bill. This
emblem is frequently said to contain Masonic symbolism.
I am a Master Mason, and presiding Master of Wilder Lodge, in
Leominster, MA. I run the Masonic Digest mailing list (send me email
for information).
Peter Trei
pt...@mitre.org
Jan, 1993
---------------------------------------------
Great Seal FAQ, ver 2.0, Jan 1994
---------------------------------------------
* What do the Latin tags mean?
I recently posted this question to sci.classics, in an effort to get
a Latin scholar's viewpoint. I got several responses.
ANNUIT COEPTIS.
I wrote:
> My understanding is that this means something on the order of
>"He [God] has [approved|smiled|nodded] upon our [undertakings|work]."
ros...@cs.fit.edu (Alan Rosiene (Humanities)) responded:
>The translation is OK. You want the specific meaning of "adnuo" that
>refers to the gods, though: to grant their favor or support. The
>source is Virgil, Georgics 1.40: "audacibus adnue coeptis."
[I *think* "audacibus adnue coeptis" is roughly "Fortune favors the
brave". -pt]
pha...@quack.kfu.com (Paul Harvey) responded:
>Ref: _Amo, Amas, Amat and More_, Eugene Ehrlich, ISBN:0-06-091395-9, p.47:
>annuit coeptis
>He (God) has favored our undertaking
> This saying, from Virgil's Aeneid, appears on the reverse of the great
>seal of the United States, which can be seen by all but the most
>impecunious on the reverse of the United States one-dollar bill. By
>employing annuit coeptis in this way, we join many other countries in
>suggesting that God takes a special interest in particular societies.
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
me> Is this a classical reference?
bwa...@math.rutgers.edu (Bertram Walsh) responded:
>Yes, but it is not a verbatim quote. The reference is to the first
>few lines of Eclogue IV of Vergil, particularly to ll. 4-5:
>
> Ultima Cumaei venit jam carminis aetas;
> magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo.
>
>"Now has come the last age of the song of [the] Cumae[an Sibyl]:
> the great cycle of ages is born anew."
>
>This must have referred to the dawn of the Augustan age, but this was
>called the Messianic Eclogue by early Christians: it was thought that
>Virgil, like the Sibyls, might have been vouchsafed a prophecy of the
>dawning Christian era. I am translating the phrase "ordo saeclorum"
>as "cycle of ages" even though the "cycle" part is in the "saeculum"
>word, because that's what the whole phrase gets across.
>
>>What is the correctly nuanced translation, in Latin as used by
>>educated late 18th century Englishmen and Americans?
>
>Well, novus and ordo are in the nominative and saeclorum is in the
>genitive, so "A new cycle of ages" would be a possibility (you wanted
>the translation in English rather than Latin, right? 8-)). The re-
>ference to the Eclogue is so blatant that no one who had suffered
>through the classically based college, or even college-prep, education
>of that era could have missed it.
Paul Harvey (pha...@quack.kfu.com) wrote:
: Apparently, there are at least four ways to spell it [Ref: Cassell's],
: and assuming it is declined like bellum in the second declension:
: Nominative Singular Genitive Plural
: saeculum saeculorum
: seculum seculorum
: saeclum saeclorum
: seclum seclorum
:
: novus ordo seclorum
: new order of-the-ages
:
:Ref: _Amo, Amas, Amat and More_, Eugene Ehrlich, ISBN:0-06-091395-9, p.203:
:novus ordo seclorum
:a new order of the ages (is created)
Novus Ordo Seclorum thus means "A new order of the ages." When
the US was founded, the idea of a "new nation" was a novelty - other
countries claimed royal descent from antiquity. Even 87 years later,
the concept was alien enough to warrant mention in the Gettysburg
address.
Annuit Coeptis means 'God has favored our undertaking'.
* What's the significance of the pyramid with the eye on top?
As for Masonic content in the seal, it's minimal. Contrary to
popular belief, the seal was NOT designed by a Mason. While the
All-seeing Eye of God is a Masonic symbol, the pyramid is not, nor is
perching the eye on top of it. An eye in a triangle does appear on
the jewel of a Grand Master, but this is as close as we get.
An isolated eye as a symbol is not specifically Masonic; it's a
common emblem, used by many people in different contexts. For example,
Greek fishermen paint eyes on the prow of their boats. The most recent
time I saw an eye in a triangle on the outside of a building was on
the door of a Catholic church in Watertown, NY.
--------------------------------------------------
A brief history of the seal of the United States.
The first committee
On July 4, 1776, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams
were given the job of designing a seal for the United States. Pierre
Eugene Du Simitiere, a portrait painter with some knowledge of
heraldry, acted as a consultant, and is credited with introducing the
shield, 'E Pluribus Unum', and the eye of Providence in a triangle.
Franklin wanted an allegorical image of Moses parting the Red
Sea.
Jefferson wanted an image of the Children of Israel being led by
a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day on one side, and Hengst
and Horsa on the other.
Adams wanted an allegorical image of Hercules deciding between
Sloth and Virtue.
These three suggestions indicate their ignorance of heraldic
convention.
Du Simitiere wanted a shield with six sections representing
England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, France, and Germany, supported on
one side by the goddess of Liberty, and on the other by a buckskinned
Minuteman.
All of these suggestions were rejected by Congress in January
1777.
The second committee
The second committee was formed 3 years later, and consulted with
Francis Hopkinson, who had designed the American flag, some currency,
and seals for government departments. His proposal included white and
red stripes on a blue background for the shield, a radiant
constellation of 13 stars, and an olive branch.
Hopkinson also designed a 1778 50-dollar colonial note, which
included an unfinished 13 step pyramid.
The third committee
The third committee was formed May 4, 1782, when Secretary of
Congress Charles Thomason appointed William Barton as artist and
consultant. Barton came up with what is essentially the current form
of both sides.
His exegis of the reverse:
"The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration. The Eye over it &
the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of Providence
in favor of the American cause. The date underneath is that of
the Declaration of Independence and the words under it signify
the beginning of the new American Era, which commences from that
date."
'Annuit Coeptis' means "God has favored our undertakings".
Of the people involved, only Franklin is known for certain to
have been a Mason (though a strong case can be made for Jefferson).
The seal's reverse was never cut, and was not widely seen until
Roosevelt put it on the dollar bill in the mid-30's. (He apparently
linked "Novus Ordo Seclorum" with his New Deal).
I have been unable to determine if use of an eye in a triangle
on a Grand Masters jewel predates 1782.
[Most of this info is lifted from: "America's Secret Destiny", by
Robert Hieronimus (Destiny Books, 1989, ISBN 0-89281-255-9). This is
rather weird volume - the author has an obsessive interest in the
history of the seal, and wrote his doctoral thesis on the topic. His
history seems airtight, but he goes off into Never Never Land in
discussing the "mystical significance" of the seal. Information on the
source and correct translation of the Latin tags is from
sci.classics.]
Peter Trei
pt...@mitre.org
Master of Wilder Lodge,
Ancient Free & Accepted Masons
Leominster, MA
Disclaimer: I do not speak for my employer.
*******************************************************************************
Michael Beatrice
Wow! Thanks for all your help. I knew you folks could help me out.
David J. White
: In article <3vmjr3$2...@sake.wwa.com> chj...@wwa.com (Christopher Jones)
: writes:
: >"Novus ordo seclorum" is obvious; BTW is 'ordo' the only masculine noun of the
: >3rd declension that ends in -o?
: homo, hominis, comes to mind...
And, of course, masculine names, e.g. Cicero, Ciceronis; Nero, Neronis.
Also analogous names borrowed from Greek: Plato, Platonis.
But in general that's an interesting point: most third declension nouns
ending in -o *do* seem to be feminine, and seem mostly to follow the
pattern -o, -inis.
Carthago, Carthaginis, f. multitudo, multitudinis, f. (and a few other
words that follow this pattern). Interesting.
I think I might have seen instances of ordo used as a feminine noun as
well, but I can't cite them off hand. I might be imagining. I do know
that the Spanish descendant, orden, can be either masculine or feminine
but has a slightly different meaning in one gender than in the other.
David White
dwh...@mail.sas.upenn.edu
: --
Dumdum. Orion P.
ANNUIT COEPTIS means "He has favored our undertakings." "HE" in the
US SEAL context refers to GOD. The original AENEID version might refer
to Jupiter.
For the "Eye and pyramid," the eye is called the "EYE OF PROVIDENCE."
It is used as a symbol for "GOD." I really don't know the origin, but I
suspect that I'll find information about it in a MASONIC symbol dictionary.
(It seems to have been used by some Masonic lodges.) Anyway, the pyramid
is something I really don't know about. It seems to act as some sort of
pedestal for the "EYE." If you'll notice on the base of the Pyramid, you'll
see Roman numerals that stand for "1776" which is the year of Independence.
Just Sharing . . .
Orion Perez Dumdum (Pronounced Doom-doom)
IV BS Computer Science (dabbling in History, Linguistics, and this and that)
Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
David J. White
: OK, I now have the real translation for the ANNUIT COEPTIS phrase.
: ANNUIT COEPTIS means "He has favored our undertakings." "HE" in the
: US SEAL context refers to GOD. The original AENEID version might refer
: to Jupiter.
Sorry to be pendantic, but as others have pointed out, its *not* from the
Aeneid, it's from the Georgics---Georgics I.40, to be exact. And it does
*not* refer to Jupiter, it refers to the Emperor Augustus--whose
anticipated deification is predicted in the passage leading up to this.
It was standard practice to open a didactic poem (such as the Georgics)
with an invocation to the gods and an acknowledgement of the patron to
whom the work was dedicated. Here Vergil has, in essence, combined the two.
: For the "Eye and pyramid," the eye is called the "EYE OF PROVIDENCE."
: It is used as a symbol for "GOD." I really don't know the origin, but I
: suspect that I'll find information about it in a MASONIC symbol dictionary.
: (It seems to have been used by some Masonic lodges.) Anyway, the pyramid
: is something I really don't know about. It seems to act as some sort of
: pedestal for the "EYE." If you'll notice on the base of the Pyramid, you'll
: see Roman numerals that stand for "1776" which is the year of Independence.
The triangle is a traditional Trinitarian symbol for God. Also, in the
context of the seal, the triangle containing the eye seems to supply the
missing top of the 13-step pyramid--which suggests that the new nation
would not be complete without the guidance of Divine Providence (which is
of course a fancy Deist way of saying "God").
David White
dwh...@mail.sas.upenn.edu
: Just Sharing . . .
:
Christopher Jones
: Richard M. Alderson III (alde...@netcom.com) wrote:
: : In article <3vmjr3$2...@sake.wwa.com> chj...@wwa.com (Christopher Jones)
: : writes:
: : >"Novus ordo seclorum" is obvious; BTW is 'ordo' the only masculine noun of the
: : >3rd declension that ends in -o?
: : homo, hominis, comes to mind...
: And, of course, masculine names, e.g. Cicero, Ciceronis; Nero, Neronis.
: Also analogous names borrowed from Greek: Plato, Platonis.
I should have been clear in excluding nouns that refer to masculine items.
: But in general that's an interesting point: most third declension nouns
: ending in -o *do* seem to be feminine, and seem mostly to follow the
: pattern -o, -inis.
Long ago, I learned a rule for guessing the gender of 3rd declension
nouns: ERROR, SOX, and LANCET:
1. Endings in -er, -or are masculine
2. Endings in -s, -o, -x are feminine
3. Endings in -l, -a, -n, -c, -e, -t are neuter
Yes, there are plenty of exceptions (ordo, genus, and apex spring to
mind), but as a rough rule...