Inveniam viam
Encyclopedia
"Aut inveniam viam aut faciam" (or "Aut viam inveniam aut faciam") is Latin
for "I shall either find a way or make one."
The phrase has been attributed to Hannibal; when his generals told him it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant
, this was supposedly his response. However, Hannibal would have spoken in Punic, not Latin. The first part of the sentence, "inveniam viam", "I shall find a way," also appears in other contexts in the tragedies of Seneca
, spoken by Hercules
and by Oedipus
, and in Seneca's Hercules Furens (Act II, Scene 1, line 276) the whole sentence appears, in third person
: "inveniet viam, aut faciet."
It has also been frequently used as a motto; for instance, it was used in this way by Francis Bacon
, and is now used in this way by the S.T.E.M. Academy at University High School in Orange City, Florida and Holton-Arms School
in Bethesda, Maryland
, by Chigwell School
in Essex
, England
, by York House School
in Hertfordshire
, England,, by Swansea Medical School RFC in Swansea, Wales and by Combat Logistics Battalion 24
in the United States Marine Corps
. A painting in the National Portrait Gallery, likely of Sir Philip Sidney, is adorned with this phrase.
In The Dunciad
, Alexander Pope
writes of John Henley
that he "turned his rhetoric to buffoonry" by handing out medallions engraved with this motto.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "I shall either find a way or make one."
The phrase has been attributed to Hannibal; when his generals told him it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
, this was supposedly his response. However, Hannibal would have spoken in Punic, not Latin. The first part of the sentence, "inveniam viam", "I shall find a way," also appears in other contexts in the tragedies of Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
, spoken by Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
and by Oedipus
Oedipus
Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. He fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, and thus brought disaster on his city and family...
, and in Seneca's Hercules Furens (Act II, Scene 1, line 276) the whole sentence appears, in third person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
: "inveniet viam, aut faciet."
It has also been frequently used as a motto; for instance, it was used in this way by Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, and is now used in this way by the S.T.E.M. Academy at University High School in Orange City, Florida and Holton-Arms School
Holton-Arms School
Holton-Arms is an independent college-preparatory school for girls in grades 3–12, located in Bethesda, Maryland. The School's mission is to cultivate the unique potential of young women through the “education not only of the mind, but of the soul and spirit.” Holton-Arms is an independent...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, by Chigwell School
Chigwell School
Chigwell School is an English co-educational independent school/public school in Chigwell, in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It was founded in 1629 by Samuel Harsnett, a former Archbishop of York . There are around 730 pupils aged between 7 and 18 years...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, by York House School
York House School (Redheath)
York House School is an independent preparatory school for boys aged from 4 to 13 years of age. The school is located in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire in an eighteenth-century mansion. The school motto is "Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam", which is Latin for "Either I shall find a way or I shall make...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England,, by Swansea Medical School RFC in Swansea, Wales and by Combat Logistics Battalion 24
Combat Logistics Battalion 24
Combat Logistics Battalion 24 is a logistics battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are part of Combat Logistics Regiment 27 and the 2nd Marine Logistics Group...
in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. A painting in the National Portrait Gallery, likely of Sir Philip Sidney, is adorned with this phrase.
In The Dunciad
The Dunciad
The Dunciad is a landmark literary satire by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times. The first version was published in 1728 anonymously. The second version, the Dunciad Variorum was published anonymously in 1729. The New Dunciad, in four books and with a...
, Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
writes of John Henley
John Henley
John Henley , English clergyman, commonly known as 'Orator Henley', and one of the first entertainers and a precursor to the talk show hosts of today.The son of a vicar, John Henley was born in Melton Mowbray...
that he "turned his rhetoric to buffoonry" by handing out medallions engraved with this motto.