Sunday, November 3, 2019

Hercules

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Percy Jackson Lightning Theif

Percy Jackson Lightning Theif: By Andrew Rich


In the series, Percy Jackson starts out as a normal kid with HDHD and disciplinary issues until one day he learns that he is a demigod (half-god, half-human).  He is taken to camp half-blood to learn about his heritage and get caught up with the hidden world.  He was given the name Percy after the greek hero and founder of Mycenae Perseus.  I think that while it is obviously unrealistic for this time, the way that they incorporate the myths into modern society is well done.  I also think that they create a good balance of ancient myth and recent fabrication to create a novel where you are able to see into both worlds through one set of eyes.

Andrew Rich

Source:
Benjamin Rich

Friday, November 1, 2019

Poseidon (Satellite)

Poseidon: By Ethan Weinger


Poseidon is a satellite mission that was launched on August 10, 1992. It was named after the Greek God Poseidon, as it was an ocean mission, so it made sense naming it after a God of the ocean. It became the first big oceanographic research satellite, and I believe it could be one of the most important satellite missions of all time. It has completely changed how scientists see the ocean and could be the greatest ocean test of all time. It helped scientists be able to measure sea levels, measure the sea temperature, and have helped them understand what is causing global climate change. Poseidon's data has been used by 2,1000 research publications. Overall, the Poseidon helped do the impossible and has a serious case for being one of the most crucial satellite missions of all time.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOPEX/Poseidon

Ethan Weinger

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Moons of Jupiter

The moons of Jupiter are named after the Roman god's many lovers and descendants, the most notable of which are Metis and Thebe. Metis is the second smallest of the four inner satellites, and is the innermost moon. The mythology Metis is, or was, Jupiter's first wife. She had become pregnant with Minerva, and Jupiter, upon hearing that her child might overthrow him, swallowed her whole. Metis gave birth from within Jupiter's head, and when another god stuck his head, Minerva leapt out with a mighty battle cry.

The moon Thebe is fourth from Jupiter, and is the second largest of the four inner satellites. Mythological Thebe's relationship to Jupiter is very foggy. In some myths, she was raped by Jupiter while trying to help him. He had disguised himself as a wounded swan, and when he was in her arms he turned back and raped her. In some others she is merely his daughter.

The reason as to why Jupiter's moons are named after the Roman god's lovers and descendants are quite obvious, the idea is that Jupiter's "lovers" are always watching him. With how he raped, killed, and betrayed most of his lovers, I doubt they would want anything to do with him. Nonetheless, I do think that the idea to name Jupiter's moons after them was a good idea for humors sake, and there really isn't a more appropriate name.


Image result for moons of jupiter inner satellites


Rivers Glover

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thebe_(Greek_myth)
https://www.greekmythology.com/Titans/Metis/metis.html
https://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheThebe.html

Venus Razors






Venus Razors

             Even in the modern world, Greek/Roman mythology is seen everywhere in places you would least expect it. Roman/Greek mythology is seen in brands, movies, shows, books, etc. One brand where mythology is shown is Venus Razors. Venus is a Roman goddess known for love, desire, beauty, and fertility. In Greek mythology, Venus is known as Aphrodite, but Venus has more abilities than Aphrodite had. One thing Venus is was known for was her natural beauty so she was frequently seen naked in a lot of artwork and sculptures. The sub-brand Venus Razors that sells razors and shaving cream was founded in 2001. Venus razors are part of a larger brand called Gillette that sells razors for men, while Venus is specifically for women. I believe this is a good name for the brand for many reasons. One being the brand's slogan is "my skin. my way". The goddess Venus was known for showing a lot of skin for natural beauty, and one thing this brand is about is showing your natural beauty and feeling good in your skin. Another reason why I believe this brand was given an appropriate name is how you can custom a razor to your body. With Gilette's brand, the razors come in one shape that's not meant for different bodies. Venus razors are specially made for women's bodies to "hug the curves in all the right places" as their website states. These are all reasons Venus was a perfect name choice for the women's razor brand.

-Samantha Ward

Image result for venus gillette
https://www.gillettevenus.com/en-us/
https://www.ancient.eu/venus/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_(mythology)
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/business/media/21adco.html


Trident Gum

Trident Gum is a brand of sugar-free gum currently sold and chewed around the world. Invented in 1964, this brand shares its name with the ancient Roman weapon, the trident. The three-pronged instrument, derived from Latin and meaning three teeth, was primarily used by the Roman god Neptune and his Greek counterpart, Poseidon. Posiedon and Neptune were the gods of the sea in each of their respective cultures and this weapon was often associated with the sea and the ocean. The Trident was thought to be forged by cyclops and an earthquake-maker. Quite honestly, this legendary weapon has nothing to do with anything as mundane as chewing gum. I can see where they were going with the name. Trident gum has a triangle as its logo, thus the "tri" part of the name, and the "dent" means teeth and its a product used for teeth cleaning, but it’s a stretch. A legendary earthshaker doesn’t belong on a cheap, disposable product. It's not a representation of what that name represents, and therefore I find it very misleading.





Ren Staveteig 

Justice League

The movie Justice League was made based on the DC universe where they take many aspects of ancient Roman and Greek culture even for there heroes and villains sometimes as seen in the movie by heroes like Wonder woman who is an Amazonian princess and the characters, in general, being called new gods because how each of them represents a god like Aquaman to Neptune but in other ways, like if you look more into the lore you will find  that the main bad guy Steppenwolf  is from the world Omega watch is usually shown with the Greek letter for omega. Overall I think the DC universe does a good job of incorporating aspects of ancient Roman and Greek culture to where none of it seems out of place and when they make comparisons they, for the most part, make sense and i do think that is because the author of some of the original DC comics had a strong interest in that type of ancient culture.

Trey Smith

Image result for Main dc characters and greek gods they represent

Promethium

Promethium

The chemical element Promethium, atomic number 61, is named after an ancient mythological Titan named Prometheus. Prometheus was the Titan of foresight, and many ancient Greeks believed him to be either wholly or partially responsible for the creation of humankind. He is most famous for stealing fire from the Gods, who had taken it away from mortals, and giving it back to the human race. Zues/Jupiter, king of the Gods, was so enraged by this that he had Prometheus nailed to a mountain and had his liver, which could regrow due to his immortality, be repeatedly eaten out by an eagle. However, the element Promethium is entirely different. Promethium was discovered in 1945 by Jacob Marinsky, Lawrence Glendenin, and Charles Coryell. Information on the choice of name is scarce, but the element does have somewhat properties. It is the only "rare-earth metal" that is not naturally found on Earth at all. It is still considered one of them due to its place in the lanthanide group of elements. Promethium is very unstable and all of its known isotopes are constantly in the state of radioactive beta decay. This decay allows it to be used as a power source, due to the emission of electrons from the atom; however, such devices are uncommon. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, "[m]ost promethium is used only in research" (5). Promethium's name seems unfitting for such a strange and seemingly not very useful element. Prometheus was considered at least partially responsible for the creation of the human race as a whole, so is strange that his name is used to name something so insignificant to human life. One possible reason it could have been named after him is the fact that it was theorized to exist over 40 years before it was discovered because of elements 60 and 62 already having been found. The element filling this gap of knowledge could be equated to Prometheus bringing fire to humanity. However, even this potential reason fails to emphasize the importance of Prometheus in ancient Greek mythology to the creation of humanity. For this reason I consider the name of promethium to be unfitting for the element.

Christopher Foster

Project Athena - changing computers


Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft. In the mythos, she was born out of the head of Zeus, fully grown and armoured. She is the patron goddess of Athens, and Minerva is her roman name. Athen once challenged Arachne to a weaving competition to show off her weaving skills. Project Athena was a project in the 80/90s intended to help students at MIT use computers to learn. Also, Intel has currently released a plan for computers which they call Project Athen. The goal of Intel's Project Athena is to make laptops more responsive in many aspects and to improve battery life in them. All this to make laptops better for use by designers. Both of these projects are aptly named, while MIT's Project Athena maybe more so, because they each appeal to aspects of Athena's domains. Intel hopes to be able to help designers, people who do handicraft, do more, and Athena is the god of handicrafts. MIT's goal was to bring wisdom and knowledge to its students through the use of computers, and it has succeeded. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. While neither project presents any myth of Athena, they both use our prior knowledge of Athena to help convey their goals. Also, both projects are interestingly involved in propelling the computer science world forward and are born from the minds of people.

Riley


God of War

Image result for kratos       

God of War

        Kratos is a spartan warrior that was tricked by Mars, the god of war, into killing his family. Once he found out that Mars had lied to him he goes on a rampage and ends up killing Mars and a couple of the other gods as well. Then God Jupiter (who Kratos soon discovers is really his father) ends up seeing his power and makes him the new God of war on mount Olympus. He is also referred to as the Ghost of Sparta because after he killed his Family he disappeared to fulfill his goal of killing Mars. There are many other gods in this game such as Jupiter, Mars, Thor and so many more.
    I love this myth. I absolutely enjoyed the game and in my opinion, Kratos has one of the coolest backstories ever. His name fits him perfect and his nickname the "Ghost of Sparta" is perfect for him because it represents his backstory and everything he hates about himself. Some things about the myth have changed throughout the video games. Such as now he has a new family and he is older than he was back when he killed mars. He is now calmer and not as strong as he used to be. So, all in all, I love this story and this game.


Sources:

https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/greek-vs-roman-gods/

https://www.lifewire.com/greek-mythology-kratos-1525972

By: Holden Linderman

Apollo 11-Clay

Apollo is the Greek god of the sun, light and knowledge. He is the god of prophecy and his oracle was Delphi, a very important oracle in Greek mythology. He is the son of Zeus and Leto and the brother of Artemis.

Abe Silverstein proposed the name Apollo because Nasa had been naming their projects off of mythology and Abe thought it was an attractive name. He also thought that since Apollo was the god of the sun it would fit well with space travel.

I believe that Apollo is a fitting name for the space shuttle. While Artemis 11 would've been a more appropriate name since she is the god of the moon, Apollo 11 sounds better, which is important for a project which is very public and has the nations attention. Apollo also fits with the theme of the mission as he is the god of the sun and it was a space mission.

Image result for apollo 11



Clay Kollinger



https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402/ch4.htm
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo


An Unholy Element - Plutonium

AN UNHOLY ELEMENT - PLUTONIUM

Plutonium is not a naturally available substance, and is one of the first on the Periodic Table that must be synthesized. Plutonium is the 97th element on the table, and it is extremely radioactive. Plutonium also has an extremely long half life, which makes it a terrible choice to power nuclear reactors. The only thing that comes close to matching its radioactivity in danger is its destructive potential. A Plutonium bomb, "Fat Man",  was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. This weapon was scarily more effective than its Uranium counterpart. Plutonium is made by the bombardment of neutrons at an Uranium atom. Plutonium is named after Pluto (duh!) god of the underworld. I believe the name fits because Plutonium is such an unholy element, and has caused much human suffering, like death itself. It is also slowly punishing, not unlike the Roman version of hell was believed to be. Plutonium is also nearly eternal, like an afterlife. I believe Plutonium is the perfect name for the element that has hurt so many.

GRANT WILLIAMS


Wednesday, October 30, 2019

SniperHorse

Sagittarius is the 9th sign of the zodiac, represented with a centaur. The centaur is a half-horse, half-human. It also has expert archery skills. His signature symbol is the bow and arrow. The constellation itself looks like this mythical creature, where it got its name from. It also has a special element attached, which is fire. This is odd considering that centaurs live in a forest, like in Harry Potter. Moreover, no story or myth references them using fire or heat in any specific way. Despite the odd inconsistencies with what the constellation represents, the idea to name it based off what it looks like is solid.

Ethan Nguyen

Wikipedia

Image result for sagittarius

Venus

Venus

Venus is known to be the goddess of love beauty, fertility, and victory. Venus' father was Uranus. She was born after his blood fell to the sea and combined with foam from the sea. That is why she is seen in many pictures (like the one below) rising from the sea in a clam. Venus had two main lovers: her husband-- Vulcan and Mars, with whom she had a love affair. She had no children with Vulcan, but many with Mars and other gods. She got into many loving relationships, even with mortals, that usually ended up with her conceiving a child or children. The Roman gods only knew of seven objects in the sky because they were bright enough to be seen without current technology: the sun, the moon, and the five brightest planets. They named each planet after their most important gods. Venus was named after the brightest planet. I think the name is appropriate because she is the goddess of love and beauty. And, the planet is like a siren in the sky because it is the brightest planet out of five. Venus was a siren in real life because of her looks and acts. The planet is a beautiful beacon that called out to the Romans, and that's why they named it after their most beautiful goddess. Parts of the myth make sense because she was so alluring to so many people, and the planet is very eye-catching. It is one of the only planets that we can still see today with our bare eyes on occasion. 
Abby McGarrity

Saturn

Saturn

When you hear Saturn, you think straight to the planet. The reason it has that name is because if the god Saturn. Saturn of course was a god but he was the god of Agriculture. Usually Saturn had two things in his hand, a sickle and a thing of wheat. Saturn had three children, Ceres, Jupiter, and Veritas. I personally think Saturn was not a great choice as being a planet. Though most people disagree I think the name is bad and the god of Agriculture just does not fit space to me. Just agriculture and space don't go together in my opinion. I think a different god could have been a better choice. Just not a god of agriculture.

Joe Giles


Cites:
https://www.universetoday.com/24116/name-of-saturn/

Harry Potter 1 Greek Mythology Reference (Cerberus)


Harry Potter 1 Greek Mythology Reference (Cerberus):

                    
          In Harry Potter 1, "The Sorcerer's Stone", there is a Cerberus, named Fluffy, present standing guard as one of the multiple things protecting the sorcerer's stone. Cerberus is often also called "hound of Hades", and is a three-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld to keep the dead from escaping. I personally think that the Cerberus was placed well in Harry Potter, just because of the myth of the three-headed dog keeping the dead from leaving the underworld, this also makes since in the aspect of the dog being there to keep the stone that keeps you alive forever from being taken. 

Sources:











By: Sara Carruth

Pluto Mythology - Jaclyn

Pluto is the name of the famous god of the underworld, who is most commonly known as Hades in Greek mythology. He is, along with being the god of the underworld, is the god of wealth due to diamonds and riches like such being from underground. The myth that he is most prominent within is the myth of how the Greeks explained the different seasons. Pluto had kidnapped Proserpine to be with him in the underworld as his wife. Ceres who is the father of Proserpine is the god of agriculture, so to display his despair, he didn't allow plants to be grown on earth. This obviously upset the people and, in response to this, Jupiter made Pluto return Proserpine. Both Pluto and Ceres made a deal though that at a six-month interval they would switch the living space of Proserpine. So, while she was living in the underworld, no plants would be grown and that ultimately is what the Greeks called winter. This meant that when she lived with Ceres, that is what we call summer. Along with explaining seasons, Pluto was the name of a former planet. A girl named Venetia Burney, who was an 11-year-old schoolgirl, suggested the name which was chosen due to the relevancy of how the other planets were titled. The process of making the decision was a bit trivial since the astronomers at Lowell Observatory got to vote on a few more names of gods. The myth was a good way for the Greeks, at the time, to explain the different seasons. So, I find both at decent appropriateness within context and reason.

Mars

Dhruv Kantamsetty

Mars

In ancient Roman mythology, Mars was the god of war and a guardian of agriculture. Mars was recognized as the second most important god, following Jupiter. He was the "most prominent of all the military gods in the religion of the Roman army." The months that were celebrated for him were March and October. March was the month named after him, and October was the month where military campaigning started and farming ended. Since Mars had a bloody red color, it received the name as the god of war. I think the name "Mars" is a great name for the planet because of its bloody color. It is also a great name because it is very leading and correct mythologically. I don't think there are many better names for the planet than Mars.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_(mythology)

https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html

Monday, October 28, 2019

Neptune - Grace

Neptune

Neptune, the Roman equivalent of Greek God Poseidon, is the God of the sea. He is known for being violent, hence why he was commonly associated with earthquakes that the Ancient Romans believed were sea-born, mainly because of their lack of knowledge on what exactly caused earthquakes. Neptune was more of a minor God at the time who slowly gained attention as Poseidon did. The main reason that the planet Neptune was named after the God is simply its blue hue. Neptune was a planet that was discovered after the more nearby ones, so many Gods' names were already occupied by the previously discovered planets. I do think that this is an appropriate name for this planet. While the reason is not exactly thoughtful, you have no other way to truly name a newly discovered planet, due to the lack of information on the planet. There are not that many in-depth meaning behind the names of the other planets, so why adopt one now? Since relating a God to a planet has been proven a hard task given their extreme differences, so I do not mind that the name wasn't exactly deep or meaningful. I also like how the simple meaning behind the name relates directly back to the Ancient Romans and is not twisted or modernized like some other interpretations of mythology or culture.

Grace Ramsey

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/139-How-did-Neptune-get-its-name-
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/neptune/

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Clay Coast Guard

U.S. Coast Guard- Semper Paratus
Always Ready

History- The origins of the motto are not known, but the motto became famous because of a song written by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck. This song became the official marching song of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Semper Partus the motto of the U.S. coast guard means "always ready". I do think the Motto is good for the U.S. Coast Guard because of the coast guards need to respond to any situation in a matter of minutes. The coast guard's job is to be ready to defend America from an attack no matter what the time, so the motto fits perfectly.


Image result for coast guard
https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/History-Heritage-Traditions/Semper-Paratus/

Clay Kollinger

Monday, September 30, 2019

Connecticut

September 30,2019


Connecticut--He who is transplanted still sustains

Connecticut has been a state for a very long time, and the United States like having lots of mottos, so it makes sense that they have an old Latin motto. The motto does not have a certain origin, but it is thought to have originated from either the 80th Psalm. The 80th Psalm says "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it." The motto represents people who moved from England to Connecticut bringing the best views of Christianity. They created a new society and looked for new beginnings. This motto goes well with Connecticut since it's in the USA which is always changing and finding new beginnings.



Abby McGarrity

A New Order for the Ages

The motto Novus Ordo Seclorum appears on the great seal of the United States and on all dollar bills. It translates to a new order of the ages and was chosen by Charles Thomas, who was a former Latin teacher when the seal was being designed in 1782. This motto aptly fits the United States as the US government was the first global power to have a democratic system. This major shift in ideals marked a change for the world and for the ages. Additionally, the US was one of the first major civilizations to form a stable government from out of a revolution, another large marker in time. The United Sates creation was a new event in history that changed the world and the motto Novus Ordo Seclorum reflects that


- Riley

Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novus_ordo_seclorum

New York State Motto

New York State Motto


For my motto blog post I chose the state of New York. The state motto for New York is " Excelsior", which translates to higher or "ever upward". The original use of the motto was to describe the land in NY and can be found on the bottom of the state seal. I think New York could've used a better motto for its state. At least now in more modern times, New York is seen as New York City where the statue of liberty is, so I think a better motto could be liberty. This would be a better motto because it focuses on some of New York history also since the statue of liberty was a gift from France. Another good motto could've been the city of dreams or something because many people go to New York to follow their dreams of acting or other performing arts. Overall I think it is cool how New York's motto is in Latin even though they could've chosen a better one. ( Below is a picture of the New York Seal with the motto at the bottom)

-Samantha W






American Board of Ophthalmology - Ex Obscuris Lux

American Board of Ophthalmology - Ex Obscuris Lux

The motto for the American Board of Ophthalmology is the Latin phrase "ex obscuris lux." This translates as "out of darkness light." The ABOP provides no information on how their motto was chosen, but it has been in use since its founding in 1916. This phrase, in the context of being the motto for the ABOP, is used to convey that by earning a medical degree in ophthalmology, the medical specialization for eyes, a person would be curing their potential patients of vision issues, referenced as "darkness" because it hinders eyesight, and they would bring patients into the "light," which is referenced as such because it enables sight. Personally, I believe this is a good use of a Latin phrase as a motto. I believe this because the motto is simple and relevant to the organization. However, the point could also be made that this motto does not reference education of eye doctors, which is the goal of the ABOP, so perhaps the motto could use some enhancement in this regard. Overall, the American Board of Ophthalmology's motto, "ex obscuris lux," is a good example of a Latin motto because it details some of the benefits and flaws of using a Latin motto in an English speaking country.

Christopher Foster


Latin September blog

Arkansas's motto "Regnat populus" means "The people rule". There is no true origin for this motto but the world assumes it came from a man named Samuel Calhoun Roane who mentioned it at the first-ever territorial assembly, he is the same man who designed the territorial seal for Arkansas. "Regnat populus" used to be "Regnat Populi" but then they changed into the one we now know today. This motto symbolizes that all together we rule and that we are all similar in ways. Some people say it comes from the saying "under God, the people rule." This to me sounds like if we all come together under God and be the people we are meant to be. The world will be a better place and we will rule all as one.

Related image
By Holden Linderman

Sources
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/official-state-motto-3136/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_Arkansas#History
https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/arkansas/state-seal/seal-arkansas

Ad Astra Per Aspera

The motto "Ad astra per aspera," or more commonly "Per aspera ad astra," which officially means "to the stars through difficulties," is the state motto of Kansas. This motto was chosen due to Kansas's bloody history with the Civil War, and was created by John James Ingalls. He was one of the few people who helped Kansas gain statehood, was a senator for eight years, and an activist against slavery. He also helped design the state seal "A constellation of stars at the top of the seal represented the other states then in the Union. The rising star symbolized Kansas joining the Union after a stormy struggle." (Kansapedia) I believe that the motto is fitting, especially considering the state's passt struggle to join the union.



Rivers Glover

South Carolina Motto Blog

For the South Carolina motto, it says Dum spiro, spero. This means "While I breath, I hope". South Carolina actually has two mottos, but this one was the second of the two. The motto is on their state seal, along with the other one. The state seal has two circles, with each of the mottos on the outside of it. On the inside of the second circle, it depicts the Roman Goddess Spes. She was the goddess of hope. The original seal had a back and a front. They eventually changed it to make it one side. I think this motto fits well for South Carolina because it describes the art on the seal. The seal shows a tiny island with only a person. I think it describes hope. Thank you, Joe Giles
South Carolina State Seal

https://www.sciway.net/facts/sc-state-seal-motto.html
South Carolina State Seal and South Carolina State Mottos

Arsenal Football Club

Victoria Concordia Crescit. This is the official motto of the Arsenal Football Club, and the motto translates to "Victory Grows Through Harmony." The motto was long believed to "be the brainchild of the former editor of the Arsenal program, Harry Homer", but the origin of the motto came much earlier. Woolwich Arsenal moved from Plumstead to Highbury during 1913 because of a disastorus performance that occurred in Plumstead. Woolwich started in the second division in Highbury and had started winning many games. Woolwich had an amazing start, especially the game against HullCity. "The directors attributed this success to 'concord' within the club and the Latin motto 'Victoria Concordia Crescit' was mentioned for the first time."

Image result for arsenal football club motto


http://www.thearsenalhistory.com/?p=8709

Semper Fi- Ren



Semper Fidelis, or Semper Fi, as it is sometimes shortened, is the motto for the US Marine Corps. Meaning "always faithful" or "always loyal". This motto represents the commitment of trust and loyalty Marines make to each other and to their country. It was chosen in 1883 and was first proposed by Colonel Charles McCawley just after the Mexican-American War, but not much else is known about the history of this motto. In this case, the Latin is translated correctly; semper, meaning always or ever, and fidelis, meaning faithful, truthful, or loyal. This is unusual due to the fact that Latin mottos are often butchered and differ in meaning from the intended translation. This motto is, in my opinion, well placed and tasteful. It's short, simple and stays true to the Marine Corps' core value of loyalty.

Image result for semper fi


Ren Staveteig

Sources:

Wikipedia
Latin Lexicon

Virginia Motto

The state motto for Virginia is "Sic Semper Tyrannis" which translates to "Thus Always to Tyrants", this occurred because of the victory over tyranny in 1776, the American Revolution. The quote was proposed by George Mason to be put in the seal of Virginia in 1776 at the Virginia Convention. In case of the Latin, it is correct with "Sic" meaning Thus and "Semper Tyrannis" translating to Always to Tyrants. This is surprising since most mottos are in some way confused or butchered so this was well done. Lastly, my opinion of this motto for Virginia is very fitting and well thought of considering at the time the events that took place which made very important history for the state it represents it very well and continues to stand out as well thought of and well-executed motto.


Trey Smith

New York City Police Department Motto




New York City Police Department (NYPD) Motto



"Fidelis ad mortem" - Faithful unto death 


I, personally, believe that the motto "Fidelis ad mortem", meaning faithful unto death goes well with the ideas and morals that the New York City Police Department claim to live by. A prime example of this behavior and belief within the organization would be, of course, the attack on the twin towers on 9/11. It was within the process of this tragic event that 23 police officers lost their lives trying to protect both innocent citizens lives and each other. It is because of this, that I believe that the motto that the New York City Police Department has chosen to promote matches their system in which they work and live by well.

West Virginia, Mountain mamma

West Virginia: Montani semper liberi
Mountaineers are always free

From the country that has an iconic song and full of mountains, the motto is well-fitting. It was established during 1872 by Joseph H. Diss Debar. The motto is used in the country that has the nickname "Mountain State". This is literally the only reason this motto was chosen. No symbolism is presented, although mountaineering is a journey unto itself.


Seal of West Virginia.svg

Wikipedia
https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol/west-virginia/state-motto/mountaineers-are-always-free


Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Main Motto

Dirigo is the motto for the state of Maine.  Dirigo, when translated into English, means "I direct" or "I lead".  This motto was appointed to the state of Maine because, among other reasons, it held its presidential elections in September before any of the other states.  This fits with the motto because many people looked at the results of Maines elections to have an idea of what the outcome would be for them.  A phrase commonly used from 1832-1932 was "As Maine goes, so goes the nation.  Maine stopped holding September elections in 1957 but the motto still shines a light on an important time in history.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Maine_goes,_so_goes_the_nation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_Maine

Canadian Motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare

The Canadian motto is "a mari usque ad mare" which directly translates to "from sea to sea". This motto first came to be during the Confederation and was used as an aspiration statement. Then they encompassed enough land to make this into a reality. The first recorded usage of the motto was by George Monro Grant, who was a minister that commonly used it in his sermons. More recently in 2007, it was proposed that they officially change the motto to "a mari usque ad mare ad mare" or another variation to "a mari usque ad maria". The change proposal was due to their three borders: Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic oceans. Though it wasn't passed as official, most Canadians do refer to "from sea to sea to sea" which is the translation of "a mari usque ad mare ad mare". In my opinion, the motto clearly reflects Canada on a geographic standpoint and is appropriate for Canada as a whole. All in all, the motto has a good historical meaning behind it while being short and simple.

Image result for a mari usque ad mare

Sources:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/a-mari-usque-ad-mare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mari_Usque_Ad_Mare

- Jaclyn Miles

The Olympics Motto

"Citius, Altius, Fortius": Faster, Higher, Stronger


The Olympics have been going on for a very long time, so to me, it makes sense to have an old Latin motto. The motto was introduced to the world at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, and has stuck to the Olympics since. I believe that the Olympics motto Citius, Altius, Fortius: Faster, higher, stronger, shows perfectly what the Olympic Games are. This is a great motto because the Olympics have the best of the best athletes facing off in a competition for their countries. They are out there for their countries because they are truely faster and stronger than most of us. As well, when they say Altius or higher in the motto, I think they are saying these athletes are reaching their full potential.  To conclude, I believe the Latin motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius, states what the Olympic Games are in a brief manner, which is why I think it is a perfect motto for the Olympics.




By: Ethan Weinger

Source:

Wednesday, September 25, 2019


In Somno Securitas

In Somno Securitas is the motto of the Association of Anesthesiologists of Great Britan and Ireland (AAGBI). The AAGBI is an association of anesthesiologists that work in Great Britan and in Ireland. This association was created to unify anesthesiologists in those specific areas because of their poor pay rate and little recognition. "In Somno Securitas" translates to "safe in sleep." This motto was put in place when the right to bear arms was granted. It was chosen to communicate to the patients that they are safe and protected. "In Somno Securitas" translates to "safe in sleep" (Wikipedia). It seems like a good translation and is not worded in a confusing way. It also uses easy words in latin that are not hard to translate. For instance, "in" in latin means "in" in english. Easy, right? "Somno" in latin means "sleep" in english. "Insomnia" is a good word to think of to help you remember that definition. "Securitas" in latin translates to "safe" in english. This is where you get the english word "security." All in all, it is a concise and simple motto with an easy meaning to remember. 

Image result for in somno securitas


~Grace Ramsey

Friday, September 13, 2019

Apollo 13 Motto: Ex Luna, Scientia

APOLLO 13: EX LUNA, SCIENTIA


FROM THE MOON, KNOWLEDGE


Apollo 13 was a great crisis, but also a testament to American ingenuity, as people in
mission control worked around the clock to bring our young men home.
The motto was selected by Jim Lovell, mission commander of Apollo 13.
He adapted The Naval Academy’s motto Ex trident, scientia.
(Trident meaning sea, so from the sea, knowledge.) Water was clearly a large influence on Lovell,
as he named the Lunar Module “Aquarius”. The Apollo 13 mission was the result of a faulty oxygen
valve, and the crew went the farthest from earth we have ever gone. I think this is a good motto
because it shows the planned purpose of the mission: science. Although this did not happen,
It was a nice touch.