Thomson derived the phrase Novus ordo seclorum from a poem by the Roman poet Virgil. He wrote that the phrase signified "the beginning of the New American Era" as of the date of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which was depicted in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid on the seal.[1][2]
Ultima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas: magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo. Iam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna: iam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto. Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum desinet, ac toto surget gens aurea mundo, casta fave Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo.
Now is come the last age of the Cumaean prophecy: the great cycle of ages is born anew. Now returns the Maid, returns the reign of Saturn: now from high heaven a new generation comes down. Yet do thou at that boy's birth, in whom the iron race shall begin to cease, and the golden to arise over all the world, holy Lucina, be gracious; now thine own Apollo reigns.
The motto is specifically a rephrasing of the second line: "Magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo" (The great cycle of ages is born anew).[3]
Meaningedit
The forms saecla, saeclorum etc. were normal alternatives to the more common saecula etc. throughout the history of Latin poetry and prose. The form saeculorum is impossible in hexameter verse: the ae and o are long, the u short by position.
The word seclorum does not mean "secular", but is the genitive (possessive) plural form of the word saeculum, meaning (in this context) generation, century, or age. Saeculum did come to mean "age, world" in late, Christian Latin, and "secular" is derived from it, through secularis. However, the adjective "secularis," meaning "worldly," is not equivalent to the genitive plural "seclorum," meaning "of the ages."[6]
The motto Novus ordo seclorum was translated and added to the seal by Charles Thomson, a Latin expert who was involved in the design of the Great Seal, as "A new order of the ages." Thomson said it was to signify "the beginning of the new American Era" as of the date of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which was depicted in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid on the seal.[1][2]
^ abc"The Great Seal of the United States," U.S. Dept. of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C., July 2003, pp. 4, 5, 15. PDF of official brochure.
^ abc"Novus Ordo Seclorum - Origin and Meaning of the Motto Beneath the American Pyramid". GreatSeal.com.
^ abUnited States. Dept. of State; Hunt, Gaillard (1909). The history of the seal of the United States. Harold B. Lee Library. Washington, D. C., Department of state. p. 34.
^P. Vergilius Maro, Eclogues, J. B. Greenough, Ed.
^Virgil; Mackail, J. W. (1910). The Eclogues and Georgics of Virgil. London: Longmans, Green, and co. p. 14.
^Lewis and Short, A Latin Dictionary: Founded on Andrews' Edition of Freund's Latin Dictionary: Revised, Enlarged, and in Great Part Rewritten by Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL.D. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1879, s. vv.
February 15, 2024
novus, ordo, seclorum, phrase, english, ɔːr, ɔːr, latin, ˈnɔwʊs, ˈoːrdoː, seːˈkloːrũː, order, ages, latin, mottos, reverse, side, great, seal, united, states, other, motto, annuit, cœptis, mottos, were, coined, charles, thomson, secretary, congress, confederat. The phrase Novus ordo seclorum English ˈ n oʊ v e s ˈ ɔːr d oʊ s ɛ ˈ k l ɔːr em Latin ˈnɔwʊs ˈoːrdoː seːˈkloːrũː New order of the ages is one of two Latin mottos on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States The other motto is Annuit cœptis The mottos were coined by Charles Thomson the secretary of the Congress of the Confederation 1 2 Reverse side of the Great Seal of the United StatesThomson derived the phrase Novus ordo seclorum from a poem by the Roman poet Virgil He wrote that the phrase signified the beginning of the New American Era as of the date of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which was depicted in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid on the seal 1 2 Contents 1 Origin 2 Meaning 3 See also 4 ReferencesOrigin editThe phrase derives from the fourth poem of the Eclogues by the Latin poet Virgil 3 The fourth eclogue contains the passage lines 4 10 4 5 Ultima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo Iam redit et Virgo redeunt Saturnia regna iam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto Tu modo nascenti puero quo ferrea primum desinet ac toto surget gens aurea mundo casta fave Lucina tuus iam regnat Apollo Now is come the last age of the Cumaean prophecy the great cycle of ages is born anew Now returns the Maid returns the reign of Saturn now from high heaven a new generation comes down Yet do thou at that boy s birth in whom the iron race shall begin to cease and the golden to arise over all the world holy Lucina be gracious now thine own Apollo reigns The motto is specifically a rephrasing of the second line Magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo The great cycle of ages is born anew 3 Meaning editThe forms saecla saeclorum etc were normal alternatives to the more common saecula etc throughout the history of Latin poetry and prose The form saeculorum is impossible in hexameter verse the ae and o are long the u short by position The word seclorum does not mean secular but is the genitive possessive plural form of the word saeculum meaning in this context generation century or age Saeculum did come to mean age world in late Christian Latin and secular is derived from it through secularis However the adjective secularis meaning worldly is not equivalent to the genitive plural seclorum meaning of the ages 6 The motto Novus ordo seclorum was translated and added to the seal by Charles Thomson a Latin expert who was involved in the design of the Great Seal as A new order of the ages Thomson said it was to signify the beginning of the new American Era as of the date of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which was depicted in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid on the seal 1 2 See also edit nbsp United States portalAnnuit cœptis E pluribus unum Eye of Providence List of Latin phrases List of national mottos List of U S state and territory mottos United States national mottoReferences edit a b c The Great Seal of the United States U S Dept of State Bureau of Public Affairs Washington D C July 2003 pp 4 5 15 PDF of official brochure a b c Novus Ordo Seclorum Origin and Meaning of the Motto Beneath the American Pyramid GreatSeal com a b United States Dept of State Hunt Gaillard 1909 The history of the seal of the United States Harold B Lee Library Washington D C Department of state p 34 P Vergilius Maro Eclogues J B Greenough Ed Virgil Mackail J W 1910 The Eclogues and Georgics of Virgil London Longmans Green and co p 14 Lewis and Short A Latin Dictionary Founded on Andrews Edition of Freund s Latin Dictionary Revised Enlarged and in Great Part Rewritten by Charlton T Lewis Ph D and Charles Short LL D The Clarendon Press Oxford 1879 s vv Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Novus ordo seclorum amp oldid 1194729723, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
