Themes of courage in classical Latin and modern literature

The Latin phrase ‘Audentes fortuna iuvat’ (Fortune favors the bold) serves as a central theme in both classical literature and modern storytelling. The expression finds its origins in Virgil’s epic poem, the ‘Aeneid’. In Book X, the character Turnus, king of the Rutuli, uses the phrase to incite his soldiers to attack the Trojans during their landing in Latium.

This motif of courage in the face of adversity is also reflected in Sonia Milan’s family saga, ‘La Primogenita’. The novel follows a lineage of women across different historical eras—from 1849 Rome to the Paris Commune and the years of lead—connected by a family medallion inscribed with the sentiment ‘Floreat in adversis’ (May it flourish in adversity).