"" (or "") is

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

for "I shall either find a way or make one". The first word "" may be omitted, corresponding to omitting the English word "either" from the translation. The phrase has been attributed to

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

; when his generals told him it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant, this was supposedly his response. The first part of the sentence, "", "I shall find a way", also appears in other contexts in the tragedies of Seneca, spoken by

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

and by

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family. ...

, and in Seneca's ''Hercules Furens'' (Act II, Scene 1, line 276) the whole sentence appears, in third person: "." It has been used as a motto for instance by

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...

as well as

Robert Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was long credited as being ...

. It still is popular in social, educational and military organisations. In first person plural, the quote is written on an iron arch over the class of 1893 memorial gate at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. A painting in the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

, formerly attributed as

Sir Philip Sidney Sir Philip Sidney (30 November 1554 – 17 October 1586) was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. His works include a sonnet sequence, '' Astrophil and ...

and now thought to depict his brother

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

, is adorned with the phrase. In '' The Dunciad'',

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...

writes of John Henley that he "turned his rhetoric to buffoonry" by handing out medallions engraved with this motto.. File:Peary autograph June 10, '07.jpg, Robert Peary's signature 10 June 1907 with quote File:Grave of Robert Peary - rear base - Arlington National Cemetery - 2011.JPG, Peary's grave at Arlington National Cemetery File:440_CIVIL_AFFAIRS_BN_DUI.png, Emblem of the U.S. Army 440th Civil Affairs Battalion of

Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...

, Colorado File:628 Logistics Readiness Sq emblem.png, Emblem of the

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

628th Logistics Readiness Squadron of Joint Base Charleston File:405 Expeditionary Operations Support Sq emblem.png, Emblem of the USAF 405th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron (provisional) File:721 Aerial Port Sq emblem.png, Emblem of the USAF 721st Aerial Port Squadron of

Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...

, Germany File:Center for EOD and Diving logo.gif, The U.S. Navy's Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal & Diving logo

References

{{reflist Latin words and phrases Latin mottos