ProverbChallenge
Latin origin161 BC
Latin origin161 BCFortune favors the bold
Meaning: Taking risks often leads to rewards.
Who said it? The Roman playwright Terence (161 BC), later echoed by Virgil in the Aeneid
Origin: The Roman playwright Terence wrote fortes fortuna adiuvat in Phormio (161 BC), and Virgil's Aeneid has audentes fortuna iuvat. Pliny the Younger reports that his uncle, Pliny the Elder, quoted it as he sailed toward the erupting Vesuvius in AD 79 — a voyage from which he did not return.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 3 more languages
French: La fortune sourit aux audacieux (literally: Fortune smiles on the bold)
Spanish: La fortuna favorece a los audaces (literally: Fortune favors the bold)
Japanese: 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず (Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu) (literally: If you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't catch its cub)
German: Wer wagt, gewinnt (literally: He who dares, wins)
Italian: La fortuna aiuta gli audaci (literally: Fortune helps the bold)
Portuguese: A sorte protege os audazes (literally: Fortune protects the bold)
Polish: Śmiałym szczęście sprzyja (literally: Fortune favors the bold)
Turkish: Korkak bezirgân ne kâr eder ne zarar (literally: A timid merchant makes neither profit nor loss)
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