142 - 143 - 144 Vitam Regit Fortuna, Non Sapientia Caeca dea est rerum rectrix; Fortuna vocatur: Non minus at caeci, quos dea caeca regit. A blind goddess rules the world, called Fortune. But they are no less blind whom the blind goddess rules. Source: John Owen (c.1564-c.1628), Epigrammata, 12.20. The English version is by Thomas Harvey. Meter: Elegiac. For the traditional depiction of the goddess Fortuna blindfolded, see the image below. A blind goddess (caeca dea) is the directrix of things (est rerum rectrix); she is called Fortuna (Fortuna vocatur): but (at) those whom the blind goddess rules (quos dea caeca regit) are no less blind (non minus caeci) . The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list: rectrix (rectrīcis, f.): governess, leader, guide at: but, but yet caecus -a -um: blind, unseeing; dark, obscure deus -ī m.; dea -ae f. god; goddess fortūna -ae f.: fortune minus -oris n.: a smaller number or amount, less; (adv.) minus: to a smaller extent, less nōn: not qui quae quod: who, which, what / quis quid: who? what? which? regō regere rēxī rectum: guide, rule rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution) sapientia -ae f.: wisdom sum, esse, fuī: be, exist vīta -ae f.: life vocō -āre: call (image source)
