Totus mundus deorum est immortalium templum.
(Seneca, De Beneficiis 7.7.3, adapted)

The whole world is a temple of the immortal gods.

Pron = TOH-toos MOON-doos day-OH-room ehst ihm-mohr-TAH-lee-oom TEM-ploom.

Comment: What place in the world have you been that simply takes your
breath away? What places have you seen where suddenly you felt that
looking at the natural creation opened you wide, so wide that the
universe was inside of you and outside of you all at once so that you
could no longer tell the difference? And have some of these moments
taken place in what could not be more than mere seconds?

I can focus my comments here in the form of questions because I am
fairly confident that most people will be nodding, and saying yes, and
remembering the places and the moments when encounter with this
universe, whether in gazing at the expanse of the stars or peering
into a child's dirty hand which has discovered rolly-polies on the
ground, became transcendent.

And so, we each have our own commentary on this proverb, our own way
of understanding why Seneca could write that the whole world is an
temple of the immortal gods.

More the reason to take care of it.



Bob Patrick
(Used with permission)
Latin Proverb of the Day Archive