Antiquitas saeculi juventus mundi. [The age of antiquity is the youth of the world.] These times are the ancient times, when the world is ancient, and not those which we account ancient ordine retrogrado, by a computation backward from ourselves.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- What we consider ancient history is actually the youth of the world, meaning modern times are truly the old era.
- In plain terms
- Our world is old now, so today feels ancient even if we think of the past as older.
- What can you take from it?
- Time moves forward; our present is the true past.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does your age shape your view of history?
- Is now the past or future?
Another view
Some cultures view time cyclically, not linearly.
More from Francis Bacon
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
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