The Books on the Family

Leon Battista Alberti - The Books on the Family

Page 4

...acquired by Latin forces, obtained by our industry, and amplified by our Latin arms—shall it be said that this was bestowed upon us by fortune? Shall we confess ourselves indebted to fortune for that which our own virtue Alberti uses the term virtú, which in the Renaissance meant more than just moral goodness; it referred to a combination of skill, strength, civic duty, and the ability to shape one's own destiny. claimed for us?

Consider the prudence and moderation of Fabius, that one man who, by delaying and hesitating, restored the nearly fallen Latin liberty Referring to Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, nicknamed "The Delayer," who defeated Hannibal by using a war of attrition rather than direct battle.. Consider the justice of Torquatus, who, to maintain military discipline, did not spare even his own son; the continence of that man who, content with his farming, valued integrity more than any mountain of gold; the severity of Fabricius; the parsimony of Cato; the firmness of Horatius Cocles The legendary soldier who defended the Sublician Bridge alone against the Etruscan army.; the endurance of Mucius Mucius Scaevola, who famously burned his own right hand to demonstrate Roman resolve to his enemies.; the faith and religious devotion of Regulus; the affection toward the fatherland shown by Curtius; and all those other extraordinary, most excellent, and incredible virtues.

All of these were celebrated and illustrious among the ancients. It was through these virtues, no less than through the sword and the force of battle, that our excellent Italian ancestors defeated and subdued all peoples in every region—whether they were barbarian, proud, stubborn, or enemies to the liberty, fame, and the Latin name.

Shall we ascribe all those divine virtues to fortune? Shall we judge fortune to be the guardian of our morals and the moderator of our observances and most holy ancestral customs? Shall we place the seat of Empire within the recklessness of fortune—an Empire which our ancestors built more with virtue than with luck? Shall we consider subject to the volatility and will of fortune that which men prescribe for themselves through the most mature counsel and the most strenuous works?

And how can we say that fortune, with its ambiguities and inconstancies, can scatter and dissipate that which we desire to keep under our own care and reason rather than under the recklessness of others? How shall we admit that what we strive to maintain and preserve with such solicitude and diligence is no longer ours, but belongs to fortune? It is not within the power of fortune—it is not, as some fools believe, so easy to conquer a man who does not wish to be conquered.