E pluribus unum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
E pluribus unum is a national motto of the United States of America. Translated from Latin, it means "From many, one" or "Out of many, one," or in a direct translation, "One out of more." It referred to the integration of the 13 independent colonies into one united country, and has taken on an additional meaning, given the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration. The motto was selected by the first Great Seal committee in 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution. Pierre Eugene DuSimitiére originally suggested E pluribus unum as motto.
In 1956, "In God We Trust" was added as another national motto, but did not replace E pluribus unum. A similar motto – In varietate concordia (Unity in diversity) – was adopted by the European Union in 2000.
Origin of phrase
The phrase originally came from Moretum, a poem attributed to Virgil but with the actual author unknown, on the subject of a cheese, garlic and herb recipe. In the poem text, color est e pluribus unus describes the blending of colors into one.
It is also found in Saint Augustine's Confessions (397 to 398 AD) book IV, describing friendship.
This motto was well known to literate Americans of the 18th century. It appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine, published monthly in London since 1731. The legend "E pluribus unum" was used on the title pages of the annual volumes that contained a collection of the year's twelve editions of the magazine.
Ǔ== Other uses == It is also the motto of Portuguese soccer club Sport Lisboa e Benfica with the meaning "One by all and all by one".
