# Accingere in ardua



## Alessandro ITA

Hi all,
Just registered to learn what these words mean. I'm pretty sure it's Latin. Anyone?
Thanks in advance.


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## Hamlet2508

Alessandro ITA said:


> hi all,
> just registered to learn what these words mean, I'm pretty sure it's latin...anyone ???
> thanks in advance



*se accingere* basically means to "*to gird up (*clothes*) , gird on (*a sword*),*" 
without any further information 
_*(se) accingere ad ardua*_ could ,in a metaphorical way of speaking, be taken to mean "to prepare oneself for difficulty,hardship"

depending on where you got it from, the phrase "*(se) accingere in ardua*"  might also translate as "to  surround + move up to a higher area" (as  of soldiers moving their battle lines further up a mountain)  

hope this helps
hamlet


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## Cagey

Hamlet2508 said:


> *se accingere* basically means to "*to gird up (*clothes*) , gird on (*a sword*),*"
> without any further information
> _*(se) accingere ad ardua*_ could ,in a metaphorical way of speaking, be taken to mean "to prepare oneself for difficulty,hardship"



Do you think that *in* here means "against"? That's one possible meaning of "*in*" with the accusative.  An example: "_in me convertite ferrum_" ["turn your weapons against me"] (Virgil _Aen_. 9.57).  

In this case, the meaning of (_se) accingere in ardua_ would be similar to your translation of_ accingere ad_: "to arm oneself against hardships."

(I agree that some contexts would require a more literal reading.)


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## Alessandro ITA

I got the phrase from a court medal that was sent to me by my Uni, so I guess its meaning relates to my studies. Thanks a lot for the help you guys, I owe you one.


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## Hamlet2508

Cagey said:


> Do you think that *in* here means "against"? That's one possible meaning of "*in*" with the accusative.  An example: "_in me convertite ferrum_" ["turn your weapons against me"] (Virgil _Aen_. 9.57).
> 
> In this case, the meaning of (_se) accingere in ardua_ would be similar to your translation of_ accingere ad_: "to arm oneself against hardships."
> 
> (I agree that some contexts would require a more literal reading.)



Well, more context would certainly be helpful since the girding of the (flowing) tunic or any other robe before actually engaging in combat/any activity is quite frequently found in Tacitus' Histories both with _*ad*_ as well as _*in*_  and in Livy.

regards,
Hamlet


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## Cagey

Given the context (a medal issued by a university) it seems to me satisfactory to understand this as meaning that the purpose of your studies is to gird you against life's challenges.

(I hope that Alessandro enjoys them as well.)


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