# Solvit Formidine Terras



## sirgawain

This is the Latin motto of the Spanish Royal Guards - it appeared on their flag until 1820.

Does anyone know how to translate this phrase into English or Spanish?

Thanks for your help................


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## J.F. de TROYES

_He delivered the world from terror ._

The verb is in the singular and I don't know whom the pronoun _he_ refers to, the regiment or its commandant ?


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## sirgawain

Thanks..........

Presumably, "He" refers to the Spanish king at that time..........


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## Mezzofanti

The motto is adapted, of course, from Virgil's 4th Eclogue, line 14.


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## Fred_C

J.F. de TROYES said:


> _He delivered the world from terror ._
> 
> The verb is in the singular and I don't know whom the pronoun _he_ refers to, the regiment or its commandant ?



Hi,
I think it means rather "He delivers..." in the present tense.
The perfect tense is usually spelt with an U. (Soluit)


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## J.F. de TROYES

Theorically both tenses are possible , especially as  the letter V was used at once to write the consonant and the vowel U  in the Latin world and beyond. But as the tattoo of a regiment standard maybe you are right to prefer the present tense. 
By the by this flag can be seen HERE ( the fourth on the page )


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## Karl Weber

It means “freedom for the earth Of any terror” literally more poetic the earth has to be free of terror


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## Snodv

My dictionary lists _solvi_ as the perfect, but admits exceptions _soluit_ and _soluisse_ from literature.  I'm not sure how we know since the Romans did not distinguish *u* and *v*, but I suppose if it were in poetry there would be a metrical tipoff.


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