# There's no future in history.



## paragraphic1

At 47, I have finally earned my BA degree in American studies with a concentration in history. Previously, I had done the practical thing for twenty years and worked in retail management and I was burned out. My wife understood and encouraged me to take my education in a completely different direction. To say other friends and family didn’t get it would be putting it mildly. 

One day, after being asked for the the millionth time what I could possibly do with a history degree, I answered in frustration, “Nothing. There’s no future in history.” 

“There’s no future in history.” has become my cheerful reply to a world increasingly hung up on monetary results over the intellectual journey. What could be more perfect for my graduation gift to myself than to incorporate that sentiment into a tattoo as a Latin motto and a reminder to myself of the surpassing value I’ve found in education? For this reason, I’d really appreciate the help of Latin enthusiasts in settling on the best translation. 

Thanks!


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## Scholiast

Greetings paragraphic1, and a warm and hearty welcome to the Latin Forum.

I cannot imagine why anyone would want to get themselves tattooed, except old-fashioned mariners who might want a Brazilian anchor on their upper arm, but if you must insist, _nulla exstat in historia futura. _Better rather, _sine historia nulla futura_: 'without History there is no Future'. As his Trumpship demonstrates. 

Congratulations however on your intellectual enlightenment, and warmest wishes for its continuation.

Σ


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## metaphrastes

Scholiast said:


> if you must insist, _nulla exstat in historia futura. _Better rather, _sine historia nulla futura_: 'without History there is no Future'


Great suggestion! I would suggest instead of a tattoo doing rather a two-faced medal: one silver face, having the first sentence, with its subjacent bittersweet irony that none except your best and true friends might understand - say, as the hidden face of moon. And another golden face, having the second sentence, as a shining truth, absolutely evident to anyone who knows just a bit of history.
Actually, the post-modernist myth of the end of history is just the fruit of a generation who simply chose to hope for a non-future by despising history and our roots to be found in past. They deprive man from being and see in him just a becoming that tends to annihilation, and that is nothing but voluntary denial of purpose in anything. And purpose is much much more than mere utility.


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## Scholiast

Greetings once more

Yes, after metaphrastes' suggestion (# 3), have a medallion made to wear round your neck or a ring with the inscription. You could even contemplate finding, and giving, a complementary token to the lady who has supported and helped you.

This would be for her as well as for you a classier sign than a tattoo of your commitment and bond.

And on second thoughts, please go for _sine historia nulla futura_. I wrote my earlier reply (#2) in indecent haste.

God go with you—both.

Σ


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## wandle

Messrs. Scholiast and metaphrastes, with all goodwill, appear to me to be offering the opposite of what is requested.


paragraphic1 said:


> “There’s no future in history.”


This is intentionally ironical, so why take out the irony and say _sine historia nulla futura_ 'There is no future without history'?

As a motto, you could say simply: _*acta non agenda*. 
_
This can be read more than one way.
(1) We can understand the verb 'to be', making it a full sentence, _acta non sunt agenda: _'The things done are not the things to be done'. In other words, 'The past is not the future', or 'We do not have to relive the past' or 'We must not relive the past'.
(2) We can take it simply as a motto: 'The past, not the future [is my theme]'.


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## Tao

Congratulations, paragraphic1. It is good that you finished your degree.

I will add a simple literal translation. Perhaps someone better than I at Latin will correct it.

*in historiā sunt nūlla futūra*

or, now that I think of it, a less literal one,

*ex historiā nūlla futūra venient *(“No future will come from history”)

or, perhaps,

*ex historiā venient nūlla futūra *(“No future will come from history”)

or, perhaps,

*ex historiā veniunt nūlla futūra *(“No future comes from history”)


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## Scholiast

Greetings again

It seems necessary to clear up a minor confusion, arising from...


Tao said:


> Congratulations, paragraphic1. It is good that you finished your degree.
> 
> I will add a simple literal translation. Perhaps someone better than I at Latin will correct it.
> 
> *in historiā sunt nūlla futūra*
> 
> or, now that I think of it, a less literal one,
> 
> *ex historiā nūlla futūra venient *(“No future will come from history”)
> 
> or, perhaps,
> 
> *ex historiā venient nūlla futūra *(“No future will come from history”)
> 
> or, perhaps,
> 
> *ex historiā veniunt nūlla futūra *(“No future comes from history”)



The word _futura _can be construed in three different ways:
(1) as the future participle of _esse _("to be") in fem. nom. sing.
(2) as the future participle of _esse _(likewise) in neut. nom. (or acc.) plur.

In both (1) and (2) it has the sense of "going to be".

(3) as an abstract noun, in more or less the English sense of "(the) future"; this is not very classical, but for the purposes of an aphorism or motto it would be fine.

In all of Tao's suggestions, the word is being treated in sense (2), hence his plural verbs. But all his sour sentences sound clunky to me.

In fact however, Latin, particularly for epigrammatically punchy aphorisms, likes to omit verbs wherever possible. So I would recommend sticking with _ex historia nulla futura_, which leaves it nicely ambiguous whether sense (2) or sense (3) is to be understood.

Σ


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