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Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase meaning "To be, rather than to seem". It has been used as a motto by a number of different groups.

History

Esse quam videri is found in Cicero's essay On Friendship (Laelius de Amicitia, chapter 98). Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt ("Few are those who wish to be endowed with virtue rather than to seem so").

Just a few years after Cicero, Sallust used the phrase in his Bellum Catilinae (54.6), writing that Cato the Younger esse quam videri bonus malebat ("He preferred to be good rather than to seem so").

Previous to both Romans, Aeschylus used a similar phrase in Seven Against Thebes at line 592, at which the scout (angelos) says of the seer/priest Amphiaraus: οὐ γὰρ δοκεῖν ἄριστος, ἀλλ᾽ εἶναι θέλει (ou gàr dokeîn áristos, all' eînai thélei: "he doesn't want to seem, but to be the bravest"). Plato quoted this line in Republic (361b).

Niccolò Machiavelli reversed the phrase to videri quam esse (to seem rather than to be).^[1]

Usage as a motto

North Carolina

Esse quam videri is the state motto of North Carolina, adopted in 1893.^[2]^[3]

Schools and colleges

Esse quam videri is (or was) the motto of a number of schools and colleges around the world, including:

Academy at the Lakes, Land O Lakes, Florida
Academy of the Holy Names, Tampa, Florida
Accra Academy, Accra, Ghana
Albert Academy, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Amarillo High School, Amarillo, Texas
S. Anselm's Preparatory School, Bakewell, England
Appalachian State University (1899), Boone, North Carolina
Ashford School (1899), Ashford, Kent, England
Ashville College (1877), Harrogate, England
Augusta Preparatory Day School (1972), Augusta, Georgia, USA
Bedford College, University of London until c.1990, when Bedford and Royal Holloway Colleges merged and it became the motto of the joint college
Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts, USA and Valencia, Spain
Bordentown Military Institute, (1881-1973), Bordentown, NJ, USA
Boys' Latin School of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Brigham Young University Men's Chorus, Provo, Utah, USA
Clifton House Preparatory School, Harrogate, England
Colyton Grammar School (1546), Colyford, England
Columbia College Chicago (1890), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Connells Point Public School, Sydney, Australia^[4]
Cranbrook School Sydney (1918), Sydney, Australia
Desert Heights Preparatory Academy, Glendale, Arizona^[5]
Darwin High School, Darwin, Australia^[6]
Ellis Robins High School, Harare, Zimbabwe
The Ellis School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Esquimalt High School,^[7] Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Episcopal Academy, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA
The Forest School, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, England
Groton School (1884), Groton, Massachusetts, USA. The motto changed to Cui Servire est Regnare ("To whom to serve is to reign") shortly after the school's founding.
The Hermitage School (1906), Geelong, Australia; which has subsequently become that of The Hermitage House, Geelong Grammar School.
Hartford Public High School, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Highsted Grammar School, Sittingbourne, Kent, England
Homewood School, Tenterden, Kent, England
Hudson Catholic High School, Hudson, Massachusetts
The Hemel Hempstead School (1931), Hemel Hempstead, England.^[8]
Instituto Metodista Bennett (1888), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil^[9]
JMA Armstrong High School, Salisbury, New Brunswick, Canada
John Caldwell School, Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada
The King's College, New York (House of Susan B. Anthony)
Kingsley School, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Kutama College, Norton, Zimbabwe
Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee, USA^[10]
Magee Secondary School, Vancouver, British Columbia
Miami Coral Park Senior High School, Miami, Florida, USA
Montreat College, Montreat, North Carolina
Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; current motto is "mind, body, spirit",
Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace, Washington
National University of Health Sciences (previously National Chiropractic College), Lombard, Illinois^[11]
Peace College (1857), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Queen's College, Queenstown, South Africa
Regent's University London, England
Rhodesway School (1958), Bradford, UK
Rockridge Secondary School, West Vancouver, British Columbia
Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, England
St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, New York, United States.
St. Malachy's Memorial High School, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.^[12]
St Thomas à Becket Catholic College, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Salisbury School, Salisbury, Connecticut, USA
Selaiyur Hall, Madras Christian College, Chennai, India
Seton Hall High School, Patchogue, New York, United States^[13]
Southampton Grammar School for Girls^[14] Southampton, UK
Streetsville Secondary School, Streetsville, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Suffield Academy, Suffield, Connecticut, USA
The Taieri High School, Mosgiel, Otago, New Zealand
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (1999–present), Rutherford County, North Carolina^[15]
Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, Tennessee
Truro School^[16] (1880–present), Truro, Cornwall, England
Boys' Latin School of Maryland (1844), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1946), Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida
Villa Devoto School^[17] (1908), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Wavell State High School, Brisbane, Australia
St Audries School, West Quantoxhead, Taunton, Somerset, England (since closed and now a hotel)
Woodward Career Technical High School (formerly Woodward High School),^[18] Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (Alma mater of William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States)
Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School,^[19] Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
Yeovil School,^[20] Yeovil, Somerset, England

Sororities

Esse quam videri is the motto of the following sororities:

Delta Phi Epsilon sorority,^[21] founded in 1917 at New York University Law School.
House of Susan B. Anthony,^[22] founded exclusively at The King's College NYC.
Phi Delta Alpha,^[23] founded in 2002 at University of Oklahoma
Alpha Chi Lambda,^[24] founded in 1998 at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX.

Fraternities

Esse quam videri is the motto of the following fraternities:

Phi Gamma Nu, National Professional Fraternity in Business, est. Northwestern University 1924.
Lambda Kappa Sigma,^[25] founded in 1913 at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.

Sporting organisations

Kingswood Rugby Football Club, Bristol, UK, use a variant of the motto, "Esse Non Videri" as their club motto.^[26]
White Wolves MC,^[27] Oradea, RO, use a variant of the motto, "Esse Quam Videri Malim" as their club motto.
Outcast Cyclists^[28], U.K. And worldwide use "Esse Quam Videri" as their club motto.

Companies

Brepols Publishers, as found on their older books: "Melius esse quam videri"
Swire Group^[29] esp. its shipping branch, The China Navigation Company.
The phrase is found on the Sibley Mill along the Augusta Canal in Augusta, Georgia. The structure was completed in 1882 and operated until 2006.
The phrase is found on the bottom of bottles of gin from the Isle of HarrisCite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
the Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship, a wilderness EMS training program based in western North Carolina.^[30]
the Brigham Young University Men's Chorus.^[31]
No. 77 Squadron RAF (active during three periods between 1916 and 1963) used the variant, Esse potius quam videri with the same meaning.
The U. S. Consortium of Metropolitan Medical Directors (Eagles).^[32]
The Pan Hellenic Society of Silliman University, Philippines. ^[33]

Popular culture

Television personality Stephen Colbert inverted the statement on his show The Colbert Report to Videri Quam Esse,^[34] meaning "to seem to be rather than to be." It is also engraved across the faux hearth, above the video fireplace, in his studio, under his portrait.

The funk metal band Mordred features a song called Esse quam videri on their 1991 album In This life.

References

^ REMARKS UPON THE LAUNCH OF FIVE MYTHS ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS, A BOOK BY WARD WILSON at the Wayback Machine (archived January 12, 2016)
^ "North Carolina State Motto Esse Quam Videri To Be, Rather Than To Seem". Netstate. Retrieved 2018-04-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
^ "Wat is the NC State Motto? -Our State Magazine". Retrieved 2018-04-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
^ "home". Connellspt-p.schools.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
^ "desertheightsprep.org". desertheightsprep.org. 2003-03-01. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "Darwin_High_School". Schools.nt.edu.au. Archived from the original on 2010-10-31. Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "esquimalt.sd61.bc.ca". esquimalt.sd61.bc.ca. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "Home". Hemel Hempstead School. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
^ [1] Archived November 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ http://www.lanecollege.edu/lanepages.asp?V_menu=01&p_num=05
^ "The motto of the University is Esse Quam Videri ...." "Bulletin, National University of Health Sciences" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Pages - Welcome!". Stm.nbed.nb.ca. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
^ "Seton Hall High School". Retrieved 2011-03-05.
^ "essequamvideri.co.uk". essequamvideri.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-01-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy". Tjca.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "truroschool.com". truroschool.com. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "Villa Devoto School". vdevoto.esc.edu.ar. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^ "Woodward Career Technical High School Official Web Site". Cincinnati Public Schools. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
^ "wyoarea.org". wyoarea.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "Old Yeovilians' Association Home Page". Oldyeovilians.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-07-12. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "dphie.org". dphie.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "tkc.edu". tkc.edu. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "phideltaalpha.com". phideltaalpha.com. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "Alpha Chi Lambda". San Antonio: Trinity University. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
^ "lks.org". lks.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ Burt, Martyn. "kingswoodrfc.co.uk". kingswoodrfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
^ "White Wolves MC Romania - Esse Quam Videri Malim". www.whitewolvesmcromania.ro. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^ "Outcast Cyclists - Esse Quam Videri". Outcast Cyclists - Esse Quam Videri. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^ "Swire". www.swire.com. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^ "Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship - Official Home Page". Blueridgehealth.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-01-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Men's Chorus Philosophy: Esse Quam Videri". Brigham Young University. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
^ "Gathering of Eagles". www.gatheringofeagles.us. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^ "Pan Hellenic Society". www.panhellenicsociety.com. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
^ "Stephen Colbert's new Latin motto". talkshownews.interbridge.com. 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2014-12-31.

[1] REMARKS UPON THE LAUNCH OF FIVE MYTHS ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS, A BOOK BY WARD WILSON at the Wayback Machine (archived January 12, 2016)

[2] "North Carolina State Motto Esse Quam Videri To Be, Rather Than To Seem". Netstate. Retrieved 2018-04-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)

[3] "Wat is the NC State Motto? -Our State Magazine". Retrieved 2018-04-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)

[4] "home". Connellspt-p.schools.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2010-07-12.

[5] "desertheightsprep.org". desertheightsprep.org. 2003-03-01. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[6] "Darwin_High_School". Schools.nt.edu.au. Archived from the original on 2010-10-31. Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[7] "esquimalt.sd61.bc.ca". esquimalt.sd61.bc.ca. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[8] "Home". Hemel Hempstead School. Retrieved 2010-07-12.

[9] [1] Archived November 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

[10] ttp://www.lanecollege.edu/lanepages.asp?V_menu=01&p_num=05

[11] "The motto of the University is Esse Quam Videri ...." "Bulletin, National University of Health Sciences" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[12] "Pages - Welcome!". Stm.nbed.nb.ca. Retrieved 2012-04-20.

[13] "Seton Hall High School". Retrieved 2011-03-05.

[14] "essequamvideri.co.uk". essequamvideri.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-01-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[15] "Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy". Tjca.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[16] "truroschool.com". truroschool.com. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[17] "Villa Devoto School". vdevoto.esc.edu.ar. Retrieved 11 September 2017.

[18] "Woodward Career Technical High School Official Web Site". Cincinnati Public Schools. Retrieved 2012-03-25.

[19] "wyoarea.org". wyoarea.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[20] "Old Yeovilians' Association Home Page". Oldyeovilians.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-07-12. ^{[dead link‍]}

[21] "dphie.org". dphie.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[22] "tkc.edu". tkc.edu. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[23] "phideltaalpha.com". phideltaalpha.com. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[24] "Alpha Chi Lambda". San Antonio: Trinity University. Retrieved 2012-07-04.

[25] "lks.org". lks.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[26] Burt, Martyn. "kingswoodrfc.co.uk". kingswoodrfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-26.

[27] "White Wolves MC Romania - Esse Quam Videri Malim". www.whitewolvesmcromania.ro. Retrieved 11 September 2017.

[28] "Outcast Cyclists - Esse Quam Videri". Outcast Cyclists - Esse Quam Videri. Retrieved 11 September 2017.

[29] "Swire". www.swire.com. Retrieved 11 September 2017.

[30] "Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship - Official Home Page". Blueridgehealth.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-01-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[31] "Men's Chorus Philosophy: Esse Quam Videri". Brigham Young University. Retrieved 2012-11-07.

[32] "Gathering of Eagles". www.gatheringofeagles.us. Retrieved 11 September 2017.

[33] "Pan Hellenic Society". www.panhellenicsociety.com. Retrieved 31 October 2017.

[34] "Stephen Colbert's new Latin motto". talkshownews.interbridge.com. 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2014-12-31.

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@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 *[[Swire Group]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swire.com|title=Swire|website=www.swire.com|accessdate=11 September 2017}}</ref> esp. its shipping branch, [[The China Navigation Company]].
 *The phrase is found on the [[Sibley Mill]] along the [[Augusta Canal]] in Augusta, Georgia. The structure was completed in 1882 and operated until 2006.
+*The phrase is found on the bottom of bottles of gin from the [[Isle of Harris]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harrisdistillery.com/harris-gin}}<ref>.  The bottles are becoming collectors items.
 ===Other organizations===