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Fragment 2

22 of 25 chapters in On Fate by Marcus Tullius Cicero

Original Latin

2 volvitque vices definitio fati secundum Tullium, qui ait: fatum est conexio rerum per aeternitatem se invicem tenens, quae suo ordine et lege variatur, ita tamen, ut ipsa varietas habeat aeternitatem. Serv. ad Vergil. A. 3.376

Musean translation

Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the surviving Latin in separate source-only tasks. Sections 1–48 and five fragments/testimonia follow Müller’s 1915 edition; lost passages remain marked. Perseus source and these derived editions CC BY-SA 4.0.

2 “And brings round the changes”: the definition of fate according to Tullius, who says, “Fate is a connection of things holding one another fast through eternity, varying according to its own order and law, yet in such a way that the variation itself is eternal.” Serv. ad Vergil. A. 3.376

Plain English translation

Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted direct-Latin Plain English translation. Initial drafts used separate Latin-only tasks; later source-based editorial revisions were made by a reviewer with prior editorial access to Musean, not from its English wording. Includes all 48 sections and five fragments/testimonia, with lost passages marked. Perseus source and these derived editions CC BY-SA 4.0.

2 “And brings the changes around”: the definition of fate follows Tullius' account. He says: “Fate means events connected to one another through all eternity. This connection varies by its own rule and order. Yet the variation itself lasts eternally.” Serv. ad Vergil. A. 3.376

About this section

Fragment 2 is part of On Fate by Marcus Tullius Cicero. This page sets the Latin original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 22 of 25 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.

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