The culture of ancient Rome had a huge impact on all of European civilization. Many words and even phrases were borrowed by European languages from Latin. Europeans did not ignore the sayings of the great thinkers of the past. One of these borrowed quotes, known in all corners of the earth, is “through thorns to the stars”. The meaning of this phrase may not be completely clear to our contemporaries. Let's try to figure out who came up with this phrase and what it means.
Origin of phrase
For the first time, the phrase “through thorns to the stars” was sounded in Latin. The meaning of this phrase is revealed in the work of the Roman philosopher and thinker Seneca. This figure made a significant contribution to history, literature and philosophy, his works are still being studied at the departments of leading universities in the world. In his work "Frantic Hercules", the philosopher describes the exploits of the legendary hero, and he emphasized the results of his journey with the phrase: "The path from the earth to the stars is not smooth." In Latin, the slogan was: Non levis astra vitam terrae. Readers really liked the phrase, because the life path of every person is not covered with roses. But to reinforce the effect, the verbal construction had to be strengthened somehow. The dull, original terra - land, had to be replaced with a more capacious word.
Replacing words
The words in the phrase should be replaced, but so that the general meaning remains the same. So there was a replacement for the word “earth” with “thorns”. This is the name of the thorny shrub growing on abandoned or badlands. The turn was an ordinary shrub for the inhabitants of Ancient Rome, so a small replacement of concepts did not cause them any inconvenience. The motto “Through thorns to the stars” was liked by admirers of the Roman philosopher, and a little later became a fairly common phrase.
Christianity and thorns
On the contrary, the Christian religion gave this expression a special meaning. It was through the suffering of the Savior for Christians around the world to open the way to eternal bliss. But Christ was crowned with a crown of thorns, which became the unambiguous symbol of the torment of the Savior in the whole Christian culture. The thorns of thorns, according to the Jews, were a caustic mockery of Jesus. But pain and suffering did not humiliate Christ. Through torment, he ascended into heaven and, having risen, gave eternal life to those who believed in him. Perhaps that is why the simple replacement of the word “earth” with “thorns” began to have a deeper meaning, and the meaning of the expression “through thorns to the stars” became clear to the whole Christian world.
Mottos and slogans
The winged expression has often been heard in quotes from great people of the past. The motto Per aspera ad astra became known in the languages of many peoples, and even met on the arms of the noble families. It is not forgotten at the present time. Seneca’s famous motto, having undergone some changes, has conveyed to this day its original meaning. “Through thorns to the stars” is the motto of many sports and intellectual teams. Under this slogan, various competitions are held in all corners of the earth. And in the youth environment, this saying is often found in the form of a tattoo. This pattern is applied by both boys and girls. Perhaps this is how teenagers prove their commitment to the dream - the way they understand it.
Modern meaning
The modern meaning of the phrase “through thorns to the stars” has practically retained its original meaning. So now they call the long, difficult path of man to fame, to deserved success or to his cherished goal. Initial difficulties on the way become prickly “thorns”, barriers that are worth overcoming on the way to the dream. A similar meaning of the phrase lies in many speech turns of modern Russian speech. And in Soviet times, this saying was called a fairly well-known film.
Scenario and production
Of course, in Soviet times, the famous saying “through thorns to the stars” had a very distant meaning from Christianity. The film was shot in 1980 according to the script of Cyrus Bulychov and spoke about the hard ways of man in the universe.
The essence of the plot of the picture boils down to the fact that, in the deep expanses of space, the reconnaissance ship of earthlings discovered the only surviving creature grown artificially. The film reveals the path of the girl-clone of Nessa and shows the search for her true purpose. The tape was very popular among Soviet moviegoers and even won several valuable art awards. Perhaps now, after three decades, the scenes from the film may seem naive, but the general meaning of the idea is that each of us must go his own life path, and each one has his own, individual goal, which we must achieve.
Summary
Of course, each of us has the right to independently seek our understanding of the phrase in "through thorns to the stars." The meaning of the phrase is quite clear, and it can be revealed according to one's own understanding of the path to success. Perhaps some of us will like the original meaning of Seneca’s creation - the simple man’s path to heaven, to the kingdom of ancient gods. From the work, we can conclude that thanks to the perfect deeds, every mortal can ascend to fame and recognition.
The believer will be closer to the symbol of the crown of thorns, reminiscent of the torment of the Savior. Here recognition and fame come not through feats, but through torment and deprivation, which can be encountered on the path of every Christian.
And many of us will think of the meaning “through thorns to the stars” as a reminder that each person’s path to a cherished dream lies through numerous obstacles, overcoming which we become better, wiser and stronger.