Navigare necesse est; vivere non est necesse. From Historiographic discourse to fado

Abstract

This paper deals with the Latin expression Nauigare necesse est; uiuere non est necesse. First, it attempts to establish the quote’s tradition from its former appearance in Plutarch –who attributes it to Pompey–, to the Medieval Hanseatic League –that made it its motto–, and to later poetic and political-rhetorical discourses, such as those of Gabrielle D’Annunzio, Benito Mussolini, Fernando Pessoa, Caetano Veloso or Ulysses Guimarâes. Second, it proposes an interdiscursive analysis of the texts in order to recognize the different nuances and uses of the expression. At the same time, some questions regarding translation and affecting interpretation are addressed.