Two languages | Two souls

Summary

Quintus Ennius, an ancient Roman poet, believed in achieving immortality through his enduring words, a concept illustrated by the author's personal experience with language influencing personality and the adoption of Ennius's proverbs.

Abstract

The text discusses the legacy of Quintus Ennius, a Roman poet who claimed that his work would grant him eternal life. This claim seems to hold true as his sayings, such as "A friend in need is a friend indeed," are still in use today. The author reflects on the transformative power of language, noting how speaking Spanish feels like adopting a new persona, and contrasts this with the challenges of learning Japanese from a non-representative speaker, which led to embarrassing interactions. The author admires Ennius's lasting impact and ponders the possibility of creating something as enduring, settling on a personal aphorism about the irony of hard work in pursuit of easy money, which pales in comparison to Ennius's timeless quotes.

Opinions

The author finds intuitive truth in Ennius's quote "He who has two languages has two souls," experiencing a shift in personality when speaking Spanish.
Learning Japanese from a young woman led to the author's misunderstanding of how Japanese men typically speak, causing slight embarrassment in professional settings.
There is an admiration for Ennius's achievement of immortality through his words, setting a high standard for modern creators.
The author is skeptical of their own ability to craft a saying that would resonate for centuries, juxtaposing their own musings with Ennius's profound impact.
The author acknowledges the irony and personal experience with the allure of get-rich-quick schemes, coining the phrase "I’ve never worked harder than when chasing easy money."

And the route to immortality

Quintus Ennius was a bit of a character. He implored his followers not to grieve upon his death as he would remain alive forever in the words that passed from the mouths of men.

You might pour cold water on his claim, and many people would make such a boast in vain, but in the case of Quintus, his epigrams have lasted so long that he has achieved a measure of immortality.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed” can be traced back to this archetypal Roman poet. As can the quote from the title “He who has two languages has two souls”.

This has always felt intuitively right to me. When I start speaking in Spanish (among native Spanish speakers) I feel as if I don another personality and attitude to life. Maybe that’s why the place I feel most comfortable in the world is sitting at an outdoor cafe in Malaga, with a cafe con leche in front of me and latin humanity streaming by in the street.

Channelling another personality through a learned language can be awkward however. I made the mistake of learning Japanese many years ago from a delightful young lady, only to find some time later that Japanese men speak in very different patterns from my teacher.

Think of the difference between the twittering of a bird on a branch versus the gutteral monosyllabism of a seated Samurai warrior. I exaggerate, but not by much, and I was only tipped off to the difference by the slight smirking from Japanese work colleagues when I tried out my hard-won conversational skills.

So — a Roman poet from the age before…well, anything, and he is still being discussed now, and his proverbs being used more widely than he could ever have imagined.

Now, what can I come up with that might be adopted and repeated, which would reverberate down through the centuries? Nothing comes to mind immediately, except a sad little truth born of too great a fascination with get-rich-quick schemes (surely the topic for a future post or two).

“I’ve never worked harder than when chasing easy money”

Somehow I don’t think that has the resonance to be quoted after two millennia have passed. Congratulations, Quintus Ennius. You have set a high bar for those who come after you.