You may have heard these words before, but I’ll teach you what they really mean! (historically)

    by ScoobiSnacc

    6 Comments

    1. ScoobiSnacc on

      **Context:** Since 1516, the phrase *”Plus Ultra”* has been the national motto of Spain, and before that, the personal motto of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Spain. It is a Latin phrase which translates to *”Further Beyond”* as a response to the Pillars of Hercules at the Straight of Gibraltar. In antiquity, the Pillars represented the edge of the known world and supposedly once bore the inscription *”Non Plus Ultra” (”Nothing Further Beyond”).* For Charles V, the phrase was a call to action for expanding the edges of the known world and establishing the Spanish Empire as, in his words, *”El Imperio Donde Nunca se Pone el Sol”* or *”The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets”.* Despite its imperialist origins, the phrase has since come to represent striving for excellence and pushing one’s limits, later seeing a resurgence in popularity due to the manga/anime series My Hero Academia.

    2. Cultural-Flow7185 on

      The empire would indeed be set upon, and it would be faster than they’d like.

    3. Don’t forget that they brought down the two most powerful empires in the New World.

    4. pinespplepizza on

      Most underrated ruler imo favorite guy to learn about during the Renaissance

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