YOUR paper published Zacharia "Sakie" Matome's obituary on Friday, July 3 in which it was stated that as a passionate academic and sportsman, he inculcated that passion in his children with the motto "a healthy mind in a healthy body". The Latin expression was also indicated.
I wish to put it on record that the correct Latin expression is Mens sana in corpore sano, the original version of which was Sit mens sana in corpore sano and was derived from Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal.
In education the expression is attributed to John Locke, a great philosopher, who propounded that in education the mind should not be developed to the exclusion of the body, hence "a healthy mind in a healthy body".
Shadrack Phele, Johannesburg
Latin expression in obituary was wrong
YOUR paper published Zacharia "Sakie" Matome's obituary on Friday, July 3 in which it was stated that as a passionate academic and sportsman, he inculcated that passion in his children with the motto "a healthy mind in a healthy body". The Latin expression was also indicated.
I wish to put it on record that the correct Latin expression is Mens sana in corpore sano, the original version of which was Sit mens sana in corpore sano and was derived from Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal.
In education the expression is attributed to John Locke, a great philosopher, who propounded that in education the mind should not be developed to the exclusion of the body, hence "a healthy mind in a healthy body".
Shadrack Phele, Johannesburg