Inspirational In Medio Currere Metuo

[Merak]

It's a family Motto... and I'm curious how the original translator got "I never fear to go in the middle". Please help If you have a better translation based on information other than Google Translate, please elaborate and include references.

 

[Pacifica]

It is "I fear to run in the middle".

I have no references, I don't know where it might have been inspired from, if this is what you mean by "references".

I suppose it could mean fear of mediocrity.

 

[Merak]

That's a literal translation, but we all know words sometimes do not mean their literal translation. I'm no history major but I was curious if there was some sort of literary evidence to support something positive. Loosely I translate it myself to something like "I fear to be mundane".

 

[Pacifica]

In medio can also mean "in public"... Though at first sight "in the middle" seems to make more sense.

 

[Merak]

Any other ideas?

 

[limetrees]

I suppose the "I fear being mundane" could be a reading.

Could it be a misreading of "in medio currere metu": To run into the midst of fear
?
This might also translate however - someone correct if I'm wrong - To run (away) in the midst of fear.

This is all clutching at straws a bit.

 

[Pacifica]

Could it be a misreading of "in medio currere metu": To run into the midst of fear
?
This might also translate however - someone correct if I'm wrong - To run (away) in the midst of fear.

Second interpretation possible, first normally not, because then it would be accusative

 

[Merak]

I recently hired a company to research my family's heraldry and this was the "family motto" they found to be "genuine". The direct translation seems nothing like what you would want as a motto, which is why I'm questioning what it could truly mean. How could one take a positive notion out of "being afraid of being in the middle"? Does being in the middle such as in warfare mean less important? Did being in the middle mean something bad by someone who would have used this as a mantra to strive him to be better? Please help me understand this phrase.

 

[cinefactus]

The front in a battle implies bravery. In the middle of the pack means mediocrity.

 

[Pacifica]

I still can think of no other interpretation than fear of mediocrity.

It's more exactly "running in the middle", not "being".