"Inter Faeces..." Quote

Amy West medievalist at W-STS.COM
Sun Feb 4 21:16:08 UTC 2007


If it's in PL, then someone on Medtext-l should be able to sniff it out . . .
I can forward the query along if you like. It sounds like it should
be from Augustine's Confessions if it really is in Augustine.

---Amy West

>Date:    Fri, 2 Feb 2007 12:49:16 -0500
>From:    Fred Shapiro <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>Subject: "Inter Faeces..." Quote
>
>Someone has asked me for the source of the saying "Inter faeces et urinam
>nascimur."  I see that it is widely attributed to Augustine, but without a
>precise source.  I would welcome any help on this.
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
>Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE BOOK OF QUOTATIONS
>    Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press
>Yale Law School                             ISBN 0300107986
>e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:10:15 -0500
>From:    Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
>Subject: Re: "Inter Faeces..." Quote
>
>Gershon Legman attributed the aphorism to St. Odo of Cluny. For many
>years I have quested for its source (even in the electronic Migne
>Patrologia), with no success. Maybe I'm not searching with
>sufficiant skill or piety.
>
>It sometimes appears in the form "Inter urinam et faeces nascimur."
>
>Charlie
>________________________________________________

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