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Ever to Excel

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"Ever to Excel" is the English translation of the Ancient Greek αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν ("aien aristeuein"). It has been used as motto by a number of different educational institutions.

History

It is derived from the sixth book of Homer's Iliad, (Iliad 6. 208) in a speech Glaucus delivers to Diomedes. During a battle between the Greeks and Trojans, Diomedes is impressed by the bravery of a mysterious young man and demands to know his identity. Glaucus replies: "Hippolocus begat me. I claim to be his son, and he sent me to Troy with strict instructions: Ever to excel, to do better than others, and to bring glory to your forebears, who indeed were very great ... This is my ancestry; this is the blood I am proud to inherit."

Usage as a motto

Engraving of the motto on Bapst Library at Boston College

It has been the motto of a number of educational institutions, including:

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