Erasmus, Adages 1.42:
“With Minerva Unwilling”
This phrase is most celebrated among the Latins: With Minerva unwilling, used to mean something like with one’s mind resisting, with nature rebelling, or with heaven being unfavorable. Cicero, in his On Duties, writes: With Minerva, as they say, unwilling. Cicero also writes in his twelfth book of Familiar Letters:
During the festival of Minerva, I conducted your case with Minerva not unwilling.
Again, in the third book of the same work:
Since you want it so, I think that I will do it with a not unwilling Minerva.
Horace writes:
You will neither say nor do anything with Minerva unwilling.
Seneca alluded to this when he said:
Minds respond badly under compulsion…
INVITA MINERVA
Latinis et illud est celebratissimum: Inuita Minerua pro eo, quod est: refragante ingenio, repugnante natura, non fauente coelo. Cicero in Officiis: Inuita, vt aiunt, Minerua. Idem libro Epistolarum familiarium duodecimo:
Quinquatribus frequenti senatu causam tuam egi non inuita Minerua.
Rursum eiusdem operis libro tertio:
Idque quoniam tu ita vis, puto me non inuita Minerua facturum.
Horatius:
Tu nihil inuita dices faciesue Minerua.
Huc allusit Seneca, cum dixit:
Male respondere coacta ingenia.
