Scientia potentia est is perhaps better translated as "knowledge is His power", because the context of the sentence refers to the qualities of God and is imbedded in a discussion of heresies that deny the power of God: "statuuntque latiores terminos scientiae Dei quam potestatis, vel potius ejus partis potestatis Dei (nam et ipsa scientia potestas est) qua scit, quam ejus qua movet et agit: ut praesciat quaedam otiose, quae non praedestinet et praeordinet". The English translation of this section includes the following: Interpretation of the notion of power meant by Bacon must therefore take into account his distinction between the power of
Ad astra (phrase) Ad astra (phrase) Ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars". The phrase has origins with Virgil, who wrote "sic itur ad astra" ("thus one journeys to the stars", from "Aeneid" book IX, line 641, spoken by Apollo to Aeneas's young son Iulus) and "opta ardua pennis astra sequi" ("desire to pursue the high (or hard to reach) stars on wings" book XII, lines 892–893, spoken by Aeneas to his foe Turnus in their combat). Another origin is Seneca the Younger, who wrote "non est ad astra mollis e terris via" ("there is no easy way from the