Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur
“Where the fates draw us and draw us back, let us follow.”
Virgil, Aeneid 5.709
What does “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur” mean?
Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur translates as “Where the fates draw us and draw us back, let us follow.”
Accept the twists of life and keep moving. Fate is not something to fight but to follow with courage.
“Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Quo | to where, in which direction | relative adverb of direction |
| fata | the fates | nominative plural (neuter) of fatum, “fate, destiny”; subject of trahunt and retrahunt |
| trahunt | they draw, they pull | third person plural, present active indicative of traho, “to pull, draw” |
| retrahuntque | and they draw back | retrahunt, third person plural present active indicative of retraho, “to pull back”, with the suffix -que, “and” |
| sequamur | let us follow | first person plural, present subjunctive (hortatory, “let us…”) of sequor, “to follow” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
How to pronounce “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur”
Both pronunciations sound the same here, because there is no c or g before e or i and no ae. Stress trahunt and retrahunt on the second-to-last syllable and sequamur on the second.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “to where the fates draw and draw back, let us follow”. It comes from Virgil’s Aeneid (book 5, line 709), the Roman national epic about the Trojan hero Aeneas.
Aeneas and his Trojan refugees have landed in Sicily on their way to Italy. The Trojan women, weary of the voyage, set fire to the ships. Aeneas is shaken and doubts whether he should settle there or sail on.
The old Trojan Nautes then advises him to leave behind those who cannot continue and to accept whatever fortune brings, and he says these words. Today the line is quoted as a call to accept life’s ups and downs and move on.
How to use “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur”
It suits a tattoo or desk motto for someone who has weathered setbacks and chosen to move forward. It also fits a card for a friend facing a big change, or an essay on fate and acceptance in Virgil or Stoic thought.
- Latin
- Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur
- English
- Where the fates draw us and draw us back, let us follow.
- Source
- Virgil, Aeneid 5.709
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Fate
Common mistakes
- It does not say “follow your fate blindly”. The “draw and draw back” shows fate moving in both directions, with setbacks included.
- Sequamur is a “let us” form, a call to a group. Speaking to one person would need a different form (sequere, “follow”), so do not change the ending casually for a personal tattoo.
- The -que on retrahuntque means “and” and is attached to the end of the word. Writing it as a separate word or dropping it changes the Latin.
- The line is often quoted without its Aeneid context, which makes it sound more fatalistic than the passage, where it is practical advice given in a crisis.
Questions about “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur”
What does “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur” mean literally?
“Where the fates draw and draw back, let us follow.” It means accepting wherever fate leads, forward or backward.
Who said “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur”?
It is from Virgil’s Aeneid, book 5, line 709, spoken by the old Trojan Nautes to Aeneas.
How do you pronounce “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur”?
In Classical Latin: kwoh FAH-tah TRAH-hoont reh-TRAH-hoont-kweh seh-KWAH-moor. The Church pronunciation sounds the same.
Is “Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is Virgil’s own line, so the Latin is authentic. Keep the whole line and the -que ending. Note that sequamur means “let us follow”, plural.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
Related Latin quotes
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.