by Sir Jose Sison Luzadas, KCR – The Order of the Knights of
Rizal borrowed the Latin phrase “Non Omnis Moriar” from Quintus
Horatius Flaccus or Horace in the English speaking world. Before
becoming the most celebrated Roman poet after Virgil; Horace was
active in Roman politics. Soon after the assassination of Julius
Caesar, he looked upon Brutus as the man the fate of the Roman
Republic depended upon. On the verge of civil war, he joined the
republican cause and enlisted in the military as a tribune
against the forces of Octavian (later Augustus Caesar) and Marc
Antony. The army he commanded was heavily defeated and in one
skirmish, Horace was seen running away after he dropped his
shield and sword. It was a humiliation known to his friends and
enemies alike. Despite his disastrous military career, Horace
resolved to forget the incident by his determined effort to
pursue his talent for poetry. Horace’s friendship with Virgil
and the proclamation of general amnesty by Emperor Augustus
brought him back to Rom