"Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile." - Hippocrates
Questions:
Why is this quote from the ancient Greek "Father of Medicine" passed down to us in Latin translation?
Why do we usually only get the "Ars longa, vita brevis" part, which might suggest rather a different meaning than the entire phrase?
If this can be rendered into English as 'life is short, the art (craft/skill) long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult', would you interpret the meaning as, 'it takes a long time to acquire and perfect one's expertise (in, say, medicine) and one has but a short time in which to do it'.
And couldn't this be pretty well be summed up as, "Ars longa, vita brevis"
H/T to Argyle at The Corner
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