Virtus.

Laudator Temporis Acti presents a quote from Plautus beginning: virtus praemium est optumum; virtus omnibus rebus anteit profecto The translation (by Paul Nixon) begins “Courage is the very best gift of all; courage stands before everything, it does, it does!” Which made me wonder what exactly virtus means, here and in general. Wiktionary says: 1. manhood, manliness, virility 2. courage, valor, resoluteness, gallantry 3. virtue, goodness 4. excellence, merit, worth, character 5. (figuratively) strength (of medicine or herbs) The OED (entry revised 2013) defines the Latin word as “manliness, valour, worth, merit, ability, particular excellence of character or ability, moral excellence, goodness, this quality personified as a goddess, any attractive or valuable quality, potency, efficacy, special property.” Which makes it sound like it can mean any quality that could be qualified as “good.” Is there any reason to think Plautus means specifically ‘courage’? How do Latinists decide what…