Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! (Isaiah 17:12).

Dolphin with Anchor: “Hasten Slowly”

A famous historic symbol to express moderation is the device of a dolphin twisted round an anchor. This was inscribed on his coins by Titus, the Emperor of Rome, and was meant by him to express that golden mean between hurry and delay—the failure which comes from rushing without premeditation, and hesitation through overmuch caution. The anchor is thus the symbol of delay, as it is also of firmness and security, while the dolphin is regarded as the swiftest and most mercurial of fish.

Frequently the dolphin and anchor are used as a family crest, with the explanatory motto, Festina lente, “Hasten slowly.” The symbol, therefore, fitly expresses the idea of moderation, of that just balance between two opposing forces. It represents, also, that maturity in business which is the medium between too great haste and too great hesitation.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.