Et in Arcadia Ego

Why did I choose Et in Arcadia Ego for the tagline of my website?

Arcadia, home of the god Pan in greek mythology, was a pastoral and sparsely populated region of ancient Greece. Idealized as a pure, rural utopia by urban, Hellenistic Greeks, by the time of the Renaissance it’s name had become synonymous with the pristine beauty of unspoiled wilderness and the idyllic simplicity of pastoral life. works by Guercino and Nicolas Poussin, both titled Et in Arcadia Ego (after a line from Virgil’s Eclogues) which translates as “I too [was] in Arcadia”, remind us that Death exists even in such a beautiful and joyful place as the earthly paradise of Arcadia.

This reminds me very much of disease ecology. Looking out over gorgeous mountain meadows and rolling headwater streams on a spring day, “diseased” is probably not a word one would use to describe the scene. However, pathogens and parasites are ubiquitous members of ecological communities, often acting “behind the scenes” to help shape the communities and ecosystems around us. Et in Arcadia Ego is a reminder that disease is an important part of even the most beautiful and vibrant ecosystems. It’s also a reference to my love of wild places, and a nod to one of my favorite books.

Et in Arcadia ego – Nicolas Poussin (1638)