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BONIS A DIVITIBUS nihil
timendum.
The good have nothing to fear from the rich
Iunctus contiguo Marius, mihi pariete, nec non,
Subbardus[1] nostri nomina nota fori.[2]
Aedificant bene nummati, sattaguntque vel ultro,
Obstruere heu nostris undique luminibus.
Me miserum geminae, quem tamquam phinea restant [=raptant]
Harpyae,[3] ut propriis sedibus eiiciant.
Integritas vestra [=nostra]
, atque animus quesitor honesti,[4]
His nisi sunt [=sisnt]
Zetes, his nisi sint Calais.
Marius is joined to me by a connecting wall, and so is Subbardus, names well-known in our little community. Having plenty of cash, they are building, and what’s more, busily doing their best, without any provocation on my part, to block my windows, alas, on every side. What a plight I am in - I am like Phineus, attacked by two Harpies, trying to throw me out of my own home, unless my integrity, my mind that is a seeker of the right, act as my Zetes and my Calais against them.
1. Marius, the typical self-made man (referring to humble origins of Gaius Marius, the consul and general). Subbardus, possibly ‘Mr. Thick’.
2. nostri...fori, ‘in our little community’, probably a reference to the forum in any Roman town as a centre of commercial and legal activities. So these are businessmen or lawyers, possibly the second, as they are acting illegally on several counts.
3. The Harpies, symbols of injustice, were carrying off or soiling Phineus’ food so that he could not eat. He was delivered by Zetes and Calais, the winged sons of the North Wind and Oreithyia. See e.g. Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.711-7.4.
4. Integritas...quaesitor. These words (‘integrity’, ‘seeker’) are probably a punning reference to supposed etymologies of Calais and Zetes as if derived from Greek kalos ‘beautiful, good’ and zetein ‘to seek’. For the sentiment of lines 7 - 8, cf. Horace, Odes 1.22.1-2: he whose life is blameless and who knows no sin has no need of Moorish weapons.
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- animals (+ wings of an animal) [25F(+342)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward [31A2512] Search | Browse Iconclass
- monsters ~ birds - AA - female (+ legs, wings, etc.) [31AA453(+3)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boy (child between toddler and youth) (+ nude human being) [31D11221(+89)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cupids fighting fabulous animals [92D19163] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Harpies (classical mythology) [92I76] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Calais and Zetes chase away the Harpies that plagued Phineus [94A351] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- shadow [22C8] Search | Browse Iconclass
- neighbour [33A7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fence, wall, paling [41A54] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the rich [46A160] Search | Browse Iconclass
- building activities [47G] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Badness (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54AA5(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- Integrity (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A613(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) other representations to which the NAME of a historical person may be attached (with NAME of person) [61B2(MARIUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) other representations to which the NAME of a historical person may be attached (with NAME of person) [61B2(SUBBARDUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
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