
IN PARASITOS.
Professional spongers

Quos tibi donamus fluviales accipe cancros,
Munera conveniunt moribus ista tuis.
His oculi vigiles, & forfice plurimus ordo
Chelarum armatus, maximaque alvus adest.
Sic tibi propensus stat pingui abdomine venter,
Pernicesque pedes, spiculaque apta pedi,
Cum vagus in triviis, mensaeque sedilibus erras,
Inque alios mordax scommata salsa iacis.[1]
Receive these river crabs which we present to you. These gifts match your character. They have watchful eyes, and a great row of claws armed with a pincer, and a huge gut is there. You too have a protruding belly with fat paunch, scuttling feet and sharp weapons on them, as you hang about the crossroads or move among the seats at table, and maliciously shoot your stinging, witty jibes.
1. Variant reading, scommata falsa, ‘libellous witticisms’
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- crustaceans (with NAME) (+ animals used symbolically) [25F716(CRAYFISH)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- crustaceans (with NAME) (+ dying animal; death of animal; dead animal) [25F716(CRAYFISH)(+63)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sea [25H2322] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- abdomen, belly (human being) [31A223] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- celebration meal, feast, banquet [41C5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Sponging, Parasitizing (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57AA6122(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Calumny, Detraction; 'Biasimo vitioso', 'Calunnia', 'Detrattione', 'Maledicenza' (Ripa) [57BB25] Search | Browse Iconclass
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Ex arduis perpetuum nomen.
Lasting renown won through tribulation
XXIII.
Crediderat platani ramis sua pignora passer,
Et bene, ni saevo visa dracone forent.
Glutiit hic pullos omnes, miseramque parentem
Saxeus, & tali dignus obire nece.
Haec, nisi mentitur Calchas, monumenta laboris
Sunt longi, cuius fama perennis erat.[1]
A sparrow had entrusted her young to the branches of a plane-tree, and all would have been well, if they had not been observed by a merciless snake. This creature devoured all the chicks and the hapless parent too, a stony-hearted beast, turned to stone as it deserved. Unless Calchas speaks falsely, these are the tokens of long toil, the fame of which lasted through all the years.

Ewig ehr, auß schwaren thaten.
XXIII.
Ein werck das sol vil jar bestan
In lob und ehr vor aller welt,
Das wil vil zeyt und arbeyt han,
Wie Calchas seinen Griechen meldt,
Sy muesten zehen jar zu veld
Vor Troia ligenn, eê es in gluckt:
Dem zu prob er ein Drachen stelt,
Der einn spatz und neun junge schluckt.
1. See Homer, Iliad 2.299ff. for this portent which occurred at Aulis, where the Greek fleet was waiting to sail for Troy. Calchas the seer interpreted the eating of the eight chicks and their mother, followed by the death of the snake, as foretelling the nine-year battle for Troy, followed by success.
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- song-birds: sparrow (+ young animal) [25F32(SPARROW)(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: sparrow (+ feeding and care of young) [25F32(SPARROW)(+42)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: sparrow (+ nest, den, burrow) [25F32(SPARROW)(+421)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ animal with prey) [25F42(+452)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ climbing animal(s)) [25F42(+5222)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dragon [25FF411] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- flowers [25G41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- a snake is turned into stone by Jupiter, after swallowing eight young birds and their mother (when the Greeks are assembled in Aulis before sailing to Troy) [97N72] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Industriousness, Assiduity; 'Assiduità', 'Industria', 'Zelo' (Ripa) [54A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Difficulty (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54DD4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Punishment; 'Castigo', 'Pena', 'Punitione' (Ripa) [57BB13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fame; 'Fama', 'Fama buona', 'Fama chiara' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [59B32(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sacrifice to Jupiter and Apollo: a snake swallows a nest of eight young birds and their mother; the augur Calchas explains the portent [94D12] Search | Browse Iconclass
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