Link to an image of this page [E5r f37r]Maledicentia.[1]
Evil speaking
Archilochi[2] tumulo insculptas de marmore vespas
Esse ferunt,[3] linguae certa sigilla malae.
They say that on the tomb of Archilochus wasps were carved in marble, sure figures of an evil tongue.
1. It is to be noted that in this edition, Maledicentia and Contra are treated as one emblem whereas in other editions Contra is treated as an emblem in its own right called Principis Clementia.
2. Archilochus was an eighth-century BC poet, author of much (now fragmentary) verse, including satire. This last was considered in antiquity to be excessively abusive and violent. See Horace, Ars Poetica, 79; also Erasmus, Adagia, 60 (Irritare crabrones).
3. ferunt, ‘they say’: words suggested by Anthologia Graeca, 7.71, an epigram concerning the tomb of Archilochus.
Related Emblems
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
Relating to the text:
- kinds of non-precious stone: marble [25D12(MARBLE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- insects: wasp (+ animals used symbolically) [25F711(WASP)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- grave, tomb [4.20E+32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- inscription [49L8] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Calumny, Detraction; 'Biasimo vitioso', 'Calunnia', 'Detrattione', 'Maledicenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57BB25(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(ARCHILOCHI)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male persons from classical history (with NAME) representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(ARCHILOCHUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
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