Link to an image of this page [n5v p202]
Litera occidit, spiritus
vivificat.[1]
The letter kills but the spirit gives life
XLV.
Vipereos Cadmus dentes ut credidit arvis,
Sevit & Aonio semina dira solo,
Terrigenum clypeata cohors extorta virorum est,
Hostili inter se qui cecidere manu.
Evasere quibus monitu Tritonidos armis
Abiectis data pax, dextraque iuncta fuit.[2]
Primus Agenorides[3] elementa notasque magistris
Tradidit, iis suavem iunxit & harmoniam.[4]
Quorum discipulos contraria plurima vexant,
Non nisi Palladia quae dirimuntur ope.
When Cadmus entrusted the dragon’s teeth to the furrows and sowed the dread seed in Aonian [Theban] soil, there sprang up a shield-bearing band of earth-born men, who fell by fighting among themselves. Those escaped who at Tritonia’s [Athena’s] command threw down their arms, granted peace and joined right hands. Agenor’s son first gave to teachers letters and symbols and also put together for them sweet musical concord. Many adversities assail those who follow these disciplines, adversities which are resolved only by Pallas Athena’s aid.
1. II Corinthians 3:6.
2. For the story of Cadmus, founder of Thebes (in Aonia, or less correctly in the French, in Thessaly), and the dragon’s teeth, see Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.99ff. Athena, goddess of wisdom - here called Tritonia, from the place of her birth in North Africa - brought the internecine struggle between the earth-born warriors to an end.
3. Agenorides, ‘Agenor’s son’, i.e. Cadmus, who supposedly introduced writing to Greece. The scattering of the dragon’s teeth was interpreted as the invention of the alphabet.
4. harmoniam, ‘musical concord’. Cadmus’ wife was called Harmonia.
Related Emblems
Show related emblemsHint: You can set whether related emblems are displayed by default on the preferences page
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
Relating to the text:
- dragon (large fabulous serpent, sometimes with wings and legs) [25FF422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- protective weapons: shield [45C19(SHIELD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'litterae', symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ literature; 'Lettere' (Ripa) [48C90] Search | Browse Iconclass
- professor [49B43] Search | Browse Iconclass
- symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ science, 'Scientia'; 'Scienza', 'Studio' (Ripa) [49C0] Search | Browse Iconclass
- discussion, dialogue, dispute ~ scholar, philosopher [49C40] Search | Browse Iconclass
- invention of letters [49L10] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A51(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Accord, Accordance (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(GREECE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(LITERA OCCIDIT, SPIRITUS VIVICAT)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cadmus slays the dragon [95A(CADMUS)34] Search | Browse Iconclass
- on Minerva's advice, Cadmus sows the dragon's teeth; a host of armed men springs up [95A(CADMUS)35] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.
Link to an image of this page [Q4v p248]
Morus.
The mulberry
EMBLEMA CCIX.
Serior at morus numquam nisi frigore lapso
Germinat:[1] & sapiens nomina falsa[2] gerit.
On the other hand, the mulberry is late, and never until the frost is past does it shoot; though wise, it bears a false name.
1. See Pliny, Natural History, 16.25.102: “the mulberry is the last of domesticated trees to shoot, and only does so when the frosts are over; for that reason it is called the wisest of trees”.
2. nomina falsa, ‘a false name’, reference to a supposed ‘etymology by opposites’: Latin morus ‘mulberry’ was equated with Greek μῶρος ‘fool’, but the tree was considered wise: see note 1.
Related Emblems
Show related emblemsHint: You can set whether related emblems are displayed by default on the preferences page
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- trees: mulberry-tree (+ plants used symbolically) [25G3(MULBERRY-TREE)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees: mulberry-tree (+ bearing fruit) [25G3(MULBERRY-TREE)(+34)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- frost, freezing weather [26D] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Precaution (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A24(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.
