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Silentium.
Silence
EMBLEMA XI.
Cum tacet, haud quicquam differt sapientibus amens:
Stultitiae est index linguaque voxque suae.
Ergo premat labias, digitoque silentia signet:
Et sese Pharium vertat in Harpocratem[1].
When he is silent, the fool differs no whit from the wise. It is tongue and voice that betray his stupidity. Let him therefore put his finger to his lips and so mark silence, and turn himself into Egyptian Harpocrates.
1. Harpocrates, also known as Horus, was the son of the Egyptian divinity Isis. He avenged the murder of his father Osiris by Set/Typhon. He is often represented as an infant with his finger held to his mouth as a sign of silence and economy of words. See Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride 68.
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Relating to the image:
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand(s) towards the mouth [31A2536] Search | Browse Iconclass
- putting a finger to the lips, 'Silentium'; 'Silentio' (Ripa) [31B623591] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- study; 'studiolo'; library [41A251] Search | Browse Iconclass
- window [41A33] Search | Browse Iconclass
- table [41A711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shelves, rack, sideboard [41A712] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cover for table, etc. [41A713] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armchair, seat [41A7212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cushion [41A7221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- coat, cape (+ men's clothes) [41D212(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (+ men's clothes) [41D221(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- gear for legs and feet (+ men's clothes) [41D233(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar in his study [49C32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- book [49M32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- book - MM - book open [49MM32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Harpocrates [96A33] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) [52A51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ignorance; 'Ignoranza', 'Ignoranza di tutte le cose', 'Ignoranza in un ricco senza lettere' (Ripa) [52AA5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Taciturnity; 'Secretezza', 'Secretezza overo Taciturnità' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52DD3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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