
IN AVAROS, VEL QUIBUS ME-
lior conditio ab extraneis offertur.
On the avaricious; or being treated better by strangers.
Delphini insidens vada[1] cerula sulcat Arion[2],
Hocque aures mulcet frenat & ora sono.
Quam sit avari hominis, non tam mens dira ferarum est,
Quique viris rapimur, piscibus eripimur.
Astride a dolphin, Arion cleaves the dark blue waves, and with this song charms the creature’s ears and muzzles its mouth: “The mind of wild beasts is not so savage as that of greedy man. We who are savaged by men are saved by fish”.
1. The earlier Augsburg editions read unda.
2. The crew of the ship on which the celebrated musician Arion was travelling, after robbing him, prepared to throw him overboard. He persuaded them to allow him to play his lyre for the last time. Then, after invoking the gods, he jumped into the sea, whereupon a music-loving dolphin conveyed him to land. See Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae 16.19.
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Relating to the image:
- swimming mammals: dolphin (+ postures of the head ~ animal) [25F27(DOLPHIN)(+54)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sea (seascape) [25H23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- wave [25H2311] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking upwards [31B6211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- animal taking care of man [34F2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- harp - CC - out of doors [48CC7322] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one person playing string instrument (plucked) - CC - out of doors [48CC7522] Search | Browse Iconclass
- singer accompanying himself - CC - out of doors [48CC7541] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Arion rides on a dolphin, holding his lyre [98B(ARION)51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Arion suffering, misfortune of person from classical history [98B(ARION)6] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- 'Ajuto', 'Soccorso' (Ripa) [33A610] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Greed, Covetousness, Cupidity; 'Cupidità ' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [55CC11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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