
EX LITERARUM STUDIIS
immortalitatem acquiri.
Immortality won through literary pursuits
Neptuni tubicen, cuius pars ultima coetum,
Aequoreum facies indicat esse deum
Serpentis medio Triton comprenditur orbe,
Qui caudam inserto mordicus ore tenet.
Fama viros animo insignes praeclaraque gesta.
Prosequitur, toto mandat & orbe legi.[1]
Triton, Neptune’s trumpeter, whose tail shows him as a sea-monster, his face as a god of the sea, is surrounded by an encircling snake which bites on its own tail, gripped fast in its mouth. Fame follows after men of outstanding intellect and their noble achievements, and bids them be read throughout all the world.
1. The trumpet represents fame, the encircling serpent eternity.
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- serpent Ouroboros [23A21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ animals used symbolically) [25F42(+1):49D36] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ animal rotating, twisting) [25F42(+5253)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sea (seascape) [25H23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- chest, bust (+ nude human being) [31A222(+89)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head slanting to the right [31A246] Search | Browse Iconclass
- floating (movement in water) [31A2774] Search | Browse Iconclass
- monsters ~ swimming mammals (+ tail) [31A4527(+23)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- merman [31A4561] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- 'litterae', symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ literature; 'Lettere' (Ripa) [48C90] Search | Browse Iconclass
- education, science and learning [49] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Immortality, Imperishableness; 'Immortalit…' (Ripa) [58B3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fame; 'Fama', 'Fama buona', 'Fama chiara' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [59B32(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Triton blows on a twisted sea shell to raise or calm the waves [92H331] Search | Browse Iconclass
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CUSTODIENDAS VIR-
gines.
Girls must be guarded
Vera haec effigies[1] innuptae est Palladis, eius
Hic Draco, qui dominae constitit ante pedes.
Cur divae Comes hoc animal? custodia rerum
Huic data, sic lucos, sacraque templa colit.[2]
Innuptas opus est cura asservare puellas,
Pervigili laqueos undique tendit amor.[3]
This is the true image of virgin Pallas. Her snake is here, positioned at his mistress’s feet. Why does this creature accompany the goddess? The task of guarding things was entrusted to it, and so it looks after groves and sacred temples. It is necessary to guard unmarried girls with ever-watchful care - Love lays his snares on every side.
1. ‘Image of virgin Pallas’. Pallas Athene, virgin goddess and protectress of the city of Athens, represented with helmet, spear and aegis. Pallas Athene was equated with Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. Pausanias, Periegesis 1.24.7 mentions such a statue with a snake.
2. See Macrobius, Saturnalia 1.20.3: ‘the snake with its keen and ever-watchful sight has assigned to it the custodianship of temples, shrines, oracles and treasures.’ Ancient Greek holy sites often housed a snake.
3. ‘Love lays his snares on every side’ - a proverbial saying.
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- dragon (large fabulous serpent, sometimes with wings and legs) [25FF422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched sidewards [31A2513] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult woman [31D15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- coat, cape [41D212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- drapery, draped garment, 'Gewandgebung' [41D27] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helved weapons, polearms (for striking, hacking, thrusting): lance [45C14(LANCE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Minerva as patroness [92C271] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Minerva (with NAME) [92C28(DRAGON)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- 'Verginità' (Ripa) [31A72110] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snare «« KEY (4141) TO 43C1 sports, games ~ animals [43C1(+4141)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Protection; 'Custodia', 'Difesa contra nimici, malefici & venefici', 'Difesa contra pericoli', 'Riparo da i tradimenti' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E42(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Cupid, Amor (Eros) [92D1] Search | Browse Iconclass
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