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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [f8r p95]

Firmissima convelli non posse.

The firmest things cannot be uprooted

LVI.

Wind blowing the leaves off a tree
[Click on image to enlarge]

Oceanus quamvis fluctus pater excitet omnes,[1]
Danubiumque omnem barbare Turca bibas:[2]
Non tamen irrumpes perfracto limite, Caesar
Dum Carolus populis bellica signa dabit.[3]
Sic sacrae quercus[4] firmis radicibus astant,
Sicca licet venti concutiant folia.

Though Father Ocean rouses all his waves, though, barbarous Turk, you drink the Danube dry, yet you shall not break through the boundary and burst in, while Emperor Charles shall give to his peoples the signal for war. Even so, holy oaks stand firm with tenacious roots, though the winds rattle the dry leaves.

COMMENTARIA.

Authoris exclamatio, etiamsi Oceanus va-
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [f8v p96]stum mare, omnes saevos, commoveat fluctus
hoc est licet Mauri, Aphri, seu qualescunque
Occidentalis Oceani infideles & barbarae
gentes Hispaniam praesertim, molestandam
& invadendam insurgant. Atque etiam cru-
delissimus Turca ad Orientem totum exhau-
riat Danubium (fluvius est maximus & cele-
bris Germaniae, qui etiam Ister dicitur, per
Hungariam tandem fluens, quod nobilissi-
mum Regnum ferè totum immanissimus
Turca, iam nuper devastavit). Attamen non
protinus furioso impetu tanquam perfracta
via, pro libitu irrumpet, dum Carolus Caesar
invictissimus Imperator pro nobis bella ge-
ret. Ille nanque sese habet instar quercus,
solidae arboris, cuius sicca folia etsi
ventis conquassata sive denique
ablata fuerint, illa nihilomi-
nus radice forti fir-
maque per-
sistit.

Notes:

1.  This poem is based on Anthologia graeca 9.291, which refers to a threat to ancient Rome from invading German tribes.

2.  The Turks invaded along the Danube and reached Hungary, winning the battle of Mohacs in 1526. When Alciato was writing, they continued to threaten Vienna and Central Europe.

3.   Caesar...Charlus, i.e. Emperor Charles V, led the charge to recover the lost territory.

4.  ‘holy oaks’. Oaks were holy because sacred to Zeus, especially at his sanctuary at Dodona in Greece ([A56a232]). The image of the dry leaves is already present in the Greek poem, but see also Vergil, Aeneid 4.441-4.

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  • Asiatic races and peoples: Turks [32B33(TURKS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Constancy, Tenacity; 'Costanza', 'Tenacit�' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [53A21(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Stability, Firmness; 'Fermezza', 'Stabilimento', 'Stabilit�' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [53A22(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Invincibility (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A71(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • historical person (with NAME) other representations to which the NAME of a historical person may be attached (with NAME of person) [61B2(CHARLES V [of Holy Roman Empire])3] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(DANUBE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • (story of) Oceanus [91B112] Search | Browse Iconclass

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