Link to an image of this page [B3v]
TUMULUS MERETRICIS.
The courtesan’s tomb
Quis tumulus? cuia urna? Ephyreae est Laidos,[1] & non
Erubuit tantum perdere parca[2] decus?
Nulla fuit tum forma illam iam carpserat aetas,
Iam speculum Veneri cauta dicarat[3] anus.
Quid scalptus sibi vult Aries[4] quem parte leaena
Unguibus apprensum posteriore tenet?
Non aliter captos quod & ipsa teneret amantes,
Vir gregis est aries clune tenetur amans.
What tomb, whose urn is this? - It belongs to Lais of Ephyre. - Ah, was not the goddess of Fate ashamed to destroy such loveliness? - She had no beauty then. Age had already worn it away. She had become an old woman and had already wisely dedicated her mirror to Venus. - What’s the meaning of the ram carved there, which a lioness holds tight, gripping its hind-quarters with her claws? - It is there because she too would hold her captive lovers in just this way. The male of the flock is the ram. The lover is held by the buttocks.
1. ‘Lais of Ephyre’. Ephyre is an old name for Corinth, the home of several famous courtesans called Lais.
2. One of the Parcae or Fates, here presumably Atropos, the Fate who cut off the thread of the individual’s life.
3. As a symbol of retirement, the tools of one’s trade were dedicated to the presiding deity. For Lais dedicating her mirror to Venus, see Anthologia graeca 6.1 and 18.
4. Scalptus...aries, ‘the ram carved there’. Pausanias Periegesis 2.2.4 describes such a tomb of Lais at Corinth.
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:
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ animals used symbolically) [25F23(LION)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ animal in search of food) [25F23(LION)(+451)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ movements of animal(s)) [25F23(LION)(+52)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the corpse [3.10E+04] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (human) skeleton [31A21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- lying figure - AA - female human figure [31AA236] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult woman [31D15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prostitution [33C50] Search | Browse Iconclass
- whore, prostitute [33C52] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'Lais Corinthiaca' [33C5211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- woman (showing herself) undressed, quasi-nude [41D92] Search | Browse Iconclass
- grave, tomb [42E31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ram (+ animals used symbolically) [47I2131(+91)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ram (+ movements of animal(s)) [47I2131(+952)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ram (+ animal(s) being hit, shot, caught) [47I2131(+9621)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- female persons from classical history (with NAME) representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98C(LAIS OF CORINTH)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Old Age, 'Senectus'; 'Vecchiezza' (Ripa) [31D160] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sheep [47I213] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) [51D4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Licentiousness, Lasciviousness; 'Lascivia', 'Licenza' (Ripa) [57AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Venus (Aphrodite) [92C4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fates, Parcae (Moirae) [92G1] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.
Section: FORCE. View all emblems in this section.
Link to an image of this page [D6v p60]
Pour celuy qui ne scait flater.
Veulx tu savoir, Pourquoy c’est que Thessaille
D’ung Duc, ą aultre, ainsi souvent tressaille?
(C’est qu’a flater elle n’ha point apprins ce,
Lequel vice est en toute court de Prince,
Mais comme un noble, & bon cheval, met bas
Son chevaucheur qui regir ne scait pas.)[1]
Point toutesfoys cruel ne soit le maistre,
Ung mors plus dur pour vengence doibt estre.
Les rebellions populaires viennent par
mauvaise administration des Princes.
1. See Plato, Politicus 261d for the image of the ruler as supervisor of a stud of horses.
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:
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with ruins [25I9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched sidewards (+ holding something) [31A2513(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards (+ holding something) [31A2515(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body - AA - both arms or hands (+ holding something) [31AA2516(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- breaking to saddle, bridle, etc. ~ wild horses [34A21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown (+ men's clothes) [41D211(+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
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- road, path [46C11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- riding a horse, ass, or mule; rider, horseman [46C131] Search | Browse Iconclass
- bit [46C131612] Search | Browse Iconclass
- reins [46C131613] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rearing (horse in motion) [46C13185] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prick, goad [46C1461] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- virtues of the ruler [44B10] Search | Browse Iconclass
- family of a ruler, and court [44B15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generositą dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtł del animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A7(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Sincerity; 'Puritą et Sinceritą d'animo', 'Sinceritą' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A612(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Flattery; 'Adulatione' (Ripa) [57AA6121] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Revenge, Requital, Retaliation; 'Vendetta' (Ripa) [57AA741] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Praise, Approbation, Approval; 'Lode' (Ripa) [57B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(THESSALY)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.
