Single Emblem View

« Previous EmblemNext Emblem »
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [F8v p96 as 99]

Fortuna virtutem superans.

Fortune triumphant over virtue

XL.

Brutus falling on his sword
[Click on image to enlarge]

Caesareo postquàm superatus milite vidit
Civili undantem sanguine Pharsaliam:
Iamiam stricturus moribunda in pectora ferrum,
Audaci hos Brutus protulit ore sonos:
Infelix virtus & solis provida verbis,
Fortunam in rebus cur sequeris dominam?[1]

Brutus, defeated by the Caesarean troops, saw Pharsalia flowing with citizen blood. As he was about to plunge the sword into his dying heart, he spoke these words with undaunted voice: ‘Unhappy virtue, prudent only in word - why do you in reality submit to dominating fortune?’

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [G1r p97]

Gluck herschend uber frumbkeyt.

XL.

Als Brutus stuend in hoechster not,
Enndlich von Caesar gantz geschlagnn,
Ehe er im selbs zufuegt den tod,
Thet er sich mit den worten klagnn:
O tugent weyß allein mit sagnn,
Und unselig in werck und that,
Was setztu zum gluck deinem schragn,
Und lest den frumen in dem bad.

Notes:

1.  After the assassination of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius became the leaders of the Republican cause. The Caesarean troops, led by Mark Antony and Octavian, Caesar’s heir, defeated them in 42 BC in two battles at Philippi in Macedonia. (Pharsalus in Thessaly was the site of the battle in 48 BC in which Julius Caesar had defeated Pompey in a previous round of the Civil Wars. Pharsalia is here loosely used, as in the Roman poets, to refer to both sites of similar civil conflict.) For Brutus’ suicide after the defeat, see the end of Plutarch’s Life of Brutus.

« Previous EmblemNext Emblem »

Related Emblems

Show related emblems Show related emblems

Hint: You can set whether related emblems are displayed by default on the preferences page

Iconclass Keywords

Relating to the image:

Relating to the text:

  • Luck, Fortune, Lot; 'Fato', 'Fortuna', 'Fortuna aurea', 'Fortuna buona', 'Fortuna pacifica overo clemente', 'Sorte' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54F12(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Virtuousness; 'Amor di Virtù', 'Attione virtuosa', 'Guida sicura de' veri honori', 'Virtù', 'Virtù insuperabile' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(PHARSALIA)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • (story of) Marcus Junius Brutus death of person from classical history [98B(BRUTUS, M.J.)68] Search | Browse Iconclass

Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.

Single Emblem View

« Previous EmblemNext Emblem »

Section: MARIAGE. View all emblems in this section.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [Q6r p251]

Bonte des enfans envers leurs Peres, ou Meres.

Prosopopoeie.

Young man carrying an old man away from a burning city on his back.
[Click on image to enlarge]

Quand Eneas portoit hors de peril
Son pere, Aulx Grecs pardonnez. (disoit il)
Gloire n’aurez ung vieil à mort livré.
Grand gloire auray mon pere delivré.[1]

A ung filz est grand honneur de rendre ou sauver
la vie, à celuy duquel il tient la vie apres Dieu, (qui
est son Pere) Qui est le meilleur, & plus louable acte
que jamais feit Eneas.

Notes:

1.  This is based on Anthologia graeca 9.163, a much translated epigram. It refers to the celebrated incident of Aeneas’ rescue of his old father at the sack of Troy, carrying him on his shoulders through the occupied and burning city. See Vergil, Aeneid 2.634ff.

« Previous EmblemNext Emblem »

Related Emblems

Show related emblems Show related emblems

Hint: You can set whether related emblems are displayed by default on the preferences page

Iconclass Keywords

Relating to the image:

Relating to the text:

Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.

 

Back to top