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EMBLEMA III.

Mediolanum.[1]

Milan

Town over bridge in background, tree in foreground.
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Bituricis vervex, Heduis dat sucula signum,
His populis patriae debita origo[2] meae est.[3]
Quam Mediolanam [=Mediolanum] Sacram dixêre puellae
Terram: nam vetus hoc Gallica lingua sonat.
Culta Minerva fuit, nunc est, ubi numine Thecla
Mutato matris Virginis ante domum.[4]
Laniger huic signum sus est,[5] animalque biforme,
Acribus hinc setis, lanitio inde levi.

A ram provides the symbol for the Bituriges, a pig for the Aedui. My home country owes its origin to these peoples, a land sacred to the maiden, which they called Milan, for the ancient Gallic tongue names it so. Minerva was worshipped where now, with a change in presiding deity, Thecla is found before the house of the Virgin Mother. The city’s symbol is a woolly boar, an animal of double form, with sharp bristles at one end, smooth wool at the other.

Das III.

Meyland.

Die Weittheuren habn ein Wider gfürt
Die Heiden abr hat ein Schwein ziert
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [C1r f4r] Auß diesen Völckern kommen ist
Mein liebes Vatterland on list
Meyland, habens die Jungfrauw genannt
Das ist so viel als ein gmeit Landt
Dann das vermag die alte Sprach
Der berümbten Teutschen Gallen nach
Bey inen war Minerva gehrt
An dem ort der jetzt ist verkehrt
In der Jungfrauwen Thecla Heilthumb
Vor unser lieben Frauwen Thumb
Zum Wappen führt es ein wolligs Schwein
Ein Thier mit zweyen gstalten sein
An dem einen ort hert Börst sind
An dem anderen Wollen lind.

Notes:

1.  This woodcut was designed for Emblem 184 (CLXXXV) [A67a184], and used here presumably because it includes a non-specific view of a city.

2.  Corrected from the errata.

3.  patriae meae, ‘my home country’. Alciato was born near Milan, and wrote a history of the city and the surrounding area. His populis...debita origo...est, ‘owes its origin to these peoples’. In the classical period Northern Italy was occupied by Celtic tribes from Gaul. The Bituriges and Aedui were two Gallic peoples, whose language would be a form of continental Celtic. See Alciato, Historia Mediolanensis, col.1ff. Biturgia is the Latin name for the modern Bourges; Aeduorum civitas or Hedua were two of the Latin names used for modern Autun.

4.  The name of Minerva, the Roman virgin goddess, was transferred to a local Celtic divinity with some similarities. For the particular devotion of the early inhabitants to the worship of Minerva see Alciato, Historia Mediolanensis, col. 10. Tecla or Thecla was a Christian virgin martyr, supposedly a follower of St. Paul.

5.  Laniger huic signum sus est, ‘The city’s symbol is a woolly boar’. This is based on a supposed etymology of the Celtic name Mediolanum (Milan), as if from medio- ‘middle’ and lana ‘wool’, .i.e. ‘half-covered in wool’. (This is found in Claudian, Epithalamium, 180ff; Sidonius Apollinaris, Epistulae 7.17.2; Isidore, Etymologiae, 15.1.) The name probably means ‘in the middle of the plain’.

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EMBLEMA VII.

Signa Fortium.

The mark of the brave

Picture of an eagle on a tomb marked D M ARISTOMENIS
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Quae te causa movet volucris Saturnia[1] magni
Ut tumulo insideas ardua Aristomenis[2]?
Hoc moneo quantum inter aves ego robore praesto
Tantum semideos inter Aristomenes.
Insideant timidae, timidorum busta columbae,
Nos Aquilae intrepidis signa benigna damus.

Saturnian bird, what cause brings you to stand with uplifted wings on the tomb of mighty Aristomenes? - I tell you this - as I stand out among the birds in power, so does Aristomenes among the sons of gods. Fearful doves may perch on the graves of the fearful. We eagles give signs of favour to the fearless.

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Das VII.

Wappen der kühnen Helden.

Warumb sitzt auff dem hohn Grabstein
Deß großn Aristomen allein
Der du bist doch ein Vogel schon
Deß Gotts Jovis, Saturni Son
Gleich wie die andern Vögel all
Ich ubertriff an stercke zmal
Also Aristomenes weit
Die andern Helden uberschreit
Auff der zagn Grebern sitzen solln
Die zagen Tauben unverholn
Wir Adler aber diese Mann
So tapffer kün seind zeigen an.

Notes:

1.  volucris Saturnia, ‘Saturnian bird’, i.e. the eagle, attendant on Jupiter, son of Saturn.

2.  Aristomenes was a Messenian hero of the seventh century BC, of semi-divine origin, who performed incredible exploits while leading his country for many years in resistance to the Spartans. On one occasion an eagle aided his miraculous escape from captivity.

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  • doves, pigeons [34B231] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosit� dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtu del animo', 'Forza'(Ripa) [54A7] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Courage, Bravery, Valiance, Manliness; 'Ardire magnanimo et generoso', 'Gagliardezza', 'Valore', 'Virt� heroica', 'Virt� dell'animo e del corpo' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A8(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Cowardice [54AA8] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Fear, Dread; 'Paura', 'Timidit� o Timore', 'Timore' (Ripa) [56DD1] Search | Browse Iconclass

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