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MENTEM NON FORMAM
plus pollere.
Intelligence matters, not beauty
Ingressa vulpes in Choragi pergulam,
Fabre expolitum invenit humanum caput.
Sic eleganter fabricatum, ut spiritus
Solum deesset, caeteris vivesceret,
Id illa cum sumpsisset in manus ait,
Hoc[1] quale caput est, sed cerebrum non habet.[2]
A fox, entering the store-room of a theatrical producer, found an actor’s mask, skilfully shaped, so finely fashioned that the spirit alone was missing, in all else it seemed alive. Taking it up, the fox addressed it - What a head is this, but it has no brain!
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- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ animal(s) holding something) [25F23(FOX)(+5245)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ sitting animal) [25F23(FOX)(+535)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head (human) [31A221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- stage costume [48C853] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- mask [41D283] Search | Browse Iconclass
- workbench [47A211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- actor, actress (non-work situations) [48C8322] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51D4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4):54B6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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EMBLEMA CXLV.
In nothos.
Bastards
Herculeos spurii semper celebretis honores:
Nam vestri princeps ordinis ille fuit.[1]
Nec prius esse deus potuit,[2] quàm sugeret infans
Lac, sibi quod fraudis nescia Iuno dabat.[3]
Bastards, you should always celebrate the honours of Hercules, for he was the chief of your line. He could not become a god until as a babe he sucked the milk which Juno was giving him, unaware that she was being tricked.
Link to an image of this page [O2v f93v]Das CXLV.
Von Bastharten.
Ir Basthart erzeigt Göttlich ehr
Dem Herculi dann er ein Herr
Und Oberster euwers standes war
Kondt nicht under der Götter schar
Kommn er hett dann ein Göttin gsogn
Damit Göttin Juno war btrogn
Dann sie im reichet unbewust
Ir eigen Milch auß irer Brust.
1. Hercules was fathered by Jupiter on Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon of Thebes, and became his father’s favourite. Juno, wife of Jupiter, in jealousy pursued Hercules with implacable hatred.
2. After all his Labours and other exploits, Hercules, by the will of Jupiter, was received among the gods. See e.g. Ovid, Metamorphoses, 9.156ff; Cicero, De officiis, 3.25.
3. For the story of Juno tricked by Jupiter into suckling the loathed Hercules see Pausanias, 9.25.2. This divine milk apparently counteracted Hercules’ illegitimate birth which otherwise disqualified him for heaven. See Erasmus, Adagia, 2070 (Ad Cynosarges).
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- Hercules is found by Juno and Minerva; the latter puts him on Juno's breast (+ variant) [94L1211(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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