Link to an image of this page [m8v p192]
Prudentes.
The Wise.
VIII.
Iane bifrons, qui transacta futuraque calles,
Quique retro sannas sicut & antè vides,
[1]
Tot te cur oculis, tot fingunt vultibus? an quòd
Circunspectum hominem forma fuisse docet?
Two-headed Janus, you know about what has already happened and what is yet to come, you see the jeering faces behind just as you see them in front. Why do they represent you with so many eyes, why with so many faces? Is it because this form tells us that you were a man of circumspection?
1. quique retro sannas, sicut et ante, vides, ‘you see the jeering faces behind just as you see them in front’, a line based on Persius, Satirae, 1.58-62.
Related Emblems
Hide related emblems- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: PRUDENTES. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Prudentes. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1546), Venice: Prudentes. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Los prudentes. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Prudentes. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Prudentes. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Les sages. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Prudentes. Von den Weisen ein heimliche Frag. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Prudentes. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Da capo quel, chapportiene | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Les sages. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Prudentes. LES PRUDENS ET bien-advisez. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Les prudents. | Open in other pane
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- Precaution (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A24(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Janus' head, two-faced head [96A128(JANUS' HEAD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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Link to an image of this page [I8r f72r]
PRUDENS MAGIS QUAM
loquax.
Wise head, close mouth.
Emblema. 19.
Noctua Cecropiis[1] insignia praestat Athenis,
Inter aves sani noctua consilii,
Armiferae merito obsequiis sacrata Minervae,
Garrula quo cornix cesserat ante loco.[2]
The owl provides the symbol for Athens, Cecrops’ city, for among the birds the owl is known for wise counsel. Deservedly was it dedicated to the service of weapon-bearing Minerva, in the place vacated by the chattering crow.
1. Cecrops was a legendary wise early king of Athens, a city renowned as a place of learning. See above, Emblem 5 ([A15a005]), line 7.
2. garrula quo cornix cesserat, ‘vacated by the chattering crow’. The crow was dismissed from Athena’s service for telling tales, and was replaced by the owl. See Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.562-5. This story is represented in Aneau, ‘Periculum in terra, periculum in mari’ ([FANa029]).
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- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: El prudente sin eloquençia. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Prudens, magis quàm loquax. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Prudens, magis quàm loquax. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Prudens, sed infacundus. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Plus sage que Eloquent. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Prudens sed infacundus. Vel:Prudens magis quàm loquax. Weiß doch nit beredt. Oder: Weiser dann gesprecher. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Prudens magis quam loquax. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Chal prudente non convengono molti parole. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Plus sage que Eloquent. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Prudens magis quàm loquax. PLUS ADVISE, QUE non pas langagier. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Il vaut mieux estre prudent, que babillard. | Open in other pane
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- Precaution (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A24(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) [52A51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Prolixity, Verbosity, Loquacity; 'Loquacitৠ(Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52D4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- Cecrops: half man - half serpent, first king of Attica [95A(CECROPS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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