
Potentissimus affectus amor.
Love, the all-powerful emotion
EMBLEMA CVI.

Aspice ut invictus vires auriga leonis,
Expressus gemma pusio vincat Amor?
Utque manu hac scuticam tenet, hac ut flectit habenas;
Utque est in pueri plurimus ore decor.
Dira lues procul esto: feram qui vincere talem
Est potis, à nobis temperet anne manus?[1]
Look - here’s Love the lad, carved on a gem. He rides triumphant in his chariot and subdues the lion’s might. In one hand he holds a lash, with the other he guides the reins, and on his countenance rests the loveliness of youth. - Dread pestilence keep far away. Would one who has the power to conquer such a beast keep his hands from us?
1. This is a translation of Anthologia graeca 9.221, an epigram about a seal carved with a representation of Eros driving a chariot drawn by lions.
Related Emblems

- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: POTENTISSIMUS AFFECTUS amor. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg: POTENTISSIMUS affectus amor. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (6th April, 1531), Augsburg: POTENTISSIMUS affectus amor. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg: POTENTISSIMUS Affectus amor. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1534), Paris: Potentissimus affectus Amor. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1539), Paris: Potentissimus affectus Amor. Amour affection trespuissante. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1542), Paris: Potentissimus affectus Amor. Amour affection trespuissante. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris: Potentissimus affectus Amor. Lieb ist die gewaltigest anfechtung. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Quel Amor es affecto potentissimo. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Potentissimus affectus amor. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Potentissimus affectus amor. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Potentissimus affectus amor. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Amour trespuissante affection. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Potentissimus affectus amor. Die Lieb ist das sterckst Bandt. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Potentissimus affectus, Amor. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Quanta sia la forza di Amore. | Open in other pane
- Livret des emblemes (1536), Paris: Potentissimus affectus Amor. Amour affection trespuissante. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Amour trespuissante affection. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Potentissimus affectus amor. L'affection d'Amour est de grand force. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Amour, affection trespuissante. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- animals (+ wings of an animal) [25F(+342)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ animal looking over the shoulder) [25F23(LION)(+547)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ postures of hind leg(s) of animal(s)) [25F23(LION)(+56)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm raised upward (+ holding something) [31A2511(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other (+ sitting) [31A2621(+53)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking downwards [31B6212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- youth, adolescent (+ nude human being) [31D12(+89)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- reins [46C131613] Search | Browse Iconclass
- two-wheeled vehicle drawn by two animals [46C1422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- whip [46C1463] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cupid disarming the strong; the Power of Love [92D151] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- plague [31A4621] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ornaments, jewels [41D266] Search | Browse Iconclass
- charioteer, 'auriga' [43C21311] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosit?ell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virt? animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A7(+4):56F2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'Forza d'amore, Forza d'amore si nell'acqua come in terra' (Ripa) [56F2515] Search | Browse Iconclass
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