Section: PRUDENTIA (Wisdom). View all emblems in this section.
Link to an image of this page [B3v p22]
Νῆφε καὶ μέμνησ’ἀπιστεῖν. ἄρθρα ταῦτατῶν
φρενῶν. Sobrič vivendum: & non
temerč credendum.
Live soberly; do not believe readily, these are the sinews of the mind. Live soberly; do not believe readily.
Ne credas ne (Epicharmus ait[1]) non sobrius esto,
Hi nervi, humanae membraque mentis erunt:
Ecce oculata manus[2] credens id quod videt. Ecce
Pulegium, antiquae sobrietatis olus,
Quo turbam ostenso sedaverit Heraclitus,[3]
Mulxerit & tumida seditione gravem.
Don’t give easy credence; don’t be intemperate. So said Epicharmus, and these maxims will prove the sinews and limbs of man’s mind. See here a hand with an eye, believing what it can see. See the pennyroyal, the plant of ancient soberness. By showing it, Heraclitus calmed the mob and milked it when heavy with bursting sedition
1. Epicharmus ait, ‘So said Epicharmus’. The saying is quoted in Polybius, The Histories, 18.40.
2. oculata manus, ‘a hand with an eye’. See Plautus, Asinaria, 202: ‘our hands always have eyes - seeing is believing for them’; Erasmus, Adagia, 73 (Oculatae manus).
3. turbam...sedaverit Heraclitus, ‘Heraclitus calmed the mob’. For this incident concerning the sixth-century BC philosopher Heraclitus, see Plutarch, De garrulitate, 511C: when faced with a discordant mob, Heraclitus said nothing but took a cup of cold water, sprinkled on barley-meal and stirred it with a sprig of pennyroyal. Pennyroyal represents modest fare, contentment and control. Cf. Emblem 185 ([A51a185]), line 8. Heraclitus lived on a diet of herbs. For his pessimistic view of life see Emblem 150 ([A51a150]).
Related Emblems
Hide related emblems- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: SOBRIE VIVENDUM, ET NON temere credendum. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n . Sobrius esto, & memineris non temerč credere: haec sunt membra mentis. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1546), Venice: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Bivir templadamente y no creer de ligero. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Ne^phe kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. Sobrič vivendum: & non temerč credendum. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Sobrement vivre: & non follement croire. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. Sobrič vivendum & non temerč credendum. Biß nüchter, glaub nit schnell, gedenck Das seind deß Gmüts band und glenck. Mann sol nüchter leben und nicht zu bald glauben. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Che si dee viver sobriamentee non creder scioccamente. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Sobrement vivre: & non follement croire. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Ne^phe, kai memne^s'apistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n QU'IL FAUT VIVRE SObrement, & ne croire legierement. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Estre sobre, & ne croire de leger. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- plants and herbs: pennyroyal (+ plants used symbolically) [25G4(PENNYROYAL)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs: pennyroyal (+ leaves, putting forth leaves) [25G4(PENNYROYAL)(+33)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rocks [25H112] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with ruins [25I9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- eyes [31A2212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand [31A2245] Search | Browse Iconclass
- floating in the air (+ variant) [31A2763(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Precaution (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A24(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Carefulness, Diligence; 'Diligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Temperance, Moderation; 'Misura' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A43(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male persons from classical history (with NAME) representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(EPICHARMUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Heraclitus, the philosopher representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(HERACLITUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
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