Link to an image of this page [L3v p166]
In nothos.
Bastards
EMBLEMA CXXXVIII.
Herculeos spurii semper celebretis honores:
Nam vestri princeps ordinis ille fuit.[1]
Nec priùs 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.
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 (see previous emblem) 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).
Related Emblems
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Relating to the image:
- predatory birds: eagle (+ animals as attributes) [25F33(EAGLE)(+13)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- nude human being [31A(+89)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- leaning forward [31A2321] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched sidewards (+ holding something) [31A2513(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand(s) bent towards the head [31A2531] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rotating, twisting (movement of the human body) [31A2753] Search | Browse Iconclass
- floating in the air [31A27633] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- lying on one side, with uplifted upper part of the body and leaning on the arm - AA - female human figure (+ variant) [31AA2364(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male infant [31D1111] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult woman [31D15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clothing for the lower part of the body [41D23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- drapery, draped garment, 'Gewandgebung' [41D27] Search | Browse Iconclass
- man (showing himself) undressed, quasi-nude [41D91] Search | Browse Iconclass
- wet-nurse (+ variant) [42A311(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- illegitimate child, bastard [42B360] Search | Browse Iconclass
- non-aggressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships of Jupiter [92B15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Jupiter: eagle [92B18(EAGLE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Hercules is found by Juno and Minerva; the latter puts him on Juno's breast (+ variant) [94L1211(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- specific aspects, allegorical aspects of Hercules; Hercules as patron [94L7] Search | Browse Iconclass
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