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Consilio & virtute Chimaeram superari,
hoc est, fortiores & deceptores.
Wisdom and courage defeat Chimaera (i.e. the powerful and deceivers).
EMBLEMA XIIII.
Bellerophon, ut fortis eques, superare Chimaeram,
Et Lycii potuit sternere monstra soli:[1]
Sic tu Pegaseis vectus petis aethera pennis,
Consilioque animi[2] monstra superba domas.
Bellerophon, that bold horseman, was able to overcome the Chimaera and lay low the monsters of the Lycian land. You likewise, borne on wings of Pegasus, seek the high heavens and, by the counsel of reason, tame proud monsters.
1. The King of Lycia imposed on Bellerophon, among other tasks, that of killing the Chimaera, a fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, serpent’s tail and goat’s body. He achieved this last with the aid of the winged horse Pegasus, which Athena, goddess of wisdom, helped him to catch.
2. ‘by the counsel of reason’. The name Bellerophon was interpreted by some as ‘bringer of counsel’. The Chimaera symbolised various uncontrolled passions.
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View emblem in Mason Tung: Variorum Edition of Alciato. (PDF)
Related Emblems
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward - AA - both arms or hands (+ holding something) [31AA2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Bellerophon, flying on Pegasus' back, kills the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster, with arrows or a spear [94S32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- casting weapons: spear [45C11(SPEAR)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- chimera (lion/goat/snake); 'Chimera' (Ripa) (+ fighting animals; aggressive relations) [25FF232(+751)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- flying (+ variant) [31A2762(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helmet [45C221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- monsters with parts in greater number than normal [25F95] Search | Browse Iconclass
- offspring, companion(s), train etc. of Echidna [92I7492] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Pegasus, the winged horse [93D1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- riding a horse, ass, or mule; rider, horseman [46C131] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Cheat, Deceit; 'Fraude', 'Inganno' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57AA621(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Counsel; 'Consiglio' (Ripa) [52E3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fabulous animals ~ hoofed animals: winged horse (+ postures, positions of animal(s)) [25FF24(WINGED HORSE)(+753)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(LYCIA)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mis-shapen animals; monsters [25F9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosità dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtù del animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A7(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Virtuousness; 'Amor di Virtù', 'Attione virtuosa', 'Guida sicura de' veri honori', 'Virtù', 'Virtù insuperabile' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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