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Opulenti haereditas.
The rich man’s legacy
EMBLEMA CLIX.
Patroclum falsis rapiunt hinc Troes in armis,
Hinc socii, atque omnis turba Pelasga vetat.
Obtinet exuvias Hector, Graecique cadaver.[1]
Haec fabella agitur cùm vir opimus obit.
Maxima rixa oritur, tandem sed transigit haeres,
Et corvis aliquid, vulturiisque sinit.[2]
On that side the Trojans are carrying off Patroclus in his deceptive armour, on this, his co-fighters and all the Greek host try to stop them. Hector obtains the spoils, the Greeks the body. This story is played out when a rich man dies. A great quarrelling arises, but eventually the heir brings the argument to an end and leaves something for crows and vultures.
1. For the death of Patroclus, see Homer, Iliad, 16.784ff. He borrowed Achilles’ armour to fight the Trojans when Achilles refused, and was killed by Hector, who took the armour.
2. ‘Vulture’ was a term used to refer to people who hang round rich persons, hoping for a legacy See Erasmus, Adagia, 614 (Si vultur es, cadaver exspecta).
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Related Emblems
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- (military) camp with tents [45C41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man (+ four persons) [31D14(+74)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards - AA - both arms or hands (+ holding something) [31AA2515(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body (+ holding something) [31A2516(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- bag [41D268] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying a person on one's back (+ variant) [46C1271(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying something on the head or on the shoulders [46C1215] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying the sick, wounded and dead off the battle-field [45C711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- city-gate [25I1461] Search | Browse Iconclass
- gear for legs and feet (+ men's clothes) [41D233(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- predatory birds (with NAME) [25F33(VULTURE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds (with NAME) [25F32(CROW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the corpse [3.10E+04] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- disguise [41D28] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Europeans (with NAME) [32B311(GREEKS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Impartiality (+ emblematical representation of concept) [59C22(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- inheritance [42E5310] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Menelaus carries Patroclus' body from the battle-field [94F822] Search | Browse Iconclass
- names of cities and villages (with NAME) [61E(TROY)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- suspension of hostilities in order to bury the dead (+ during the battle) [45I52(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the fight over the body of Patroclus [94F821] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the rich [46A160] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the Trojan war (94C - 94H) [94C] Search | Browse Iconclass
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