Link to an image of this page [B3r p21]
Ocni effigies, de his qui meretrici-
bus donant, quod in bonos
usus verti debeat.[1]
A representation of Ocnus. On those who give to whores what should be turned to good
Impiger haud cessat funem contexere sparto,
Humidaque artifici iungere fila manu:
Sed quantùm multis vix torquet strenuus horis,
Protinus ignavi ventris asella vorat.
Foemina iners animal, facili congesta marito
Lucra rapit, mundum prodigit inque suum.
Ocnus never stops busily plaiting rope from broom, joining the damp fibres with skilful hand. But what he manages to spin with great effort in many hours the she-ass, a beast with greedy guts, continuously consumes. - Woman, an idle creature, grabs the accumulated savings from her complaisant husband and squanders it on her own adornment.
1. The painting by Polygnotus depicting this scene is described in Pausanias, Periegesis 29.2. See also Propertius, Elegies 4.3.21; Erasmus, Adagia 383, Contorquet piger funiculum. Ocnus, idleness personified, was a proverbial example of wasted effort.
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Relating to the image:
- (ball of) yarn (+ reeds, rushes ~ crafts, industries, agriculture) [47H352(+442)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- animals eating and drinking [25F(+45)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched sidewards (+ holding something) [31A2513(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ass, donkey (+ animals eating and drinking) [46C13142(+745)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clothing for the upper part of the body (+ men's clothes) [41D223(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- drawing, pulling something [31A2747] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown (+ men's clothes) [41D211(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- gear for legs and feet (+ men's clothes) [41D233(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (+ men's clothes) [41D221(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ocnus, usually twisting a cord which is eaten by an ass as soon as it is being made [9.30E+87] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other, walking position (+ standing) [31A26211(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- pushing something [31A2748] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rope-making [47H41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- spinning (manufacture of yarn) (+ men (labourers)) [47H31(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tools, aids, implements ~ crafts and industries: rope [47D8(ROPE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trousers, breeches (+ men's clothes) [41D231(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- two persons [31A(+72)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Industriousness, Assiduity; 'Assiduit৬ 'Industria', 'Zelo' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- marriage, married couple, 'matrimonium' [42D3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shrubs (with NAME) [25G31(BROOM)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Sluggishness, Inertia; 'Dapocaggine', 'Pigritia' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54AA11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Squandering, Extravagance, Prodigality, Waste; 'Prodigalitৠ(Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [55C11(+4):42D36] Search | Browse Iconclass
- whore, prostitute [33C520] Search | Browse Iconclass
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