Link to an image of this page [D6r p59]
Unum nihil, duos plurimum posse.
One can do nothing, two can do much.
EMBLEMA XLI.
Laerte genitum, genitum quoque Tydeos unà[1],
Hac cera expressit Zenalis apta manus.[2]
Viribus hic praestat, hic pollet acumine mentis,
Nec tamen alterius non eget alter ope.
Cùm duo coniuncti veniunt, victoria certa est.
Solum mens hominem, dextrave destituit.[3]
The son of Laertes together with him that Tydeus begot, the skilful hand of Zenas expressed in this moulded form. One of them is superior in strength, the powers of the other lie in sharpness of mind, yet neither of them can do without the other’s aid. When the two come united, victory is assured. Mind or strength in isolation has often left man in the lurch.
1. ‘The son of Laertes...him that Tydeus begot’, i.e. (the cunning) Odysseus and (the strong) Diomedes. They collaborated in a successful night raid raid into Troy, for which see Homer, Iliad 10.218ff. See further Erasmus, Adagia 2051, Duobus pariter euntibus. (This title translates Iliad 10.224, a line which appears in Greek in the woodcut)
2. ‘the hand of Zenas’. Two unidentified busts signed by Zenas are in the Capitoline Museum in Rome. Two sculptors of the second, or third century AD, possibly father and son, are known by this name.
3. ‘Mind or strength in isolation has often left man in the lurch’. Cf. Horace, Odes 3.4.65: force without counsel is destroyed by its own might.
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Relating to the image:
- (story of) Ulysses specific aspects, allegorical aspects, as patron of [95A(ULYSSES)7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards (+ holding something) [31A2515(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ addressing) [31A2512(+932)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- book [49M32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- casting weapons: spear [45C11(SPEAR)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Diomedes specific aspects, allegorical aspects, as patron of [95A(DIOMEDES)7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- drapery, draped garment, 'Gewandgebung' (+ men's clothes) [41D27(+81)] 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
- hacking and thrusting weapons: sword [45C13(SWORD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (+ men's clothes) [41D221(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helmet [45C221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- index finger forwards, pointing, indicating (+ addressing) [31A25552(+932)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- old man [31D16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other, walking position (+ standing) [31A26211(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- protective weapons: shield [45C19(SHIELD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ulysses and Diomedes raid the Trojan lines at night (+ variant) [94F62(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- winds [26C] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Counsel; 'Consiglio' (Ripa) [52E3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male persons from classical history (with NAME) [98B(ZENAS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Necessity of Mutual Co-operation (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E11(+4)] 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
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