
Ex arduis perpetuum nomen.
Lasting renown won through tribulation
EMBLEMA CXXXI.
Crediderat platani ramis sua pignora passer,
Et benč, ni saevo visa dracone forent.
Glutiit hic pullos omnes, miseramque parentem
Saxeus, & tali dignus obire nece.
Haec nisi mentitur Calchas, monimenta laboris
Sunt longi, cuius fama perennis eat.[1]
A sparrow had entrusted her young to the branches of a plane-tree, and all would have been well, if they had not been observed by a merciless snake. This creature devoured all the chicks and the hapless parent too, a stony-hearted beast, turned to stone as it deserved. Unless Calchas speaks falsely, these are the tokens of long toil, the fame of which will go on through all the years.
1. See Homer, Iliad 2.299ff. for this portent which occurred at Aulis, where the Greek fleet was waiting to sail for Troy. Calchas the seer interpreted the eating of the eight chicks and their mother, followed by the death of the snake, as foretelling the nine-year battle for Troy, followed by success.
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Relating to the image:
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dragon (large fabulous serpent, sometimes with wings and legs) [25FF422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ animal with prey) [25F42(+452)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: sparrow (+ feeding and care of young) [25F32(SPARROW)(+42)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: sparrow (+ postures, positions of animal(s)) [25F32(SPARROW)(+53)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: sparrow (+ young animal) [25F32(SPARROW)(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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Relating to the text:
- Difficulty (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54DD4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fame; 'Fama', 'Fama buona', 'Fama chiara' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [59B32(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Industriousness, Assiduity; 'Assiduitā', 'Industria', 'Zelo' (Ripa) [54A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Punishment; 'Castigo', 'Pena', 'Punitione' (Ripa) [57BB13] Search | Browse Iconclass
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