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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [K5r p153]

Le bon Citoyen.

CIIII.

A group of men walk outside the walls of a city. They hold aloft olive branches. Another man walks towards them. He carries a sword and has a staff over one shoulder.
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Pource que Thrasibule[1] peine
A mettre paix, & bruit chasser
De la noble ville d’Athene,
Digne est de louange embrasser.
Chacun veut l’Olive amasser,[2]
Et luy porter feste faisant.
Auquel honneur il peut passer:
Car nul n’en sera deplaisant.

commentaires.

Thrasibule, noble & vaillant Athenien, qui, a-
vec plusieurs de ces concitoyens, avoit esté chassé en
exil par les tyrans, veilloit incessament & par
dessus tous les autres gents de bien, à ce qu’il peust
apporter salut & repos à sa patrie: & quelque dan-
ger qui se presentast, ne cessa jamais, qu’il n’eust de-
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [K5v p154] livré sa republique tout à un coup des trente tres-
cruels tyrans, qui la tenoyent esclave. Mais il fit en-
cor davantage: car il assoupit & appaisa toutes les
haines, rancunes, maltalents, & autres aigreurs, qui
estoyent entre les citoyens, & les rendit tous bons
amis. Tout le peuple donc estant reuni, luy fit un
chappeau d’olive, qu’unanimement tous luy mirent
sur la teste. C’est une belle & saincte chose, de pro-
curer le salut & le repos de sa patrie: mais ce n’est
pas moindre vertu de reunir & repatrier si bien les
coeurs & les volontés des citoyens & bourgeois, que
par apres il n’y puisse venir aucune division entre
eux. Ayans ainsi les courages unis, il n’y a force ex-
terne qui les puisse endommager, quelque grande
qu’elle soit: estans en mauvais mesnage les uns avec
les autres, le plus foible des potentats voisins les peut
mettre sous sa patte.

Notes:

1.  Thrasybulus of Steiria, after a distinguished military career, was instrumental in liberating Athens from the tyranny of the Thirty in the political confusion at the end of the fourth century BC. For his own moderation and his resistance to vengeful acts by others in the ensuing settlement, see Cornelius Nepos, Life of Thrasybulus 3.2-3. According to Nepos (ibid. 4.3) Thrasybulus interpreted the olive-wreath freely offered him by the citizens as a sign that he was held in supreme honour by them.

2.  The leaves of the olive tree, sacred to Pallas Athene, patron goddess of Athens.

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  • 'Amor della patria' (Ripa) [44C110] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Agreement, Unity; 'Concordia', 'Concordia insuperabile', 'Concordia militare', 'Concordia di Pace', 'Unione civile' (Ripa) [54E31] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • attributes of Minerva (with NAME) [92C28(OLIVE-TREE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Honour, Glory; 'Ampiezza della Gloria', 'Gloria', 'Gloria de prencipi', 'Gloria & Honore', 'Honore', 'Sublimat� della Gloria' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [59B31(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • names of cities and villages (with NAME) [61E(ATHENS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Sense of Duty, Devotion to Duty (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass

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