Link to an image of this page [D4v f28v]Νῆφε, καὶ μέμνησ’ἀπιστεῖν. ἄρθρα ταῦτα τῶν
φρενῶν.
Be sober and remember to withold belief. These are the sinews of the mind.
Ne credas ne, Epicharmus ait,[1] non sobrius esto.
Hi nervi, humanae membraque mentis erunt:
Ecce occulata manus[2] credens id quod videt, ecce
Pulegium antiquae sobrietatis olus,
Quo turbam ostenso sedaverit Heraclitus,[3]
Mulxerit & tumida seditione gravem.
Don’t give easy credence; don’t be intemperate. So said Epicharmus, and these maxims will prove the sinews and limbs of man’s mind. See here a hand with an eye, believing what it can see. See the pennyroyal, the plant of ancient soberness. By showing it, Heraclitus calmed the mob and milked it when heavy with bursting sedition
1. Epicharmus ait, ‘So said Epicharmus’. The saying is quoted in Polybius, The Histories, 18.40.
2. oculata manus, ‘a hand with an eye’. See Plautus, Asinaria, 202: ‘our hands always have eyes - seeing is believing for them’; Erasmus, Adagia, 73 (Oculatae manus).
3. turbam...sedaverit Heraclitus, ‘Heraclitus calmed the mob’. For this incident concerning the sixth-century BC philosopher Heraclitus, see Plutarch, De garrulitate, 511C: when faced with a discordant mob, Heraclitus said nothing but took a cup of cold water, sprinkled on barley-meal and stirred it with a sprig of pennyroyal. Pennyroyal represents modest fare, contentment and control. Cf. Emblem 58 ([A46a058]), line 8. Heraclitus lived on a diet of herbs. For his pessimistic view of life see In vitam humanam in other editions.
Related Emblems
Hide related emblems- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Bivir templadamente y no creer de ligero.
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Sobrement vivre: & non follement croire.
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Ne^phe kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. Sobriè vivendum: & non temerè credendum.
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Ne^phe kai memne^sapistein. arthra tautato^n phreno^n. Sobriè vivendum: & non temerè credendum.
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Che si dee viver sobriamentee non creder scioccamente.
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein arthra tauta to^n phreno^n.
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Sobrement vivre: & non follement croire.
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n. Sobriè vivendum & non temerè credendum. Biß nüchter, glaub nit schnell, gedenck Das seind deß Gmüts band und glenck. Mann sol nüchter leben und nicht zu bald glauben.
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Ne^phe, kai memne^s'apistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n QU'IL FAUT VIVRE SObrement, & ne croire legierement.
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n.
- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: SOBRIE VIVENDUM, ET NON temere credendum.
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Estre sobre, & ne croire de leger.
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Ne^phe, kai memne^sapistein. arthra tauta to^n phreno^n . Sobrius esto, & memineris non temerè credere: haec sunt membra mentis.
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- bracelet, wristlet [41D2662] Search | Browse Iconclass
- eyes [31A2212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- floating in the air (+ variant) [31A2763(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand [31A2245] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs: pennyroyal (+ plants used symbolically) [25G4(PENNYROYAL)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- (story of) Heraclitus, the philosopher representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(HERACLITUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Carefulness, Diligence; 'Diligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male persons from classical history (with NAME) representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(EPICHARMUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Precaution (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A24(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Temperance, Moderation; 'Misura' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A43(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) [52A51] Search | Browse Iconclass
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