
Ἐχθρῶν ἄδωρα δῶρα.[1]
The gifts of enemies are no gifts
Emblema clxvii.
Bellorum cepisse ferunt monumenta vicissim
Scutiferum Aiacen, Hectoraque Iliacum.
Baltea Priamides, rigidum Telamonius ensem:
Instrumenta suae cepit uterque necis.
Ensis enim Aiacem confecit, at Hectora functum
Traxere Aemoniis cingula nexa rotis.
Sic titulo obsequii, quae mittunt hostibus hostes
Munera, venturi praescia fata ferunt.[2]
The story tells that shield-bearing Ajax and Hector of Troy exchanged souvenirs of battle. Priam’s son took the sword-belt, Telamon’s descendant the rigid sword, each accepting the instrument of his own death. For the sword destroyed Ajax, and the belt, attached to Thessalian wheels, dragged the dead Hector. So the gifts which enemies give to enemies, seemingly doing honour, knowing what is to come, bring doom.

EPigrapha huius sumitur ex Aiace flagellifero So-
phoclis, carmen verò è quodam Epigrammate
Graeco: ex quo intelligimus, munera ab hoste missa
saepe discrimen aliquod, aut etiam mortem ipsam
portendere, quocirca veteres munera volebant ob-
servari quo animo mitterentur.

Des ennemis les presens sont nuisans.
Comme le preux Hector & Ajax porte-escu
En signe d’amitié, pendant qu’ils ont vescu,
S’envoyerent des dons, comme compagnons d’armes:
Ajax eut une espee, Hector eut un baudrier,
Ce que fut à tous deux un presage meurdrier,
Qui les achemina à fins pleines de larmes.
Car Ajax se tua luy mesme de l’espee,
Et du sang d’Hector fut la ceinture trempee,
Luy trainé par trois fois au chariot des Grecs.
Partant dons d’ennemis, que soubs signe on envoye
De quelque cognoissance, ainsi qu’on les essaye,
Presagent le mal heur qui s’en ensuit apres.
LE tiltre de cest Embleme est prins de
la tragedie de Sophocle, inscripte Ajax
porte fouet: le carme est d’un Epigramme
Grec: dont nous apprenons, que les presens
envoyez de la part des ennemis presagent
quelquefois malencontre, voire la mort mes-
me. C’est pourquoy les anciens vouloient
que lon print garde de quelle affection les
presens estoient donnez.
1. The gifts of enemies are no gifts. See Sophocles, Ajax 665, where Ajax so speaks of the ill-fated sword he had received from Hector.
2. See Homer Iliad 7.299, for the occasion in the Trojan War when Hector (the Trojan hero, son of Priam) and Ajax (Telamon’s descendant, one of the best fighters on the Greek side) met in single combat and afterwards, the honours being even, exchanged gifts. (Ajax was carrying the vast shield for which he was famed). Later, he committed suicide by falling on the sword he received from Hector (see [FALc028] n. and [FALc175] n.). Hector was later killed in single combat by Achilles (prince of Thessaly, the Greek champion), who desecrated the body by tying it behind his chariot (it is suggested here that he used the sword-belt Hector had received from Ajax) and dragging it about before the eyes of the Trojans. See [FALc153].
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- (military) camp with tents [45C41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man (+ two persons) [31D14(+72)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ajax the Great non-aggressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships [95A(AJAX THE GREAT)5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ reaching for somebody or something, seizing something, touching) [31A2512(+934)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- belt, girdle, waistband [41D2656] Search | Browse Iconclass
- bringing gifts; exchanging gifts [33A4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- drapery, draped garment, 'Gewandgebung' [41D27] Search | Browse Iconclass
- gear for legs and feet (+ men's clothes) [41D233(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- gifts being accepted [33A410:33B5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hacking and thrusting weapons: sword [45C13(SWORD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Hector non-aggressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships [95A(HECTOR)5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helmet [45C221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other (+ standing) [31A2621(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Adversity, Misfortune, Bad Luck; 'Fortuna infelice', 'Infortunio' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54FF11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- enemy [33B5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Europeans (with NAME) [32B311(GREEKS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Hector's body, tied to Achilles' chariot, is dragged around the city [94G235] Search | Browse Iconclass
- suicide of Ajax [94G63] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the Trojan war (94C - 94H) [94C] Search | Browse Iconclass
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