
Plus quàm Diomedis & Glauci permutatio.[1]
A better exchange than Glaucus’ with Diomedes
Ad Paschasium Hamelium.[2]
Nuper Astrologus satis peritus
Iussus nomine Principis videre
Caelum, mox pluvias fore, ac tonitru
Dixit, sic remoratus est volentem
Venatum proficiscier iuventam.
Sed cùm nec pluviae, minus tonitru
Venisset, properant foras subinde,
Mendacemque adeò increpant magistrum.
Princeps in reditu videns arantem
Link to an image of this page [B7r p29]Qui rastris minuebat, & cylindro
Glebas, num pluvias brevi futuras
Putaret, rogat: ille mox petenti:
Viginti nihil his ait diebus.
Eventus quoque dicta comprobavit.
Princeps Astrologi sui cylindros
Instrumentaque, queis solebat astra
Metiri rapit, & dedit ferenda
Vati ruricolae domum: iubetque
Vicissim istius hic ferat cylindrum
Pro astris, rastraque[3] sedulò colenda.
Not long ago, an astrologer, fairly skilled in his art, was commanded in the name of his prince to examine the sky. He predicted that soon there would be rain and thunder; and so held back at home the young folk, who were departing for the hunt. But immediately there proved to be no rain and less thunder, they hurried out, and attacked the lying professor with hard words. The prince, coming home, spotted a ploughman breaking the clods with hoe and cylinder [rolling stone]. He asked him if he thought there would soon be rain. “There won’t”, he replied, “not for the next twenty days.” As it happened, the count confirmed his words. The Prince seized his astrologer’s cylindri [a telescope], and the instruments he used to measure the stars, and sent them to the house of the vatic peasant, and commanded the other to bear off the peasant’s cylinder: from now on, he was to cultivate the hoe assidously instead of the stars.
1. The famous episode is in Iliad, 6.232-36: Glaucus, the Lycian prince allied with Troy, exchanges his golden armour for the Greek warrior Diomedes’ bronze suit, “since Zeus robbed him of his good sense”.
2. Paschasius Hamelius: Paschal or Pasquier du Hamel (Duhamel), French mathematician and astronomer.
3. A pun on astrum (star) and raster (hoe).
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult man (+ three persons) [31D14(+73)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- agricultural implements: harrow [47I15(HARROW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards (+ reaching, handing, giving) [31A2515(+9341)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ indicating, pointing at) [31A2512(+931)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ receiving something) [31A2512(+935)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched sidewards (+ holding something) [31A2513(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- astrolabe [46C2823] Search | Browse Iconclass
- astrologer at work [14A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- barefoot [41D2339] Search | Browse Iconclass
- civic architecture; edifices; dwellings [41A1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- crown (symbol of sovereignty) [44B191] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head turned to the right [31A2422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- king [44B113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty) [44B192] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar, philosopher (+ professional clothes of scholar, scientist) [49C3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- standing, leaning, sitting or lying with legs apart (+ standing) [31A26114(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- agricultural implements (with NAME) [47I15(ROLLER)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Diomedes and Glaucus exchange arms (Iliad VI) [94F424] Search | Browse Iconclass
- farmers [46A14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) other representations to which the NAME of a historical person may be attached (with NAME of person) [61B2(HAMELIN, Paschasium)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hunting, chase [43C11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Interchange, Exchange [51KK3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Prediction, Prophecy; 'Augurio', 'Divinatione', 'Profetia' (Ripa) [52E2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- storm [26C3] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.