Alciatus: Emblemata

Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin

2010-08-29T11:17:00.001-04:00

Now that the Mille Fabluae et Una book has been published, all my fable blogging is taking place there, so please visit that website at this address: MilleFabulae.blogspot.com.

Available now from Lulu.com

Download a free copy of Mille Fabulae et Una.

PDF.BestLatin.net

2009-12-27T18:23:00.001-05:00

The Alciato blog has moved to the

AESOPICUS ELEGIACUS BLOG

where you will find poems by Alciato as well as other poetry in elegiac couplets. :-)

Alciato CIV: In astrologos

2009-02-19T00:01:00.006-05:00

Alciato CIV: In astrologos

Icare, per superos qui raptus et aera, donec
In mare praecipitem cera liquata daret,
Nunc te cera eadem, fervensque resuscitat ignis,
Exemplo ut doceas dogmata certa tuo.
Astrologus caveat quicquam praedicere: praeceps
Nam cadet impostor dum super astra volat.

This image comes from a 1621 edition of the emblems (click on the image for a larger view), and you can also read an English translation online. For help with the Latin, here is the poem presented in an easier-to-read format, with the word order rearranged (the word order in poetry often serves the sound more than the sense), and with the phrase segments clearly marked:

Icare,
qui raptus
per superos et aera,
donec
cera liquata
daret praecipitem
in mare,
nunc cera eadem,
fervensque ignis
resuscitat te,
ut doceas
dogmata certa
tuo exemplo.
Astrologus caveat
praedicere quicquam:
nam impostor
praeceps cadet
dum super astra volat.

This emblem is based on a poem from the Greek Anthology (16.107), in which the poet is addressing a bronze statue, which explains the reference to the wax and fire reviving Icarus, since those are elements in the bronze maker's art. To learn more about Icarus, see this Wikipedia article. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main

Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon

Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera

Alciato LXIV: In eum qui sibi damnum apparat

2009-02-15T23:46:00.004-05:00

Alciato LXIV:
In eum qui sibi damnum apparat

Capra, lupum non sponte meo nunc ubere lacto,
Quod male pastoris provida cura iubet.
Creverit ille simul, mea me post ubera pascet:
Improbitas nullo flectitur obsequio.

Capra,
non sponte meo.
nunc lacto ubere
lupum,
quod
pastoris cura,
male provida,
iubet.
Simul ille creverit,
post mea ubera
me pascet:
Improbitas
nullo obsequio
flectitur.

The poor goat is criticizing the foolish action of the shepherd who chooses to raise a wolf cub - you can find out more about the shepherd's motives in this Aesop's fable on the same topic. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg

Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main

Alciato CLVIII: Terminus

2009-02-05T19:36:00.005-05:00

Alciato CLVIII: Terminus

Quadratum infoditur firmissima tessera saxum,
Stat cirrata super pectore imago tenus,
Et sese nulli profitetur cedere: talis
Terminus est, homines qui scopus unus agit.
Est immota dies, praefixaque tempora fatis,
Deque ferunt primis ultima iudicium.

Quadratum saxum,
firmissima tessera,
infoditur;
imago
stat super,
cirrata tenus pectore,
et profitetur
sese
nulli cedere:
talis
Terminus est,
unus scopus
qui
agit homines.
Dies
immota est,
et tempora
praefixa fatis,
et ultima
de primis
ferunt iudicium.

To learn more about the Roman god Terminus, see this article. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

Emblematum libellus (1546), Venice

Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon

Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera

Alciato LVIII: In eos qui supra vires quicquam audent

2009-01-29T16:47:00.007-05:00

Alciato LVIII:
In eos qui supra vires quicquam audent

Dum dormit, dulci recreat dum corpora somno
Sub picea, et clavam caeteraque arma tenet,
Alciden Pygmaea manus prosternere letho
Posse putat, vires non bene docta suas.
Excitus ipse, velut pulices, sic proterit hostem,
Et saevi implicitum pelle leonis agit.

Dum dormit,
dum sub picea
dulci somno recreat corpora
et tenet clavam et cetera arma,
Pygmaea manus,
non bene docta vires suas,
putat posse
letho prosternere Alciden.
Excitus ipse,
sic proterit et agit hostem
saevi pelle leonis implicitum,
velut pulices.

To learn more about the ancient Pygmies, see this Theoi.com article. This is also one of the emblems from Alciato included in Geffrey Whitney's Choice of Emblemes (published in 1586). Here is Whitney's English adaptation:

While, HERCULES, with mightie clubbe in hande
In Lyons skinne did sleepe, and take his ease:
About him straighte approch'de the Pigmeis bande,
And for to kill this conquerour assaies,
But foolishe dwarffes; theire force was all to smalle,
For when he wak'de, like gnattes hee crush'd them all.
This warneth us, that nothinge paste our strengthe
Wee shoulde attempte: nor anie worke pretende,
Above our power: lest that with shame at lengthe
Wee weakelinges proove, and fainte before the ende.
The pore, that strive with mightie, this doth blame:
And sottes, that seeke the learned to defame.

Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg

Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris

Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon

Alciato CLXXV: Alius peccat, alius plectitur

2009-01-22T20:13:00.005-05:00

Alciato CLXXV: Alius peccat, alius plectitur

Arripit ut lapidem catulus, morsuque fatigat,
Nec percussori mutua damna facit,
Sic plerique sinunt veros elabier hostes
Et quos nulla gravat noxia, dente petunt.

Ut catulus
arripit lapidem
et morsu fatigat,
et mutua damna
percussori non facit,
sic plerique
sinunt
veros hostes elabier
et dente petunt (hos)
quos
nulla noxia gravat.

This is one of the emblems of Alciato which made its way into Whitney's Choice of Emblemes, the first emblem book published in English. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg

Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris

Emblemata (1550), Lyon

Alciato VII: Non tibi, sed religioni

2009-01-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Alciato VII: Non tibi, sed religioni

Isidis effigiem tardus gestabat asellus,
Pando verenda dorso habens mysteria.
Obvius ergo Deam quisquis reverenter adorat,
Piasque genibus concipit flexis preces.
Ast asinus tantum praestari credit honorem
Sibi, et intumescit, admodum superbiens:
Donec eum flagris compescens, dixit agaso,
Non es Deus tu, aselle, sed Deum vehis.

Tardus asellus
Isidis effigiem gestabat,
verenda mysteria habens
pando dorso.
Obvius ergo quisquis
Deam reverenter adorat,
et, genibus flexis,
pias preces concipit.
Ast asinus credit
sibi tantum honorem praestari
et intumescit,
admodum superbiens,
donec agaso,
flagris compescens,
dixit:
Non es Deus tu, aselle,
sed Deum vehis.

To learn more about the traditional story of the donkey bearing the divine icon, see the story of The Donkey who Carried the God at the Aesopica.net website. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

1531:

1542:

1584:

1615:

Alciato L: Dolus in suos

2009-01-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

Alciato L: Dolus in suos

Altilis allectator anas, et caerula pennis,
Assueta ad dominos ire redire suos,
Congeneres cernens volitare per aera turmas,
Garrit, in illarum se recipitque gregem,
Praetensa incautas donec sub retia ducat:
Obstrepitant captae, conscia at ipsa silet.
Perfida cognato se sanguine polluit ales,
Officiosa aliis, exitiosa suis.

Anas,
altilis allectator
et caerula pennis,
assueta ire redire
ad dominos suos,
cernens
congeneres turmas
volitare per aera,
garrit,
et se recipit
in illarum gregem,
donec ducat incautas
sub retia praetensa:
captae obstrepitant,
at ipsa, conscia, silet.
Perfida ales se polluit
cognato sanguine,
officiosa aliis,
exitiosa suis.

To learn more about the motif of the treacherous bird, see this Aesop's fable about a perfidious partridge. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

1546:

1550:

Alciato XVIII: Prudentes

2008-12-24T14:53:00.013-05:00

Alciato XVIII: Prudentes

Iane bifrons, qui iam transacta futuraque calles,
Quique retro sannas, sicut et ante, vides:
Te tot cur oculis, cur fingunt vultibus? An quod
Circumspectum hominem forma fuisse docet?

Iane bifrons,
qui calles
iam transacta et futura,
et qui sannas vides,
retro sicut et ante:
Cur te fingunt
tot oculis, tot vultibus?
An quod
forma hominem docet
circumspectum fuisse?

To learn more about the two-faced Roman god Janus, the god of the New Year (from whom we get the name of the month "January"), see this Wikipedia article. Below you can see some more images from other editions of Alciato's Emblemata:

1591:

1567:

1546:

1615: